Where Women Need Not Agitate for Equal Rights
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7 WHERE WOMEN NEED NOT AGITATE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS Here s a New Republic That Starts Out With Full Suffrage and Basic Democracy Something About Poland's Women Leaders BT CONSTANCE DREXEL. prises. Strange as It may seem whew referring to a country so far away, MERlCA realizes, I hope." said there 'are women's organisations In it Z Madame Padcrcwski In a re- - Poland run very ranch like those la cent Interview, 'that Poland America. One of the most prominent Is a real republic- From a woman's Is the "Circle for Women's Work." standpoint, we start our "national life whose members are leaders of the with a clean slate, the women having ( leisure class pledged to give tblr exactly as much weight politically as time and effort for public benefit the men. There are women members Madame Josephine Klaver Is the en- In the diet and In 'nearly all the city ergetic president, busy from morning councils. Why, they're even In the until evening at her offices In the army! center of Warsaw. T. W. C A. work- Indeed, so great is the desire of ers are there, too. young American the Polish government to avail itself women In bloe-gra- y uniforms, who of the services of the woman of the are 'helping the organisation In es- nation that I was invited by the for- tablishing American methods along eign office to coma to Poland to en- our social service and settlement lighten the women so shut off from work Ideas. the rest of the worldas to whet More distinctive, however, la Oie women of the allied countries had work of the "Wsotrn Land Owners done at the peace bonferspea, and as and Land Workara." tha oldest wom- to the part of women in the futura en's organisation In Poland. This as- closer organization of the world. The sociation comprises both the titled, trip to Warsaw was arranged for me formsrly wealthy owners of large es- on the diplomatic orient express, tates, and the peasant women who which leaves Paris three times a work oa the farms. The aim of the week, two cars going to Prague and more fortunate woman was a closer the other two to Warsaw by way of contact with the working passant Vienna. Conferences were arranged women, who In Poland have had so witb the presidents and officers of little chance at odaieatton, by estab- the women's organizations, and with lishing schools where they could women members of the diet and city learn better methods of housekeep- . couroils. most of whom speak French, ing and farming. The association aun the second language of the nation. provided a market for peasant handi Poland, a country nearly equal in craft on a cooperative basis, and tried population to France, has six women rn every way to Improve the condi deputies la tha diet, or national par tions of me agricultural class, the liament It meets In Warsaw (better largest In Poland. known in Europe by its French name, That this organization was consid Varsovle), the throbbing capital of ered of practical valoe 'was proved the new Polish nation. when the minister of ajrrlcultura Formerly under Russian rule in the women charge of - ' asked the to take part of Poland owned by Russia, War- soma cows ir-Ti- , 'y-ir-h S-i- - shipments of and hens saw is nevertheless a distinctly mod ('"jt.,. Jas&s i vjt; i which were being brought Into Poland rn city of western European culture. ' to replace in some measure the Irrep- with just enough dash of Russian n IP o arable losses of the war. The women mystery to give it a piquant flavor MS.f d were to make the distribution where and distinction lacking In western ',tt most needed. The offices of the wom- European cities. Its population is en land holders had been notified by more than one million and growing the minister of agriculture. The last. a charming lady. Countess Tha diet meets temporarily in . a Sierakowska, was going to the sta- large building which used to ba a tion to meet the hens, and the women girls' school under tha old Russian were planning to exhibit them In tri- regime. There are a great number coovratloa of Polish ,wi be umph in Warsaw before sending them Wosa-r- m of committee rooms and a fairly large lunalng to tha Asaoelatloa of Into the country. , assembly hall, which, however, is Land Owners and Warhara at There was also the "White Cross." overcrowded with nearly 400 mem Warsaw. The democracy of the corresponding to the Red Cross In bers belonging to the national leg- meetlna; la emphaalaed by peasant