Evening star., 1909-02-18
CARRIE NATION THERE
Attends Meeting of Suffrag-
cites in London.
POLICE MAKE ARRESTS
Repel Attack by Militant Women
in Downing Street.
SCENE ONE OF GREAT DISORDER
Immediate Future Course Not Yet
Decided-Promiseo of No Cessa-
tion of Activity.

/ LONDON. February 1s.-The suffrag-
| cites failed today In their attempt to pre-
sent to Premier Asauith the resolution
| adopted al yesterdays meeting of the
Women's Freedom League declaring for
continuation of the militant propaganda
for suffrage. They first attempted to
march in procession, but on their line
being broken by the police they mingled
with a crowd Of the curious. who had
gathered 10 witness the scene. and saun-
tered singly toward Downing street.
The police, however, had completely
blocked all entrances to the thorough
fare and twenty of the more militant
suffrageettes. who tried to break through
the lines. were arrested. charged with in
terfering with the police. For time
there was a scene of great disorder,
| women time and again throwing them
selves valiantly against the line of po-
| lice. only to be forced back. or If they
were unusually persistent. to be handed
over 10 constables. who marched them
off to the police station amid cheers.
boots and Kisses from the throng.
The police finally cleared the street
and the women who were not arrested
returned to their hall, where they were
addressed by leaders
Refuse to Pay Fines.
The women who were taken into GUS
tody were later arranged in the police
| court. They refused to pay the fines i'm
| posed and all were sent to prison for
terms varying from fortnight to a
month.
| None Of the women prominent in the
suffragist movement is among those ar.
rested today. Mrs. and Miss Parkhurst
and the other leaders who were only
recently released from Jail are holding
themselves in reserve.
| The women taken into custody this
| morning are mostly from Glasgow Man
chester. Birmingham and elsewhere in the
| provinces.
Although the raid on Downing street
lasted not more than ten minutes, 1t pro-
| vfded the watching crowd with considera-
| bic excitement. The projected attempt
| to deliver the resolutions to Premier AS
quith had been advertised beforehand.
and the police had consequently, placed
| the street on which the Official residences
of the minister are located in a state Of
siege.
| Officers mounted and on foot were every
where. but in spite of the hopelessness
Of successful outcome the determined
| women charged the lines of stalwart con-
| stables again and again without hesita-
| ton.
Policemen None Too Tender.
| Finally the policemen became exasper-
| ated at the persistence of the struggling
| women and they were none too tender ia
the way they handled their assaiant-.
Hats, furs and blouses came away in the
| scrimnage.
Several big Scotch women were OBJ
served actively using their fists on the
police, but the unequal battle could not
last long, and the women who had not
fallen into the hands of constablea
eventually retreated to CaXton Hall.
From this rallying point they later wen
to the police court to learn the fate OF
their sisters who had been arrested.
The suffragettes have not yet decided
on any immediate future course, but they
promise that there shall be no cessation
of activity. They appeared in large num-
bers at the tuberculosis exhibition opened
| by Earl Darlington this afternoon. and
the earl was unable to speak until hall
| u dozen of them had been elected
Carrie Nation Present.
The suffragettes met again this after
| noon in Caxton Hall. Carrie Nation Was
among those present. Mrs. Despard made
| a report on progress.
She said the suffragettes were going 40
continue to spread their protests AS the
only means of securing their demands.
Plans for the future were being fornu-
lated and they would be thoroughly dem-
ocratic in character. The present mo-
ment was extremely critical and every
one. men and women. must do their ut
most as the interests of men and the
interests of women could not be separated.
In conclusion Mrs. Despard said tnat
she did not know how long 1t would take
the government to understand that the
women meant what they said. Five nun
dred of them had been imprisoned al
ready, she declared. and they would
continue to be imprisoned until they
were given what they wanted