Applied Euthenics

The Subcommission on the Status of Women of the Commission on Human Rights of the United Nations Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted as its guiding principle: "Woman is as much a human being as man." Last week the subcommission proved that woman could be as stubborn as man in U.N. councils.

Without difficulty, the subcommission had endorsed equality of the sexes in all fields, including euthenics./- But when it came to practical issues, the ladies were as divided as the Big Three.

A plank calling for the abolition of "legal and customary provisions pertaining to prostitution, incompatible with the dignity of women" and for the re-education of former prostitutes was about to be included in the commission's report. But France's chic Mme. Marie-Helene Le-Faucheux (veteran reporters called her the best-looking of the commission members) considered the proposal irrelevant. A subcommittee composed of India (black-eyed, soft-spoken Mrs. Hansa Mehta) and Poland (petite, brunette Miss Fryderyka Kalinowska) was finally instructed to seek a compromise. Next day, Eleanor Roosevelt said that the ladies talked too much.

The conference's second major crisis arose over the question of what kind of marriage the women of the world should have. Miss Angela Jurdak of Lebanon asked: "I'd like to know if the dignity of the wife includes wiping out polygamy?"

Again Mme. LeFaucheux, who is to women's rights what Gromyko is to political issuest objected: "I do not think that we are here to discuss customs." Retorted Mrs. Mehta impatiently: "If we want to raise the status of women, we have to fight customs." This point of view prevailed.

But what about polyandry? asked Madame Chairman, Denmark's tall, blue-eyed Mrs. Bodil Begtrup. If men were to be limited to one woman, how about limiting women to one man?

The commission decided to take no action on this point.

/- According to Webster: the science having to do with the betterment of living conditions to secure more efficient human beings.

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