228 SEX 



that leads. Just as there is the beginning of 

 the insurance of women against a possible 

 spinster-poverty, so there is the beginning of 

 a state-recognition of the fundamental ser- 

 vice of motherhood. And as there is social 

 sentiment that rewards the victims of war 

 with Glory and Pensions, is it too much to 

 hope for progressive social sentiment which 

 will equally reward the victims of Maternity ? 

 A stock argument used in defence of un- 

 equal political treatment of men and women 

 is that men, in the long run, may be called 

 upon to do what women cannot be expected 

 to do namely fight. But to be set against 

 this is the fact that men are not expected to 

 bear children. 



It may be said, however, that this incon- 

 gruent differentiation that we have been speak- 

 ing about is of less importance, seeing that 

 most of the women -workers are unmarried. 

 Of less importance, doubtless, but of great 

 importance still. Not only in affecting the 

 national expense of caring for invalids, but 

 also in prejudicially affecting the prevalent 

 feminine type the significance of which may 

 be realised without going deeply into social 

 psychology. It must be remembered that 

 although many of these girl-workers and 

 women-workers remain unmarried, it is from 

 among their ranks that the mass of wives 

 and mothers come. 



To everyone, of course, it is obvious enough 

 that girls and women do not strain themselves 

 for fun, but because they are in the grip of an 

 apparent economic necessity. This may be 



