The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-19
MRS. SEWALL ABROAD.
Interested the Nobility. i'm Her wom-
ems Council Idea.

Mrs. May Wright Sewall returned yester-
day morning from Bay View, where she
went to fill lecture engagement, on her
return from London. Mrs. Sewall went to
London seven weeks ago to preside at the
conference of representatives of the Interna-
tional Council of Women, in place of Lady
Aberdeen, the president. Lady Aberdeen
will return to London for permanent resi-
dence in October with her husband, who has
recently resigned as governor general of
Canada, and Mrs. Sewall as vice president
at large, was asked by Lady Aberdeen to
preside in her place. The object Of the con-
ference was to prepare plans for the quin-
quennial meeting of the International Coun-
Gil of Women, which will be held in London
next year for one week, beginning June o.
Mrs Sewall talked interestingly yesterday
of her work for the council while in Lon
don. At this conference there were seven
sessions and representatives of councils in
the United States. Canada. Sweden, Ger
many, Italy and Great Britain attended.
There were also representatives from Switz-
erland, France, Norway, Denmark Sweden
and Holland, where national councils are to
be formed and completed by next year. The
plans for the meeting next year provide for
the departments of education, industries.
the different countries sociological ques-
tions and questions of civil and moral re-
form There will be two sessions daily
with discussions by authorities and leaders
These sessions will be held in small halls
seating from three hundred to five hundred
people, The evening sessions will be public
Mrs Sewall held thirty conferences with
dlHerent circles, and at each made an adj
dress relative to the council idea. She was
made member of the Grosvenor Crescent
Club and the Pioneer Club and was given
dinner by each club and on each occasion
made an address. She also discussed the
council at private residences and at institu-
tons One of the most interesting places
was at st. Bartholomew Hospital where
the matron had invited the matrons and
nurses nurse OF al of the hospitals in London to
organized ip 1852, and the present hospital
was built III 1900. Lady Battersea, who has
society for the factory Jewesses of London
called meeting of these women, and Mrs
Sewall held conference with them. At an
other time Lady Jeune, who desires to get
the Tory women interested in the council
work. had conference at her home with
a large number of women present. The
and efficient workers in the Council of
Women, and who has an agricultural
scheme for women, called a meeting of those
IN whom she is interested for conference
The Countess of Warwick entertained Mrs
Sewall at her castle and she was shown the
school organized by the countess on her es-
tate, where there Is a garden and field
where the students may have practical
work. 1t was in such work as this that Mrs
time while absent. She was given a round
of luncheons, dinners and teas, and at each
she showed her enthusiasm for the advance
ment OF women, brought about by the coun-
Gil idea.
In regard to the personnel of the commit
tee appointed to prepare for the sessions
lie
have chosen their strongest women to give
character to the whole. The local commit
pool, an American woman, whose charities,
with those of her husband, are known
throughout Great Britain; Mrs. Creighton,
wife of the bishop of London; Lady Batter
sea, Mrs. Rawlinson wife of Bishop Raw
linson; Miss Emily James, secretary of the
National Womens Council of Great Britain;
Lady Aberdeen, Mrs. May Wright Sewall
of Indiana; Miss Theresa Wilson, corre
spending secretary OF the National Council
of Women of Great Britain; Nine. Marie
Martin, of France, and the Baroness Grip
enberg. OF Finland.
One of the most important of next years
conferences will be on the question of arbi-
traTion. There is feeling, unanimous
among the women of the council, that wars
and rumors of wars should cease, and that
the women shall bring their influence to
bear on the nations to secure arbitration
for international peace. At that conference
there will be paper read on the history of
arbitration, which will be in the nature of a
monograph. and there will be a discussion
of all of the pro and con arguments, with
speakers from the United States, Great
Britain. Germany, France and Italy. Mrs.
Sewall took a trip to Holland, where she
spent four days at The Hague. There is
now in progress in that city exhibition
of the work of Holland women. 1t is a
branch of the exhibition made in celebra-
ton of the coronation of the Queen. 1t was
the committee in charge of this exhibition
which invited Mrs. Sewall for the visit and
she held three conferences each day. She
was given a public banquet and public
meeting. At each of these conferences Mrs
Sewall spoke in English. The people of
Holland, she says, know English almost as
well as they do their own language. Mrs
Sewan found the women educated and pro-
gressive. Notwithstanding their loyalty to
their young Queen and their government,
they are as strong in their demand for per-
sonal liberty as they were in the fifteenth
century The National Council of Women
of Holland organized by Mrs. Sewall
while she was in that country. The press
of Great Britain commended the work and
Mrs. Sewall most generously, she says. The
Queen. the Daily Chronicle. the. Nursing
Record. published by the nurses of London.
the Womans Signal, the Daily News and
the New Age were among the publications
that encouraged the work. Mrs. Sewall has
been invited to attend the celebration of the
25Sth anniversary of the settlement of the
Bracket family in Maine next week and