Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-08
FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE
Former Minister Barrett to
Daughters of Revolution.
MAY NEED THE LADIES
Country Greatly Requires Their Help
and Devotion, He Declares.
HIS TALKS WITH EXPRESSES
He Found Those of China, Siam and
Japan Enlightened, Intelligent,
Good and Progressive.
HIS TALKS WITH EXPRESSES

| NEW YORK, January S.-Woman suf
| frage will be new line of work under
| taken this year by the New York Chapter
of the Daughters of the American Revolu-
| ton, If they take as a keynote the words
| of John Barrett, which they heard at their
meeting yesterday.
| 1t was the annual celebration of the
| anniversary of Washington's wedding day
| at Sherrys, where the big ballroom was
massed with flags and an unusually large
| number of Daughters and their friends
| were out in their prettiest gowns.
| Mr.. Barrett the chief speaker, but
| no one knew that he was to talk of suf-
| frage. That is a dangerously debatable
| ground and is tabooed in most clubs not
devoting themselves entirely to the
| cause
| There never was time in the history
| help and devotion in the suffrage so much
| as now, said Mr.. Barrett
| The Daughters, taken entirely by sur
| prise, applauded feebly.
| Women may be forced in spite of them
! selves to become fuil-fedged citizens" he
| continued, and the applause fiuttered again
| with more force.
I'm the sad disclosures that are con-
| stantly being made we see the need of
| 1t, and what can you do if you do not have
the real power of the ballot in your hands?'
Mr.. Barrett's Success.
Then the applause came heartily, for the
Daughters had evidently made up their
| minds that mere man could not be ex-
pected to understand the finesse of women's
| club etiquette.
That the Empress of China is a very
good sort of a woman and not at all the
| villainess she has been painted was
| other statement which surprised the
| Daughters. 1t was all brought out in Mr..
] Barretts address, which upon the
| Influence of Women" with accounts of
| personal interviews with the royal women
| of the east whom the speaker had met in
| his work for the commission for the ST.
! Louis Exposition and Minister to Siam.
Leading Chinese papers in all the big
cities in China said it was preposterous
| that any one not an accredited minister to
a foreign power should expect to have an
interview with the Empress of China" said
Mr.. Barrett, and there was great surprise
when word came to me at Picking that l
was to be granted audience. 1t was
set for the following day, and l must say
that the empress having decided to give
1t did the thing up brown to an Ameri-
canism. She sent 1900 soldiers to escort
the American minister and myself, though
that may have been because she was afraid
of
Man on a Stool.
1--WE were ushered into the royal pres
| ence, and found the empress, woman, sit
| ting upon the big throne, while the en-
peror, the Son of Heaven, man, sat on
| little stool to the left
Here the Daughters applauded again.
when l explained to her what was
wanted she decided Immediately that the
exhibit should be sent to ST. Louis, and
said that it should be the best one that
| had ever been sent. She invited us to come
| upon the das within a few feet of her,
| where she could talk to us. And hers was
| not the hardened face I expected to see. 1t
| was the face of elderly woman, but look
| ing younger than her age, and full of intel
| ligence. 1 am surprised at the reports that
| have been circulated about her.
And one thing | would like to say in
| regard to the empress family. 1t is re-
| ported to have been very low one. but l
| was assured by high Chinese officials and
| Catholic missionary in Picking who has
| lived there many years and Is known and
| respected by every one, that the empress
| comes from very distinguished family.
| Instead of numbering the wives and concu-
| bines of the emperor, as has been said she
| did everything possible to elevate them 1t
| was not through intrigue that she came to
| the front, but because of her superior abl-
| ity. Where she was the cause of having
| some of the women of the court put to
| death, it was because they intrigued against
her and the emperor. / do not saw that
! she is saint; but if China is built UP, it
| will be because of the empress doWager
| and not in spite of her.
And Siam, which I only knew when the
| PRESIDENT hrst spoke to me about it as be-
| ing the birthplace of the famous Siamese
! twins, is the most progressive country in
| Asia aside from Japan Boys only have
| been educated there, but now the empress
| is working for the advancement of the girls
| She Is an able companion to the king in his
| progressive work
Like q Servant Girl.
| ''She is an intelligent woman and 1 had
| difficulty with my limited knowledge OF
| Slamese to reply to all the questions she
! wished to ask me. Personally l suppose
| the empress would not take a prize at a
horse-show dress parade. In European
| clothes she looks like a well-fed servant
| girl In her native dress il is hard to tell
her and the king apart. Women here would
not wish to wear the costume, and 1t might
| possibly be called improper 1t is a sort
OF ri1ing-astride costume with display of
hosiery and very little about the shoulders
Ihat Is warm country and not so many
| clothes are needed. However. when the
| queen approaches you it is with dignity. /
| peHeve now they are going to introduce
| halrdressers into Siam, and the queen does
rot allow her daughter to chew the beteI
| nut which made her own teeth black
1t is far different meeting the empress
| as did one morning, just as she had come
| IN from walk She was eager to ask me
questions about the work of women in
America, and my only trouble in the inter-
| view was TO keep the interpreter from shut
| ting II on. He thought 1t should be short
| one and | was bound II should be as long
as the empress and wished. She told me
| OF her desire to raise the women of her
| country. She wished them to be born
| again. she said and told me how she was
| interesting rich women to send the girls
| OF Japan to Europe and America, that they
| might come back and teach others l saw
! the empress in the streets later and
| the alteration. almost, with which the chill
| dren greeted her. When left her, she in
| CURED for my mother. and sent a message
| TO her, an uncalled-for thought but show
/ ing the characteristics of the woman"
| Mr.. Barrett closed his remarks with
| tribute TO the Influence of no LAT lad
! Curzon in India. spoke of the work of the
| women of South America, and rec commended
| the consideration of these Latin Americans
| TO the North American women
Mrs Donald Mclean, the ex-regent of
| the chapter, now president general of the
| national society. was the guest of honor of
| the day. and the organization rose in a body
when she was presented to them.