Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-29

What will not woman. gentle woman. dare
When strong affection stIrs her spirit upl
The poet Southey. asked this ques
ton nearly a century ago, and the
answer then was the same as 1t is
now. Devoted to her city Of Seattle.
Bertha X. I4andes, the newly elected
MAYOR, is showing that she dares to
attempt TO give that Northwestern
metropolis clean city government.
She is being encouraged by induen'
tial newspapers in her State and Is
receiving sympathetic tributes from
the press of the country.
1.-THE administration of Mayor
Bertha X. Landes at Seattle takes an
auspicious start compliments the
Spokane Spokesman Review, referring
to the mayors act in inviting coop
Grafton between the law-enforcement
authorities Of the Federal Govern
ment, the State and county" and In
calling upon the people themselves Ito
assume responsibility in following q
policy Of law observance! This paper
includes in it's favorable comment a
mention Of 1.-The mayors new chief OF
police" whom It quotes as saying: Il
don't think the mayor and myself are
on trial: it is the city that is on tr1al.
What result we obtain will rest with
the city and not with its officials
and of this statement the paper says
That's a big fact, we'll stated. For
wears Seattle has been on trial before
the country, Mayor Landes and Chief
Of Police Soaring have declared de-
sire to make Seattle clean city, but
Seattle must come willingly to the
bath. They can't compel 1t to be clean
If it Is not clean at heart"
The Aberdeen World calls attention
to the notable fact that Mrs. Lan0es
is the first woman mayor OF large
city" and to the further truth that
rightly or wrongly, more Will be eX-
pected of her than of a man. Her
sex is on trial through her. She
will be watched to see whether
women can be competent Govern :
ment administrators
That the new mayor is not with
out necessary experience, and that
she has already had prior proofs OF
confidence given her, Is cited by the
Providence Journal. watching her
from across the width of the CONT
nent. "She has been president of the
city council and she has made her
name known and respected In Seat
tie, in her capacity as presiding Of
flcer Of the city fathers" says the
Journal "Mrs. Landes appears to
be an excellent exponent Of cultured
and efficient womanhood responding
to the call of civic duty. not for per-
sonal, pyrotechnic display. but pure
ly through conscientious regard for
the public service that may be rem
dered. Her progress as Seattle
&c ra1 n a
watching"
The San Antonio Express consid-
ers it to the mayors credit that In
her campaign she avoided the toe
common error of promising more
than she could perform. "She did not
promise to make Seattle spotless.
adds the Express. "but pledged her eff
forts to prevent fragrant open viola
ton of the law" But that her words
were considered forerunners of deeds
among those against whom her re-
form efforts were to be directed was
shown, as the San Antonio paper
points out. by the fact that after her
Inauguration "a general exodus OF
underworld characters was forced; II
was estimated that 5000 to 5000 had
departed apparently convinced that
the climate suddenly had become I'M
healthy
In the opinion of the Chattanooga
News. Mayor Landes has taken hold
of her duties in a way to reaSsure
public confidence because: "She is
not a stunt law enforcer. She does
not promise a.xthorough cleanup of
the town in 1S ninutes. but she does
nH0misa eteadnsts -co1sastank- enort