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WOMEN OF 1924

INTERNATIONAL

IDA CLYDE CLARKE, Editor
LILLIAN BALLANCE SHERIDAN, Ass't Editor

ISSUED BY THE
WOMEN'S NEWS SERVICE, INC.

106 EAST 19th STREET

New York

COPYRIGHT, 1924

THE WOMEN'S NEWS SERVICE, INC.

PRINTED IN U. S. A.

294537 AA
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FOREWORD

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The record this book contains is presented to the public with no apologies. The editors believe it is one of which women throughout the world may well be proud. Many of the difficulties encountered in collecting and compiling data for "Women of 1923", the first annual edition of the Women's World Year Book, have been less serious this year. The pioneer work has been done. The foundation has been laid. The demonstration has been made. The reception accorded "Women of 1923" on the part of librarians, editors, club women, and public leaders in every field, was evidence that such a book came in answer to a definite need. That the first edition did not wholly meet that need is not to be wondered at. There was no precedent for the form or pattern of the book. The editor had literally to feel her way. There was no one source of information on any given subject. Facts and figures and historical data had to be gathered up from many sources. And, greatest handicap of all, women were far from prompt in answering requests for information. Many letters and telegrams remained unanswered when the book went to press.

This year's work has been less arduous, because women, after they saw the book with their eyes and touched it with their hands, became more responsive. Strange to say the greatest difficulty has been with women in high places-women from whom we had a right to expect efficient cooperation. Our financial resources were entirely inadequate for so stupendous a task; our clerical force was necessarily limited. And yet, women who were perfectly familiar with every detail of our difficulties-in some cases women who were officials or members of our own organization had to be addressed three or four times before they could be cajoled into furnishing a bit of biographical information concerning their own careers. Women are by nature coy, and they appear to think it necessary to carry this coyness over into their business. They want to be flirted with. They don't like to "come across" at the first request. They avoid directness as if it were a vice. A simple request for information about themselves for the section devoted to "Women of Today" brought few direct answers. One of the most prominent banking women in America-an official of a great financial institution--wrote back that she would send it, "if you really want it." One of the most prominent advertising women in this country sent the same sort of a reply.

We wrote back that we "really wanted it" and added, "please be prompt. The book is ready for the press." After a week or two there came another flirting reply. "I don't feel that I really deserve to be in the book, but if you still want it!" Another letter and perhaps another. And yet, leave those names out if you dare!

We "really wanted" the information asked for. We really want any informataion that will add to the interest and value of the book. We will appreciate it if women will not wait to be asked. We want criticism, suggestions, additions, and corrections, to the end that "Women of 1925" will be as much better than the present volume as this is better than "Women of 1923."

Even a casual reading of the pages that follow shows that the year has been a remarkable one so far as the progress of women's work is concerned.

The number of women holding important offices of public trust has been largely increased. Eight women now sit in the British Parliament, and Margaret Bondfield, as Parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Labor is the first woman member of the British Government. There are more than a hundred women in the various national parliaments of the world. The Soviet Government of Russia broke the ice by appointing a woman ambassador to Norway. Bulgaria sent a woman as its representative to this countrv. Turkey has a woman Minister of Education! All over the world there is a very noticeable tendency toward a wider recognition of women in governmental affairs.

In our own country this tendency is not yet apparent in our national governmental body. But we are evidently proceeding on the sound basis of beginning further down the line. There are five women state senators, two in Ohio, and one each in Vermont, Oregon and Washington. In the lower houses of the state legislatures eighty-one women are serving -eight in Pennsylvania, seven in Connecticut, six in Ohio. one each in California, Vermont and Washington. Other states have one or two each. And even conservative, southern Mississippi has elected a woman to the lower house of its legislature.

Though only one woman sits in our national Congress, a considerable number of women have been appointed to high positions in the various departments of government. We have Mrs. Willebrandt, as Assistant Attorney General; Mrs. Gardiner, as Civil Service Commissioner; and half a dozen other women occupying important national posts at Wash

ington. Miss Lucile Atcherson is our only woman diplomat, and Miss Viola Smith is commercial attache under our state department and is stationed at Shanghai, China. Mrs. Mabel Reinecke, of Chicago, is Collector of Internal Revenue.

In the ranks of the judiciary women have attained high places. Judge Jean H. Norris of New York, is the first woman to preside over a criminal sourt. Ohio has signally honored two of its women in this field. Judge Florence E. Allen presides in the State Supreme Court and Judge Mary B. Grossman has recently been elected as judge of the Municipal Court of Cleveland. Both in point of judicial power and in point of salary these women are on the same basis as men. A number of other women have received judicial honors in other ranks. (See Women Judges.)

In the field of education women are receiving far more recognition in administrative affairs than they have ever had before. For the fourth time a woman-Miss Olive Jones-is President of the National Education Association. (See Women in Education.)

The church has, in many instances, let the bars down, and admitted women to its legislative and administrative councils. (See Church and Women.)

In the matter of legislative gains there is much that is favorable despite the discouragement noted in the Supreme Court's decision declaring the minimum wage legislation and the Child Labor amendment unconstitutional.

A summary of gains in the various states is encouraging. though our women must realize that only through eternal vigilance shall we be able to maintain the growth which we have so hardly won.

In this regard our greatest hope lies in our Woman's Bureau and our Childrens Bureau at Washington. Mary Van Kleeck, Julia Lathrop, Mary Anderson, Grace Abbott, and the other fine-spirited, socially minded, highly-gifted women who have labored with them to bring those bureaus to their present state of great usefulness, merit the cordial, intellegent, sympathetic co-operation of all women's organizations in the splendid work they are doing. We need to know these women. better, to have a wider knowledge of the problems with which they are struggling and a deeper interest in these problems, because they underlie the most vital issues upon. which we are called to vote.

The Woman's Trade Union League has waged a campaign and a highly intelligent campaign in the interest of the establishment of the principles for which it stands. There

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