the ceremony, addressed a word of counsel and guidance to the Girl Reserves; then the leaders of the groups lit their candles from the three candles, which likewise symbolize spirit, mind, and body, and went about spreading the light until all the candles were lit. Then the anthem of the Girl Reserves was played, and they went out with the lighted candles in their hands.

• The Lebanese Women's League gave an invitation to a lecture delivered extempore by Mr. Fuad Sarruf on the subject 'A New Element in Civilization.'

The lecturer was introduced, with grace, by Mrs. Salwa Mahmasani Moumina, who gave a sketch of his life, ending with an enumeration of his valuable works in the fields of science, letters, and society.

And since civilization is moving toward its loftiest goal — the extension of its benefits to all mankind — the lecturer turns to the Arab peoples and lays down a constitution for the building of their civilization, resting upon four pillars:

1 — Science, for the sake of the power to know and to create.

2 — The study of our ancient history, for the sake of faith in our ability to attain the civilization our forefathers attained.

3 — The study of other civiliza-tions, for the sake of renewal and excellence; without it we fall into stagnation and shortcoming.

4 — The education of character, for the sake of achieving reform, in an environment where nothing can mend what time has spoiled but upright character.

Finally, Mr. Fuad Sarruf appealed to the Arab woman — today in the prime of her renaissance — to adopt this constitution and to perform her share of these rights, striving hand in hand with the man toward the renewal of our civilization and the extension of its benefits to our peoples.

• A delegation of ladies represent-ing "the Executive Committee for Woman's Equality in Inheritance" called upon His Excellency the President of the Republic and presented him with the follow-ing memorandum:

1 — We shall publish a detailed press inquiry into the married women employees on the state payroll, whom Lebanese law deprives of the family allowance because they have husbands. This is the question raised last month by the editor-in-chief of this magazine, in an open letter addressed to Mrs. Laure Tabet, president of the League of Women's Organizations in Lebanon.

Is it not an injustice that these employees should be deprived of their family allowance when their hus-bands are emigrants who have abandoned the respon-sibility of the family (as is most often the case), or are out of work, or invalids, or of small income?? What do our readers think of this important subject?

2 — And let readers also await an illustrated reportage on the juvenile beggars whom the Beirut municipality has gathered up from the open streets — who they are, why they took to vagrancy, begging, and swindling, and what the fate of each of them is to be...

In continuation of woman's efforts toward the achievement of equality between herself and man; in application of the principle of this equality, which was affirmed the day that historic gesture issued from Your Excellency and from your esteemed government, opening the way for woman to exercise her right to stand for election and to vote, and stamping your gracious era with the stamp of progress and development; and in the light of all this, "the Executive Committee for Woman's Equality in Inheritance" has the honor to submit to Your Excellency the request that the draft inheritance law — which had been referred to the Chamber for discussion by Decree No. 16198, dated September 7, 1949, and of which you will find a copy enclosed — be returned to the Chamber of Deputies, after the authorities had withdrawn it, so that it may become the subject of study by the legislative body and become a law in force. By its passage, the cause of woman's equality with man will take an important step toward the practical realization of this equality.

We are fully confident that this request will meet with the attention it deserves, and that you, Your Excellency, will hasten to refer it to the Chamber of Deputies — especially as it has been drawn up in a manner that takes account of all considerations, both in avoiding any offense to the feelings of any quarter and in releasing restricted rights which must not be allowed to remain so.

In closing, be pleased, Your Excellency the President, to accept our highest respect.

Laure Tabet, Heneni Tarcha, Emily Fares Ibrahim, Laure Nasr Moghaizel, Dr. Salwa Nassar, Dr. Jamal Karam Harfush, Anissa Najjar.

The President promised to refer the said draft law to the Chamber of Deputies for discussion and adoption, and His Excellency sum-moned, in the presence of the dele-gation, Mr. Shafiq Hatim, Director of Justice, and discussed the draft law with him. The delegation thanked the President for his cham-pionship of woman's causes in a spirit of progress and development.