Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-14

AMSTERDAM. June 6. 1908.
vt is not the Dutch but the women
who TODAY own Holland. To the cap
itaI of the Netherlands. bearing the
irnnrint of seven centuries. have jour
neved the most modern and pro-
Cressive women OF twenty-three countries
with the avowed object OF upsettlnS ira
ditions. overturning the established melh-
ode of government and changing the de-
crees of church and state. over ihou-
Sand neonle in Amsterdam and vicinity
have paid } forms apiece to see theih
do it The Dutch are a brave ana ear
loss race-who have in times past pu,
England. Spain and France To rout, so
they do not regard this latest INVASION
with alarm. The new woman mere Is
no longer looked upon as hoVeltS'
Joke or a menace, and the several nun
bred delegates and alternates TO the con
gress of the international woman SUI
frage alliance, which opens June l,'' VII.
find that they have little 10 teach, ouC
perhaps much to learn Inc women vi
Holland are well organized. The National
Suffrage Society is fourteen years olu
and has about 1000 membersLa Id,
number when one CONSIDERS tidl tiio
Netherlands does not contain many MOI
people than New York city, and a conslu-
erabIe part of them live in little, out-ol-
the-wdy villages.
Two wears ago the alliance met in Co
penhagen-in August. 1Ud-at the urgent
request of a few progressive women VINO
felt that Denmark was Tar beIlnu hei
neighbors Great Britain. Norway, SWe-
den, Finland and even her own colony
Iceland. in all of which women mao some
nolitical rights At that time Danlsh
women had no form of suffrage, but last
April-less than two years after tne
congress-the parliament gave them the
municipal franchise on the same TEL
as exercised hV men, and this was Salu
to be very largely due to the public SEN
timent created by the convention. Al
that time it looked as if the Netherlands
might put woman suffrage In the new
constitution promised for 1909. ana so tfle
women were most DESTROYS that the alli-
3nCe should hold a meeting mere IN inS
Arrangements for 1t were pracllcaiiy
completed when, a few months ago. the
liberal government was defeated and the
clericals came into power. This checked
all movements for an extension OF the
suffrage either to men or women, OUT
as the situation is only temporary 1t was
decided to so on with the congress.
Congress Lasts Ten Days.
The business, public meetings and fes-
tivities will continue for ten days, begin
ming in Amsterdam and ending at Rotter-
dam and The Hague. The Concert Gebouw
the big handsome music hall, has been
engaged for a week by the National Suf-
frage Society of the Netherlands, which
pays 81 $50 for its use. The large audience
room. with the great organ filling one end,
seats 900 persons, and the acoustic prop
critics. of course, are of the best win
those who have bought the season tickets
for ) forms $50 and those taking day
tickets it looks as If 1t would be entirely
filled at all the public sessions. Mem
bers of the parliament and the munich
iudppS bankers and other
prominent men have purchased tickets
The business meetings Will be held in
smaller concert room, circular in form
and handsomely finished. Still another
will be used by the executive commit
tee. On the ground floor, in charge of
caterer, is a well equipped lunchroom,
which opens into a beautiful garden,
where afternoon tea will be served. The
local committee expects the Amsterdam
part of the congress to cost 10000 forms.
While a number of the elegant homes
of the wealthy bankers. tobacco and dia-
mond merchants, for which this city is
noted, will be thrown open for luncheons,
teas and dinners to the delegates. the time
for recreation will be largely devoted to
excursions to the interesting envrons for
which this city is famous-the big dairies
the primitive villages, the interesting trips
through the canals. whose shores are dot
ted with hundreds of windmills. the many
quaint features that make Holland the
most picturesque of countries. The guides
Tor these excursions are young men ana
women from the universities who possess
the pOlyglOt tongues necessary to answer
the volley of questions that will be fred
at them in English. French. Danish, Nor
wegian, Swedish, Russian, German, Hun
gar!an. Czechish, Italian and American.
The bureau of information for the con-
gresS is to be in charge of relays of Dutch
women who can converse In seven Ian
guages. One of these women who sup
posed she had to tell all about the suf-
frage movement in the various countries.
exclaimed in desperation: How can give
information in seven languages which
do not possess in one?
The convention Will open Monday aft