Evening star., 1936-07-12
Women of America: Poise
Marked in San Francisco
Fairer Sex in Cosmopolitan City on Coast
Feels Itself Equal to Life, Whatever
Form It May Assume.

whether she Is a daughter Of the
"Chives," those chivalrous Southerners
who early came around the Horn, or
the "Shoves," the Irish miners who
gathered their fortunes by shoveling
gold.
NOW today it is fashionable to do
club work. Therefore she and her
husband hope to add to their social
prestige by her participation in many
club activities. Besides, as a certain
editor of an important West Coast
magazine so aptly put it, she likes to
aim high. The most popular club of
the moment being the Garden Club,
she added it to her list. 1t does not
matter if the garden is simply a potted
geranium on the window sill Of an
apartment on Mob Hill, where once
reigned the Comstock millionaires in
their marble castles.
There are many factors in the life
OF the city which the women regard
seriously. They are still talking about
the general strike. At the time they
displayed great fears and bewailed its
inconvenience. Today. however, they
point out proudly that their city is
one Of the most strongly unionized in
this country and it has brought pros
perity. The women also show a keen
interest in their voting power, and
proportionately as many women as
men registered for the primaries.
ITS the masses in San Francisco
that exercise the greatest influence"
they say.
Yet when they discussed with me the
political situation with regard to wom-
en- many protested against the en-
ployers, and many of them are taking
malicious sort Of bite your nose to
spite your face" delight in the fact
that no sooner did the present Gov
ernor take Office than he did Just what
the men feared Upton Sinclair would
do about taxations.
The peace movement also engages
madame'S attention. You hear stories
about the "old guard" wanting the
West Coast lined with impressive bat
tleships. That they revel in whisper
ing tales about how the doors of their
schools and universities are tightly
locked while "traitorous teachers stuff
peace propaganda down the innocent
students throat" To this the women
reply: Splendid, if our husbands will /
not let us teach our youngsters that
peace is paramount, with the school
doors wide open well, We will have
to lock them. But you must not believe
everything you hear" they would
laughingly add. The truth Is that
our youngsters are already peace
minded and We parents are following
fast"
SOMETIMES the men of the city
do not take her crusading spirit
very seriously. Then Nine. San Fran
cisco, daintily inhaling the sweet
fragrance Of the fresh flowers which
she wears as part Of her costume af-
fects a worldly sort Of indignation
about it.
I'VE women always have to laugh at
that rip-roaring forty-niner point of
view. You know there is q certain
omcial who Is always berating us in
the yellow press on our city's minus
birth rate. He claims we are too
busy tending to the mems affairs or
gadding around to worry about our
children. Such nonsense. He for
gets 1t Is the large block Of taxes
from this frivolous citizenry which
has helped to make possible for our
children As parks and So Fairgrounds,
as well as fine Libraries and excellent
schools. And now our city is the
first in the Nation to have a civic
opera house. We have also con-
triouted greatly in maintaining our
splendid museums, art exhibits and
the theaters. It Is all part of our
effort to instill the love of drama,
music and the dance in our young.
Il believe our men are proudly
aware that the women Of San Fran
cisco have done their full share in
keeping up the high standards of the
women Of America In our cosmopoli.
tan center"