Evening star., 1937-12-06
MRS. HALE SCOFFS
At IDEA THAT WIFE
SHOULD NOT WORK
Favors, However, Picking
Motherhood if Show
down Is Forced.
LECTURER, EX-ACTRESS,
SPEAKS AT TOWN HALL
Attributes Drop in Birth Rate to
Decline in Our Christian
Virtues.

Although scofhng at the idea that
the dual role Of wife and worker,
played by many women today, is
breaking up the home, Mrs. Beatrice
Hale, prominent
English lecturer and former actress,
last night told Town Hall audience
of approximately 500, more than half
of whom were women, that if the
necessity of choice between mother
hood and the opportunity to work ever
arises, the former must be taken.
Mrs. Hale, former Suffragist and
fourth speaker in the current Town
Hall series, discussed the advances
made by women in this country and
Great Britain in recent years toward
what she termed "the equality Of op-
portunity" and the attitude of society
toward this advancement.
She cited the increase in female
participation in the professions, la
Dor movements and politics and later
was questioned by panel members in
Guiding Miss jeanette Rankin, first
woman elected to Congress; Miss Elsie
Hill, co-founder Of the Womens Party,
and Mrs. Helen Hunt West, a lawyer
admitted to practice before the Su-
preme Court.
Very Essence Of Freedom.
AS justification for women's shar-
ing the spotlight of public life with
men, Mrs. Hale declared:
1.-The right to work with whatever
hands and brains We possess is the
very essence of freedom"
She protested complaints that this
career tendency" in women is caus-
ing the home to "fall apart" and at
tributed birth rate declines, especially
among the middle, educated classes;
the substituting of "a sort of progress
sive monogamy" for the pernanancy
OF marriage and the apparent decline
of chastity among both men and
women to "a decline in our Christian
virtues" brought about both by mod
ern luxuries and diversions and a
gradual pulling away from individual
ism
individuals today are striving to
find how life can work for them, not
how they can work for life" she said.
Christian ethics sets higher price
on the individual value of the human
spirit.
More Individualistic.
The speaker commented that women
are naturally more individualistic than
men and referred to the "totalitarian
states" Of Germany, Italy and Rus
sia as 'anti-pathetic to the female
spirit"
Mrs. Hale reiterated that reproduc-
ton among 'our best stocks" is de-
clining, but said she felt such q stu
alton would adjust itself.
I'VE are not faced with 4 choice
between motherhood and the privileges
we have gained" she commented.
If we were, the privileges would have
to go. Our first duty is to maintain
the human race and sustain Christian
virtue"
When questioned by o. E. Baker,
senior agricultural economist for the
Agriculture Department and another
panel member, concerning the i'm
portance of the population decline
among the middle classes, Mrs. Hale
stated that this is the most important
problem facing the western world to-
day, even more vital than political
and economic issues
Cites Birth Rate Decline.
Miss Rankin asked if this decline
could not be explained by the reluc-
tance individuals have for putting in
the world children who would be sub
jected to starvation facing so many
of our present-day youngsters"
The speaker disagreed, citing the
fact that the birth rate decline has
been greater among those who could
afford to have children than it has
among the poor and underprivihged
Miss Rankin stated in reference to
Mrs. Hale's remarks on women III
politics that she would like to see
more and more women in Congress
until I'VE have the reverse of today's
set-up-a few intelligent men and a
majority of women"
Miss Hill asked the speaker what
she thought OF minimum wage leglsla-
ton designed for women and not men.
Equality in Restrictions.
I'm afraid of legislation affecting
one and not the other" Mrs. Hale
replied. I'VE must have equality in
labor restrictions as well as qualifi-
cations"
Isador Lubin, commissioner of labor
statistics for the Labor Department
and also panel member, referred to
the speakers remarks on the European
totalitarian states and asked:
LAS women apparently are the ones
who lose out in those countries, why
have we not heard from them?"
Mrs. Hale replied that women there
never have had the chance they have
had here and in England.
Lothrop Stoddard, author and lee
turer, was chairman at the session,
held in the Rialto Theater.