Evening star., 1960-01-06
BY ISABELLE SHELTON
star stan Writer

Star Stah Writer
There are too many popu-
lar cliches about women. Mrs.
Katie Louchheim. vice chair
man of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee, said last
night.
why must we be typed as
fluttery females or bespec-
tacled battle axes? Why must
we be either fatally funny or
fatally pretty to make a
favorable impression?" she
asked.
The speech was made at
the banquet concluding TIN
three-day convention of the
National Women's Party at
the Willard Hotel.
Original Suffragettes
The organization, whose
nucleus came from suffra-
getteS who forced through
women's voting rights in
1920, has been. battling for
several years for a conStitu-
tional amendment granting
women equal rights with
men.
Neither Mrs. Louchheim
nor her Republican counter
part, Mrs. Glare Williams,
assistant chairman of the
Republican National Com
mittee, who also spoke, re-
ferred specifically to the
equal rights amendment,
which both parties supported
in their campaign platforms
in 1856.
President Eisenhower, Vice
President Nixon and Demo-
cratic Presidential Candidates
Kennedy and Humphrey in
messages to the dinner paid
tribute to the women but
stopped short of an indorse-
ment of the amendment.
Messages From Candidates
Vice President Nixon said:
women should not be pre-
vented by legal obstacles
from sharing equally with
men in our Nations oppor-
tunitieS, and I believe we can
look forward to the eventual
disappearance of all legal re-
strictions which tend to deny
women their full rights of
citizenship"
Senator Humphrey said:
'"The United States. which
has signed the United Ma
tions charter of equal rights,
should reafirm its faith in
equal rights of men and
women. Inequalities under
the law which unfairly dis
criminate against women
should be abolished"
President Eisenhower said:
"Our Nation should make
certain that its women en-
Joy equal rights with men,"
Senator Kennedy said: II
am sure your discussions
and activities will stimulate
among your members and in
the country at large a pro-
gram of responsible action"
Mrs. Williams told the
group that women have had
an uphill struggle since
achieving suffrage 40 years
ago. She added:
I'VE must also be cogni-
zant of the fact that wom-
ans hrst obligation is, and
must be, her home. her hus-
band and her children, so
her assumption of a civic or
political role Immediately
means she is carrying a
double load"
"Image" UnderdeveIOped
Mrs. Louchheim suggested
that the public affairs
image" of the American
woman is underdeveloped.
This is chiefly because
"the old myth that women
are an inferior species per-
sists." she said. But in addi-
ton. she added, anybody
who deals with women year
in and year out knows that
our worst problem is dealing
with the many women who
are over-d o m tic a t e d
in their thinking about pub
lie affairs.
They want good govern
ment but they are blind to
the important role politics
plays in achieving it. They
ignore the Importance of
party responsibility and dis
cipline that insures good
government.
1T would be hard to find a
woman who didn't want bet
ter schools, but only a few
understand this costs money
in taxes and interest on
school bonds, and are willing
to support the government
that requests it of them"
Senator Dodd of Con-
necticut, chief sponsor of the
amendment in the Senate
and Senator Margaret Chase
Smith of Maine, who sup
ports it, both sent messages
that they were unable to
keep commitments to address
the dinner.
Other Speakers
Representatives Charles E
Bennett of Florida and
Daniel Brewster of Mary
land, Foreign Claims Settle
ment Commission Chairman
Pearl Carter Pace and Mrs.
Chloe Clifford, president OF
the General Federation OF
Women's Clubs, we're among
others who spoke. Mrs. Perle
Mesta introduced representa-
tives of several other coun-