Women with a Cause Descended On Washington, D.C.

“Looking Back to Washington 1936,” extracts from a report by Helen Eubanks, as published in the August-September 1968 issue of The Countrywoman, the magazine of the Associated Country Women of the World

Kipling could not have written “East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet” had he been in Washington the first week in June. Countrywomen from the four corners of the earth were there, formed new acquaintances, exchanged ideas and discovered that they possessed many things in common.

Washington (hardened convention city that it is) sat up and rubbed its eyes in amazement when over 7,000 women descended on the city. These 7,000 women were from 23 foreign countries and every state in the union. They came by steamer, train, motor bus, in the old family bus, probably some by air and I don’t doubt that some walked (just to get practice).

“Most of the women who came to Washington are women with a cause, these are women with a purpose,” said the manager of the Dodge Hotel, “and to me there is all the difference in the world.”

Numerous records were broken. This was the largest gathering of women in the capital city. The garden party given by Mrs. Roosevelt was the most largely attended function ever given at the White House. For the first time in history, Martha Washington was honored in preference to her famous husband, 2,000 women attended the ceremony at her tomb. She was honored as a thorough housekeeper, looking after every detail of the household. The banquet at the Williard Hotel was served to the largest group ever seated in the ballroom. Seven hundred attended and many others were disappointed. Most outstanding speaker of the evening was Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, who spoke on World Peace. She said, “Peace is one common interest of women of all continents, of all races and nations, of all classes and kinds.”

There was a display of handcrafts from all over the states and from Germany, England, Rhodesia, Ceylon and Samoa. The Emperor of Japan sent two vases for exhibition.

Two mornings were used for group discussions and I attended the one on “The Countrywoman’s Use of Natural Resources.”

Friday evening at sundown the farewell ceremony took place at the watergate at Arlington Memorial Bridge. With the Lincoln Memorial in the background and facing the peaceful Potomac, it was indeed a beautiful setting. Wide concrete steps arranged as an amphitheatre lead down to the water. As each foreign anthem was played the delegate from that country came down the steps followed by a Girl Scout in the country’s dress and carrying the country’s flag.

The convention proved to me that women are alike the world over. They are interested in their families, their homes, schools and communities and are putting forth every effort to improve these things which touch their lives.