Evening star., 1926-04-18
BY HAROLD X. PHILIPS.

7 s he modern woman unconsciously lending
acceleration to the pitifully slow evolution
Of world unity?
To that question few Jealous souls
who all know would undoubtedly shout
confident animation, and the patriots of the
old school would chorus an emphatic no
But those who had the privilege of close
association with the editors from Latin Amer
lea during the recent sessions of the First Pan.
American Congress of Journalists would
probably admit that in the New World. at
least It is woman who is breaking down the
barriers Of racial differences most successfully.
An abyss of traditions and social customs
that have stood long enough to he recognized
racial characteristics still separate the
women of Anglo America and the women of
Latin America--but that gap is being closed.
permanently and definitely. The new freedom.
that has raised the woman of North America
from the pedestal of alteration to the plane OF
fun equality with her male companion. is find
ing it's way to the women Of Latin America
with certainty that can no longer be denied
No power, perhaps. can ever bridge the
nautical miles between here and Ruenos Aires
or Montvideo competentIy enough 10 make
social calling commonplace event: and II is
quite safe 10 predict that South America will
speak Spanish and Portuguese, and the United
States will speak English for many generations
yet come. But the days of cloistered
wonanhood in the southern republics may he
counted in small numerals.
''rhe difference between the customs of the
of the United States and Argentina
is tremendous" declared Jorge Mitre, editor
OF La NaClon, buenOS aires, ana one Oh ane
outstanding figures in the life of South America
today. THE newly arrived visitor to your
shores is fairly amazed. at first, by the com
plete freedom with which your young women
go about unescorted, and the extent to which
they have entered business, professional and
even industrial pursuits.
But the women of South America
beginning 10 change. One by restrc-
tions, the time honored customs that forbade
our fair senoras and senoritas doing this
that. passing and In the matter of
feminine freedom and equality. at least.
two continents are becoming one. 1t will take
time for women to accept the extreme
breadths of freedom enjoyed by yours. but |
think some day they will he the same
Latin America is probably the old orders
last stronghold in the entire Christian world.
To understand why the peoples Of those nations
giving up their traditional customs
reluctantly. you must go back to the charac
teristics Of two great peoples-the Spanish and
the Moors. A vast majority of the peoples Of
Latin America Of Spanish descent. and the
imprint of the Moorish conquest of old Spain
remains to a rather remarkable degree. in
instances.
Thus, by the heritage of two great cultures.
the custom of clostered womanhood is a
definite part of Latin America. Even now,
years after the women of the United States.
Britain and of Mohammedan Turkey
have cast off the veil of reserve and snapped
their fingers at the many thou shalt nots''
that once surrounded them. it is social suicide
for young woman in South America to be
alone with a man. And for a woman to
enter business is regarded disgrace TO
the male members of her family.
One of the Younger delegates to the Pan