Evening star., 1938-08-07
Progress of Turkey Amoses
Euen Turkish Enjoys Wife
Nine. Ertegu,, on Visit to Natiue Land,
Finds Women as Well as Men in
Step With the Times.
By JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

Time was when the Western world S
concept Of Turkish womanhood was
dark-eyed, veiled femininity restricted
from participation in any except the
generally accepted feminine pursuits
Of an heredity and environment which
had not changed since time imme-
mortal.
OF striking contrast is Nine. Mehmet
Munir Ertegun, first wife of Turkish
Ambassador to accompany her hus-
band to his diplomatic mission in the
Nations Capital. Just returned from
a visit to her native land, this smartly
gowned. alert representative of Turkish
womanhood and chatelaine of one of
Washington's most imposing embassies,
tells a story Of accelerated progress
and wholesale enlightenment among
her people, almost an Arabian nights
tale.
During the Is years presidency Of
Mustapha Kemal Ataturk,", Nine
Ertegun reports. my nation has
changed from medievalism to modern
ism. Because of this, We believe that
our President will be acclaimed one OF
the greatest national figures in history
What many nations have attained
through the centuries in a series of
revolutions, blood-shed and grave in
ternal dissensions, we have achieved
in this short time without them,
through the more speedy high pres
sure development of national con-
SciouSneSs in all classes"
New Supplants Old.
The discarding of hampering, CEN
tury-old customs and costumes: COM
pulsory educational features which are
wiping out illiteracy; the universal
change from Arabic to Roman script
for reading and writing, and the in
sistence upon family name and its
registration, are but few of the many
variances in national procedure which
Nine. Ertegun lists as having come to
pass in decade and half.
During my visit home" Nine.
Ertegun says, 'even 1, who had
thought myself in touch with what was
being achieved, was surprised from
day to day with the complete right
about-face along educational and So
cial lines. and every one is very happy
about it,"
Education is compulsory after the
age of 7, through the high school. or
until the age Of II for both girls and
boys. Military service is required of
all young men who are physically fit
after they are 81 years old.
IN each village of so high school
pupils there are courses for the girls
IN home-making. cooking and sewing.
and for the boys in the manual arts
IN addition to their academic pursuits.
Adults, Too, Must Learn.
BY general edict, all adults. up to
so, were required to learn to read and
write Roman script within a given
period OF time. Free instruction is
provided for group classes in every
little hamlet as we'll as cities, with a
check-up by precincts to see that the
requirement was met.
How do your young people react
to their newly discovered freedom?
Do you have many new perplexing
problems with them as a result of it?"
Nine. Ertegun was asked She smiled
and said: They have much the same
attitude toward sports and happy
companionship together as the young
people do in America, with the differ
ence that their social activities center
more in the home with all ages present
at the same party, much after the
fashion that once prevailed in your
Southland. and in. New England
would judge. There is still far more
parental control and jurisdiction, too,
would say, and the late hours which
universally seem to prevail among
festivities for them in your country
are comparatively unknown in Turkey.
"Of course, we have adopted your
tea dances and many other of your
very delightful customs in our cities,
and our young girls are quite as de-
termined to preserve slender figures as
are yours. Bobbed hair is quite as
universal too, with beauty shops hav-
ing SDrIInp I'm eyervuhcre"