Evening star., 1940-12-08
Miss Buck Dep|ores
Trend 10 Segregate
Sexes in America
American Girl Is Guided
From Idea Of Equality,
Author Declares

er," and IN this circumstance lies
real threat to democracy, Pearl S.
Buck. distinguished author, declared
in an address before a banquet of
the National Wonan's Party last
night in the Mayflower Hotel.
Men do not greatly like women"
because of traditional segregation
of the sexes which they are afraid
to abandon, Miss Buck said.
She contrasted the attitude of the
Chinese mother to that of her Amer
lean counterpart, who, she said,
carries on this tradition of male
superiority"
The author of The Good Earth
gave the Chinese mothers injunc-
ton to her children, both boys and
girls, as:
Behave thus because only thus
do superior persons behave"
In this country, however, she said,
advice to the boy is:
Behave like a brave man, not
like a sissy girl"
Guided Away From Equality.
The American girl then is guided
away from the idea of sex equality
by being told of her privileges as
a woman, Miss Buck added.
fortunately for woman, chivalry
never reached China" she declared.
she had the benefit of the discipline
of work and no privileges"
Miss Buck said she was ashamed
and amused together" when she con-
templated how 'frighteningly eager
to get their men" are American
women.
The condition in which women
devote their energies from the age
of Is years to 40 principally to
seeking husband and raising chill
dren is traceable to failure OF the
educational system to educate men
and women for each other, she said.
Both should be educated alike for
both work and home" she con-
tended
Tradition Is Upheld.
The author declared: IF tradition
holds it is because We hug it and
uphold it and maintain it
Asserting that it is not illogical that
dlctators have sprung from nations
in which women we're openly se2re-
gated from men, Miss Buck said:
we must think in world terms
now. Women must step beyond four
walls into the world and take their
place there. Their smallest unit
is the nation, for the world is still
made up of nations. but nothing less
than her proper place in national
life is the present duty of women in
a democracy
Other speakers at last nights BAN
ouet were Mrs. Emma Guffey Miller,
Democratic national committee
woman from Pennsylvania: Mrs
Ethel Ernest Murrell of Florida and
Miss Anita Pollitzer. member of the
Congressional Committee of the
National Women's Party.
Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley of WASH
ington was toastmaster
Other Guests Present..
Others at the head table included
Richard J. Walsh. editor of the
magazine Asia and husband of Miss
Buck: Senator Capper of Kansas
and Representative Gearhart and
HinshaW of California and Jonkman
of Michigan.
In an interview yesterday after
noon, Miss Buck. in commenting on
the movement for an equal rights
amendment to the Constitution.
said such activity would not have
been justified if tradition had not
placed "a male emphasis" in the
Constitution.
On the recently announced loan
to China she commented, Many
more. hope, will follow"
Visiting bazaar sponsored by
the Washington Committee for Aid
to China, Miss Buck said later, Il
say that China has already won the
war. only Japan doesn't know it."
The bazaar opened yesterday at
1925 H street NV. and will con-
tinue through December "a
The National WomanS party will
conclude its 10th biennial convep-
tion today with report of the
Committee on Resolutions at Ills
am. at the Mayflower, elections at
session beginning at 2 pm, and a
supper and meeting of the new
National Council in the home of
Mrs. Wiley, 2345 Ashmead place
NV, at 7 pm.
The convention program yester-
day gave particular attention to
threats against married women
workers in Massa acnusetts and Penn
sylvania
Reporting for Pennsylvania. Mrs.
Serena Foley Davis declared that
bills in various forms aimed against
married women teachers have been
introduced in every State Legisla-
ture since 1929 and described the
present situati as volcano
about to erupt."
Mrs. Edith Bartlett Conway.
State chairman for Massachusetts.
asserted a petition is being widely
circulated in her State for the in
PRODUCTION of an amendment which
would legalize the dismissal of work.
Ing wives in State, municipal and
county Offices.
Mrs. A. c. Ransome. of California,
second vice chairman of the party.
declared that 1000 laws in this
country discriminate against women.
Amateur Astronomers