THE FRENCHWOMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 259, 2 November 1933, Page 14

THE FRENCHWOMAN.

DEMANDS A VOTE

The Frenchwoman emerges into the limelight at odd times whfen it is stated she is demanding a vote. This probably would have been secured years ago if the Frenchwoman was not on a better footing financially than any of her European sisters, as the present law gives her power over joint earnings. Now a concerted movement to obtain votes for women is afoot, at the head of which is one of the oldest names in France. The Duchess of Rochefoucauld is president of the Union of Votes for Women in France. She is a handsome woman, tall and graceful, with golden brown hair and blue eyes and long, slender hands. I had a talk with her in her beautiful home in the Place des Etats-Unis in Paris, states an English writer. Her study is an expression of herself, for it is a real place for work. Her desk was scattered with papers; the shelf of one of her book cases was filled with newspaper cuttings con-, corning the feminine movement. When I asked Mme. de La Rochefoucauld if the French were really in favour of votes for women she handed me a great bundle of newspaper cuttings; all cxcept two or three Qf these were in favour of giving the vote to women. On the walls of the room were portraits of Andre Maurois et Patil Valery painted by the Duchess, who is a gifted artist. The book cases arc filled with do luxe'editions of prominent authors. The choice of books expressed a very varied taste. Among them were the Koran, "The Letters of Marcel Proust," works by Edgar Allen Poe, "The Stricken Deer," or the "Life of Cowper," by David Cecil, "The Lost Oasis," by A. M. Hassanin Bey, and Jean Giraudoux's "Susanne et la Pacifique." Madame de La Rochefoucauld has been president of the National Union of Women for the past two years. She has spoken a great deal in the provinces and has her own ideas as to the way the vote must be obtained. She does not believe that the Frenchwomen should make an outcry and acclaim their rights from the housetops. She said; "I never cry out, I always smile and wait. My time is occupied in doing all I can to make myself and others capable. We women must show ourselves capable. We must be able to grapple with problems. It is only by this means we will succeed in convincing members of the Senate as to the necessity of giving us the vote. It must be remembered that most of them are men of 60 and 70, and they do not like to be hurried. They have had a life's experience and are able to judge the capabilities of people. When we can show them that w© are capable they will then give us the vote." Women And Finance. The Duchess de La Rochefoucauld has made it her special work to see that the young girls are trained in the difficultproblems of finance. Capability in her opinion is the sure means of obtaining the vote. In 10 years the' National Union of Votes for Women has tried 10 times to obtain the vote. The demand was brought before the Chamber of Deputies three times—once in 1919, then in 1925, and again in 1932. The Senate has always refused it, but gradually each time" a few more votes have been obtained. Next July there will be another effort made, at least, in municipal affairs. Such women as la Baronne Edgard Lefune, president of the Association for Aid to War Widows, la Generale Lavisse, president of the Friendly Union of Officers' Widows, and la Generale Mai-, leterre, president of the National : Association of Widows of Professional Soldiers, are in favour of the vote for women. La Baronne Lejune says the husband being dead the woman automati- , cally becomes the head of the family, and . necessarily Ims heavy responsibilities to ■ face. The vote would be a protection to ! their homes, and these women have a , right to a voice in the nation. lil her ' group are 25,000 war widows. It should be remembered that the day after the ' Armistice there were 650,000 war widows, although the nuriiber has considerably decreased since then. The statistics of : women workers in France are as follow: There are nearly 6,000,000 widows, spinsters or divorced women. They have no voice in'the nation, yet they play a "great ; role in its economic life. Nearly 8,000,000 women work —2.717.738 in agriculture as heads of establishments and 670,425 as ordinary agricultural workers. In the manufacturing industriee _ there) <

arc 1,414,752 workers, and GS4,9OG heads of departments, and in business and banks 524,502 directresses and 465,784 employees. With such great numbers of women workers at their back the National Union of Votes for Women feels confident that in the near future it will be granted the vote. It is interesting to compare the figures in England with those of France. England's statistics are: Total women occupied, 5,009,805; employers, 73,708; employees, 4,004,003; 327,021 working on their own account. Theso figures—the latest obtainable, as well as those of France—ar2 from the census taken in 1021. It is a curious thing that French women have not yet gpt the vote when ono reflects that in liiOO they had an ardent and active feminist in Anne of France, who governed her kingdom alone, and who insisted that girls should learn Latin from their cradles. Another, the Duchess de Valentinois, obtained from Henry 11. the control of all the offices of the kingdom, from which she drew 100,000 crowns.