Tuesday, March 20, 1962

THE WASHINGTON POST

Forgotten Woman

Praise is due to President
Kennedy’s emphasis on the role
of the American woman in
today’s space age. At the same
time I cannot help feeling puz-
zled and uneasy.

Secretary of State Dean Rusk
is at Geneva to discuss East-
West tensions, with the arms
race as “background music.”
There are competent men pres-

ent at the conference table, ex- |

perts in diplomacy and in tech-
nical sciences. But... there is

no woman present, no mother |

to speak for her child, no spe-
cialist in human compassion to
consider the children of the
world. Why?

A noted anthropologist and
mother, Dr. Margaret Mead,
says: “Perhaps it is because so
many of the battles fought by
crusading women of the past
appear to be won that we have
so few crusaders now. Such a

situation reflects dangerous |

ethnocentric complacency. The
intrinsic cherishing role of
women for children is needed
now as never before. For now
we cannot even protect our own
children unless we find a way
of protecting the children of
the enemy also. If we do not,
there will be no children to
cherish.” (Quotation from ‘“Re-

turn of the Cave Woman,” Sat- |

urday Evening Post. March 3.)
DIETLINDE VON
KUENSSBERG JEHLE.
Charlottesville, Va.