other countries founded and organ- So is only one islature. far there costume. nntveniHy student' capa. ized by Madame Paderewski, Its pres- body, a provisional one pending the ident. was doing ate. - This association its making of the constitution for tha best to care for sick and wounded new country. In order to gain time dozen of them. In their long black soldiers. All winter Poland was still the deputies were named by tha va- - robes beneath kindly. Intelligent faces maintaining armies on the bolshevik rious parties and not by popular vote, there were workmen: there and Ukrainian fronts. as will be the case in tha future. lawyers and professional men. The "Circle of Polish Women" was Wending one's way to the diet in a Half a dozen women were scat also caring tor soldiers, attempting horse carriage from tha Hotel Bristol, tered downstairs, seated In the sec to make their bard lot a little easier the seething center of all the foreign tions reserved for the political party by a bit of comfort and cheer. Quite missions In Poland, evidences of pov-- to which they belonged. It seemed In approved more western style. erty and want were apparent. Shop I perfectly natural-t- see them there. scarcely a day passed but that the windows were empty, especially of j Madams Gabrielle Balicka had been members of these organizations were - clothing, Ona passed scores or worn- as perhaps x mentioned the best known " s oat in betels and other public places en whose main possession- - In life was of the group. It was not long before " ' 1 1 making if, 11' IIIIII" 1 3 'I collections for their work. a shawl, often a picturesque one of she came out in response to tha call b All at these women's organizations large plaid, such as worn by peasant I sent in. " ' and others like the Catholic women's I is 1 l-- ' j women In tha country about. These A little woman, fair hair turning III i I iTlJi'' 'll ',lSaW-!!- l J . 'V I j K. organisation were about to take steps shawls served as head covering as I white, dressed in a plain white silk to form a national group, something well, one end usually wrapped tightly I blouse and black skirt, extended on the plan of the Americas Federa around a baby. Many of these women I nand in greeting. She has a very tion of Women's Clubs. were forced to beg from passersby, I sweet expression and quiet manner. It has often been said that women with no place to lay their heads. She spoke French. I also met that shea Id not be citizens becaase they Some were too weary fray, day Madame Sophie MoraczewBka and " from th Photo taken by Miss Drexel at !mbergr, October, 191J. i f S' If cansot and will not fight The wom- and, with baby hugged in haggard Mademoiselle Irene Kosmoswska, two en of are an exception. In rep- COLONEL. LINDA, COMMANDER OF LEMBERQ, AND CAPTAIN ALEKSAN Poland arms under the protecting shawl, were other deputies. The former is a berg, capi- party DBA GAdOWSKA OF A WOMAN'S BATTALION OF TIIK POLISH ARMY. Lam now called Lwow, the huddled on cold stona steps of build resentative of the socialist and of Gallcia, Is bat- is wife of prime tal there a woman's ings. the the first minister are fairly large, comprising about 30 ical research laboratory In Cracow talion 151 strong. These young of Poland, who held sway a still The saddest part of all was the for short members. If too many deputies elect and has published books on the hered- women have seen more than year's period before He Is , a want of shoes and stockings. Most Paderewski. still themselves on certain committees, lots ity and philosophy of plant life. Her f lAl r ft. 7 service, having come into existence were a prominent socialist member of the arrangement ' of the poor women one saw ab parliament. are drawn and some husband was a professor of science, whan the city was In the hands of on city streets. He and his wife come made Whereby varions political but occupied poli solutely barefooted the Cracow, in the also himself with the Ukrainians about the tlraa of the Women or stockings from former Austrian parties are about fairly represented. ticspolitics concerning the inde- without shoes Poland, but for many centuries armistice. There was such a lack of were cleaning streets. One was to the Here is a list of the women mem pendence of Poland. For 18 years, wom- capital of the ancient kingdom of men to defend the city that the be noticed in particular. Her feat bers of the diet, the places and poli- through her husband's interests, Mad- en actually bad to fight with guns were others, but unus Poland.