His Excellency Mr. Sami al-Solh, a Longtime Supporter of the Lebanese Woman

After a visit to a friend recently returned from Europe, who occupies an office in the Azariyeh Building, I saw on the wall of the outer staircase a signboard bearing the name of His Excellency Mr. Sami al-Solh, and I resolved to visit him in refutation of the saying, "People side with the one who is standing." I knocked at the office door, and he did nothing less than rise to his feet to welcome me and my friend, and we sat with His Excellency for half an hour that was thoroughly enjoyable to both sides.

His Excellency wished to prove anew, to me and to the Lebanese woman in general, that he has worked and will keep on working to grant her her full rights, because, as he said: "The longer the days grow, the more I feel the necessity of woman's taking part in the various fields, especially those that fall within her competence and capacities, and into which man cannot plunge with an ability like hers. Up to now man has proved his failure, so let us give woman room to work — perhaps she will succeed!..."

And after searching in a huge register before him, whose pages he turned as he talked to us, he found what he was looking for and laid it before me, and it turned out to be the minutes of the sessions of the Chamber of Deputies published in the Official Gazette. He pointed me to two passages, on page 961 and page 963 of the 1950 volume, which read as follows:

Article One: The Chamber of Deputies of the Lebanese Republic shall be composed of seventy-seven members.

"Sami al-Solh: I oppose this article and ask that the number be 30 deputies, for the country cannot bear this number.

The Speaker: Whoever accepts the proposal of Sami Bey al-Solh, let him raise his hand. — A minority — 22

As for the reason His Excellency Sami Bey asked for the number to be reduced, he explained it to us by saying that he wants to leave room for the members of the free professions — among them women, naturally — to form a second chamber that would join with the Chamber of Deputies in serving the homeland.

As for page 963, it carried an amendment that Sami Bey called for, namely the following:

"Sami al-Solh: I ask the addition of the word 'Lebanese woman' after the words 'whoever is a Lebanese man.'

The Speaker: Mr. Sami al-Solh asks the addition of the word 'Lebanese woman' after the word 'a Lebanese man.' Whoever accepts this, let him raise his hand.

— A minority — 21

Thus, two years ago, Sami Bey called for giving woman her rights and the Chamber did not accept. We hope today that the demand will be put to the Chamber by the tongue of the government, so that it may agree unanimously to grant the holders of the right their right, complete and undiminished, without any restriction or condition.