Evening star., 1939-07-23
mrs. Rohde Thinks q Woman
Will Be President Some Doy
But She's Not in Favor
OfIt Just to See One
Of Her Sex Elected
By PAULINE FREDERICK.


ANDERSON, w. Va, July % (N.A.
MAJ Looking back over as varied
and interesting career as any
American woman can claim-teach-
er, member of Congress, Minister to
Denmark, lecturer, author, in addi-
ton to being a wife and mother
Mrs. Ruth Bryan Rohde declares
she has enjoyed all of it to the fullest
degree. But she admits that there
has been one peak in it even little
higher than the others.
Perhaps have enjoyed diplomacy
most" she smiles. Il can imagine
no more congenial work than that of
helping build friendly relations be-
tween our own country and another"
Career woman as she has been, it
is only natural to find Mrs. Rohde
possessed of a belief that some day
a woman will find herself in the very
important career of President of the
United States. But it is interesting
to note that she is not in favor of
such an eventuality just to see
woman in the post. Here is her
point of view:
Il believe that more and more we
are considering the fitness of the
individual for the office The ideal
condition is one in which the public
will say, in considering the fitness
of the person for a certain Office,
not, is this woman or MANI
but, Is this person who has the
qualifications for the post?'
Haven't Reached Point Yet.
Il see no reason why, at some fu-
ture time, we may not have reached
a point where the qualifications of
the lndlvidual-man or woman-Will
be the determining factor. We have
not reached it yet. but we are i'm
measurably nearer to it than we were
half century ago."
The daughter of William Jennings
Bryan is now serving as dollar-a-
year collaboration with the United
States Travel Bureau, operated un-
der the Department of the Interior,
and she says there is more to it's
function than selling tourists on the
beauties of Americas tempted hills
and fruited plains. Uncle Sam is
encouraging people to travel in this
country not alone for the scenic
view, according to Mrs. Rohde, but
also because, at the same time. they
Will have opportunities of seeing
some Of the beauties of democratic
government in operation.
Pausing in the leisurely routine
OF her charming West Virginia
home. this much-traveled woman,
the first of her sex to head an
American diplomatic mission, de-
clared Travel in this country offers
to Americans and foreigners alike
not only pleasure and education,
but a lesson in peaceful ADJUST
ment by the various States of prob
lens which are often in European
countries casus belli The British
Queen, in her parting message as
the recent royal visit was ending,
said that it had made a deep i'm
preston upon her to find the peo-
pie of North America with their
faces set toward the peaceful ad-
justment of differences"
Her Ideas on Travel.
Mrs. Rohde has her own ideas
on the most effective inducement
to draw foreign travellers to these
parts. Il would like to see the
varied natural beauties of our coun-
try depicted in poster form and
given wide distribution abroad she
said. so that the Yosemite Valley.
Grand Canyon. Yellowstone, Gla-
cier, Zion and other national parks
may be as widely known abroad as
the Cathedrals of Belgium and the
chateaus of France are to our own
people"
Right now, when her official duties
do not call her elsewhere. Mrs. Rohde
is enjoying to a superlative de-
gree as she puts it, developing
her charming old country home.
the Cedars, at Anderson. and fin
ishing a new book, a collection of
Scandinavian fairy tales retold for
American children.