The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-23
ENGLISH WOdEN GAINING
DELIEF THAT THEY WILL
cA soon WIN FRANCHISE.
Deery Class Affected by the "votes for
Women" Turmoii-Sunresettes Not
~ Essins Ground--Fiurrtes At the Con.
gress-Work That II Accomplished.

- E9slnS NJ inc IONS
gress-Work That II Accomplished.
LONDON, May 11.--This letter must be
written unfortunately before the annual
meeting Of the great Women's Liberal
Federation in London, and ere 1t Is read
the, cable doubtless will have told OF
what now seems inevitable-the division
Of this. organization Of $1,000 women,
At present it looks as IL nothing could
avert this breaking Of the ranks in q
body which has stood solidly together
for. many years. forming n Of the
strongest political associations In Great
Britain, and the cause Of It Is the present
agitation for woman suffrage.
There is no division Of opinion on the
question itself; the federation declared
for it officially long ago and made it a
part Of the platform, and a resolution re-
affirming adhesion to the principle OF
woman suffrage will be moved at this
meeting by Mrs. Lloyd-George. The
trouble is coming over two resolutions
TO be introduced and supported by vari-
Gus branches; first. that unless the
Government before dissolution has in
corporated a woman suffrage clause in
it's proposed reform bill the time
will have arrived for a definite refusal
on the part Of Liberal women to work
at Parliamentary elections; second,
that @the time has come when women
should put woman suffrage before any
other measure and in future work only
for that party which adopts this as a
part of its programme and when in power
I'LL -.l.~ sL;n - ro,,a ~ ., ~, aoot,ra v
Women here have been so long in politi-
cal work that they are as strongly parti-
san as the men and many Of them IN
fortunately are willing to put the success
Of their party before their own freedom,
so there is the prospect Of a bitter con-
troyersy and a split in the organization.
1t is an accepted fact that the Liberal
party could scarcely carry an election
without the help Of this federation, and It's
leaders are said to be viewing the threat
ened detection with serious concern.
On the other hand it is charged that the
situation is a trick of the party leaders to
have it appear that they will adopt 2 suf,
women and not Of the sufragettes, who,
they are determined. shall have no credit
for any favorable action that may be taken.
In the midst Of the turmoil, which
touches every class in Great Britain, one
point seems to stand out distinctly, that
the Liberal Government cannot much
longer, delay soySle definite action or this
question. One must be here to realize
The hold it has obtained.
In an omnibus to-day two men opposite
noe were discussing the bill, two young
women at one side of me were talking Of
the part they were going TO take in a
suffrage pageant and an old lady on the
othAr side with a programme in her hand
was trying to learn from the conductor
where a meeting was to take place. From
one to half a dozen meetings are held
every day and sandwich men parade the
streets between huge suffrage posters
announcing them.
Yesterday / asked for SOM directions
from a policeman standing at a gate lead
ing to the House Of Commons and in
stantly he wheeled around and placed
himself In front Of the entrance. We are
constantly told that sufiragettes are
losing ground, but we see no evidence Of
it. Every reference TO them in any as
tenblage calls forth a storm Of applause:
gent to the platform to give the greetings
Cf.the Women's Freedom League she re-
oeived such an ovation that she could
scarcely make herself heard.
They get hundreds Of pounds where
the other suffrage societies get ten. Their
membership Is constantly increasing, and
staid, middle aged ladies who never in
strcteet propriety are seen every
where wearing the yellow badge Votes
for Women
The policemen have been won over by
the suffragettes and are reluctant to ar
rest them. A short time ago when a raid
on the House was contemplated a police
man said TO one Of the leaders:
aAra vop hound To ha We ito Can't Won
give us any hope.'
Another when he was forced to arrest
one of them whispered to her Come
back again soon." Most f them endeavo,
to avoid violence and try to get the offend.
ers to lose themselves IN the crowd and
biting and kicking are almost wholly
without foundation.
An immense raid on the House OF Com
IONS is being organized, to be made on
June 20. 1t is no secret, the women who
have been selected to commit the acts that
business and household affairs to be left
while they are in prison and they are
facing the prospective sufferings OF Hollo-
way, Jail with elaboration and stoicism.
The whole movement is unprecedented,
1t shows no sign Of abating. nobody pre-
diets what new form il is likely to assume.
bu: practically every one believes that the
olltAlA VI tlV 10 NV a III.
The only exceptions are the members
of the Anti-Sufrage Association. 1t
continues to form new branches. mostly
among the members OF the nobility and
recognized or would-be a%ristocracy op-
posed to any form Of democracy. It
does not touch the workers and seems to
be generally discredited in public opinion.
The Mems League for Woman Suffrage.
whose list OF eminent names has beer re-
ferred to in this series of letters, is plan
ming for an international alliance Of
similar leagues which already exist in
various countries. They spoke to us
about bringing in the league OF our country
and we told them to go ahead and perfect
their organisation throughout the entire
world and perhaps by the time they had
for Woman Suffrage in the United States.
BY the way. we are informed in confidence
that there is soon to be a split in the league
Of Breat Britain. at least half Of the MEM
bers going in for militant tactics and the
rest hanging on to conservative methods.
In thinking over the many interesting
features OF the Alliance Congress the
sermons stand out conspicuously, and first
in memory is that OF the little black robed
minister, the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw,
standing in the old Whitefelds Chapel
on q Sunday afternoon before an audience
of 800 men, who rose en- masse as she
their hands and shouted Hear. hear"
at the telling points in her sermon, which
in. some magical way she managed to
make an address on woman suffrage.
Then. as a complete a~ntithesis. on the
next Sunday afternoon was the solemn
eervice in ancient st. Paul's Cathedral
with possibly n thousand persons In the