The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-09-29

perform CcCn-
nical Jobs but, MRS. MARTIN
"the hundreds
OF administrators and consultants,
OF research directors and counsels.
They retard business because they
are women. American courtesy lets
them say what they want and write
how much they want. These wo-
men have a wonderful capacity for
seeing detail and Of unbelieving
things. But most Of them don't see
the forest because of the trees. and,
If informed, they do not want to
see 1t. American men are too polite
to direct business into strictly male
lines. In which the effect counts
more than the way. In which the
whole counts more than the detail.
In which the fact counts more than
the form. American men are too
fine to stand up against the TRADES
of women who not seldom under
the cover Of democracy assume ar
bitrary dictatorship. They are too
polite to close the door 10 intellec-
tual rope dancers"
Keep 1t Clean
Well ladies, what do you make
of it? Do you think there is some
thing in what he says or do you
think he is disgruntled for some
personal reason perhaps?
Whether men are too fine and
too polite to put the woman in pub
lie life in her place is beside the
point. The point, 1t seems to me,
Is whether women are sufficiently
controlled and impersonal to take
the gibs directed at them.
Men are accustomed to opposi-
ton and answering it back In kind:
they have real gift for side-step-
ping personal, below-the-belt at
tacks; political enemies can remain
friends in private, which seems to
me entirely beyond the range Of a
woman's talents. When two women
toss their hats into the political
ring the gesture is not silent one.
On the contrary, it is accompanied
by considerable uproar, with
clawing, kissing and scratching
motif that Identifies the rumpus as
definitely feline. Fur flies. person.
alities are torn to bits. It's cat
fight in deadly earnest-no holds
barred. One just can't seem to see
the opponents being exactly chum-
my afterwards. To be politician
one must have a thick skin and be
practically insult-proof; both quail
tiles take time to cultivate: the
young woman who decides to run
for office must be able both to take
1t and hand it out. or she had better
remain in private life. which ap-
parently she doesn't want to do.
She's had taste Of battle. and it's
quite possible thinks she's going to
get a kick out Of good, clean fight.
But try to keep it clean, try to keep
personal spleen and petty jealousy
out of it. II she can, she's good and
deserves the support Of the party.
Her Big Chance
II a woman has a flair for poll
tics. Is q convincing speaker ana
wins the confidence Of the voter.
and can hold it after election, then
there is no reason why she should
not run for and hold office, but
she's got to be sure she has what 1t
takes. for it takes great deal.
The traditional role of the power
behind the throne is a much easier
one for the average woman to play;
it is subtle, but powerful. Most
wives know that 1t is as simple as
ABC to make ones husband think
that her ideas. carefully impaired
to him, are his. Most wives operate
in this oblique manner, knowing by
experience that men resent taking
orders from woman, but will obey
them to a letter If they can be per-
suaded that they are merely fol-
lowing their own judgment and
common sense.
The woman who takes ONCE
changes her traditional weapons
for blunter weapons foreign to her
hand. She has to learn to use them
1T Is bit awkward at first. but
give her time. Men are giving her
time and plenty Of rope with which
to get entangled. They are watch
ing with interest her effort to rule
more than the roost. Apparently.
they are willing to give her fling
at politics, being fair enough. prob
ably. to admit that she can hardly
make a worse mess Of things than
men have. Curiously enough, they
do not seem to fear feminine COM
petition. wonder why.