Page:Women Wanted.djvu/233

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THE OPEN DOOR IN COMMERCE
215

them no commercial training. In the spring of 1916 Mlle. Sanua decided to go to the Department of State about the matter. There the Minister of Commerce, M. Thomson, furrowed his brow: "After all, Mademoiselle," he said, "have women the mentality for business? The Ministry of War has opened employment in its offices to women. And these girls now whom the Government has admitted to clerkships here, some of them seem quite useless. Mademoiselle," he added wearily, "is a woman's brain really capable for commerce?"

"Train it. Then try it. What we need is schools," said Mlle. Sanua.

A few moments later the conversation turned on the toy industry. "What do you know about the toy industry?" asked the Minister of State curiously. She told him. And as the woman talked, his wonder grew. She did know about toys, that which would enable the French to defeat the Germans in this branch of commerce after the other defeat is finished. Would Mlle. Sanua give a lecture on the toy industry before the Association Nationale d'Expansions Economique? And would she make a report before the Conference Economique des Allies? Which she did. So here was a woman who had a brain worth while for commerce. Well, there might be others. If the Chamber of Commerce in Paris was still doubtful, the Ministry of Commerce would take a chance on endorsing Mlle. Sanua's proposal. They secured for her the Ancien Prieure. And she established the school for which