n,
Germany it is necessary first to have a little understanding of the
German woman and her status. With us, woman is treated as
something apart, something on a pedestal. In Germany and in
Austria the situation is reversed. The German man uses his home as
a place to eat and sleep in, and be waited upon. The attitude of
the German woman towards the man is nearly always that of the
obedient humble servant to command. If a husband and wife are out
shopping it is often enough the wife who carries the parcels. In
entering any public place the middle-class man walks first and the
wife dutifully follows. When leaving, it is the custom for the man
to be helped with his coat before the woman. Indeed, she is
generally left to shift for herself.

Woman is the under sex, the very much under sex, in Germany,
regarded by the man as his plaything or as his cook-wife and nurse
of his children; and she will continue to be the under sex until
she develops pride enough to assert herself. She accepts her
inferiority without murmur; indeed, she often impresses one as
delighting in it.

It is no dishonour for a girl of the middle or lower class to have
a liaison with some admirer, particularly if he is a student or a
young officer; in fact, it is quite the proper thing for him to be
welcomed by her parents, although it is perfectly well understood
that he has not the slightest idea of marrying her. The girls are
doing their part to help along the doctrine of free love, the
preaching and practice of which are so greatly increasing in the
modern German State.

After marriage the woman's influence in the world is nearly zero.
The idolatry of titles is carried to an extreme in Germany which
goes from the pathetic to the ludicrous. One does not address a
German lady by her surname, as Frau Schmidt, but by her husband's
title or position, as Frau Hauptmann (Mrs. Captain), Frau Doktor,
Frau Professor, Frau Bakermeister (Mrs. Bakershopowner), or even
Frau Schornsteinfegermeister (Mrs. Master Chimneysweep), although
her husband may be master over only some occasional juvenile
assistant. In military social functions, and they are of daily
occurrence in garrison towns, Mrs. Colonel naturally takes
precedence in all matters over the wives and daughters of other
members of the regiment. Contemplate the joyful existence of a
vivacious American or British girl, accustomed to the respectful
consideration of the other sex, married to a you