Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-22

LONDON. November 22.-Pre mier As
quith was assaulted by suffragettes in
the precincts of the house of commons
today and was saved from rough handling
only by the prompt arrival of a strong
body of police.
This assault occurred in spite of the
fact that the premier had yielded to The
opportunities of the suffraSettes. and in
the house OF commons today announced
that il he was still in power at the next
session of parliament the government
would give facilities for the consideration
of woman's franchise bill so framed
to admit of free amendment.
Premier Asquith also held out the olive
branch to the rebeilious laborites, promis-
ing TO introduce legislation with the OBJ
jcct of neutralizing the adverse effect of
the Osborne judgment, which was that
labor unions could not use their funds
for the payment of their representatives
In parliament
me government proposed legislation
giving 10 trades unions the right TO pro-
vide funds for use in parliamentary and
municipal campaigns and for the support
of labor's representation, provided there
was no compulsion upon members of the
unions TO contribute to such funds, he
said. Apart from these announcements
there was little interest in the proceed
ings. which lasted less than an hour.
Unionists Keep Out Of Debate.
The unionists declined to participate in
a discussion of the emasculated finance
bill, from which all controversial clauses,
like the whisky and land taxes, had been
eliminated. until after election. ard the
measure passed its second reading with
out division of the house.
Since the reopening of PAL lament dele
RafienS nf militant have nict-
eted the approaches to the lower house
So closely that the premier has been
obliged to resort To strange devices to
Circumvent the petitioners.
In addition to this campaign, the wom-
an members of the radical election COM
uIittees threatened a revolt unless the
government recognized their claims prior
10 the general elections.
Attacked by Miss Pankhurst.
L; seems that the premiers promise
made in the house of commons today,
instead OF placating only inhamed the
women. who decided that MIR. Asquith
was playing with them.
At a meeting at Caxton Hall, Miss
Cristabel Pankhurst characterized the
minister's statement as wholly unsatis-
factory and nothing more less than
an insult to the cause"
The women. she shouted considered
lit premier dttItnde declaration o.
war and they would answer the challenge
Immediately
No sooner said than done. With d
rush the women emptied the hall and.
several hundred strong. started for
Downing street. They encountered Mr.
Asquith enroute, and before the premier
realized the situation he was surround
ed by irate suffragettes. 1t was not
long before he recognized that he was
in q hostile camp. for. without any pre-
liminaries, Miss Henrietta Williams
struck the government leader, at the
same time calculating: You tax women
AZ heavily as men. yet women are not
represented in parliament"
Police Reach Scene.
shrill police whistles brought many
officers, and as the women struggled
among themselves for the privilege of
getting at him. the premier was hustled
into taxicab
AS the car started off with a bound
Miss Williams made another attempt
TO reach its occupant, and in doing SO
put her INST through the glass OF the
car window. She was pulled away still
crying Traitor" and Coward"
During the melee about 100 women
We're arrested.
Desperate Battle With Police.
The trouble did not end with the
escape OF .ar. Asquith. Robbed of their
special prey. a big body of women
broke through the police barrier and
reached Downing street For a consid-
cradle time pandemonium reigned in
the vicinity of the ministerial resi-
dences and government Offices
Shrieking women, many of them
armed with bamboo poles that had
been used to support banners, but
now served as lances, fought like
Amazons, desperately attacking the
police and clawing and kicking to such
good purpose that the police line was
broken and the officers forced to TEN.
porarily retire.
Police reinforcements were rushed [,
the scene, and. throwing themselves
against the rioters, checked the advance
Women Thrown to Ground.
Women and their male sympathiZer.
were hurled to the ground. In most in
stances the officers literally dragged tn,
women out of the lighting zone and thu
saved them from being trampled to deatl
by the mob behind.
IL some time before the polio
succeeded in clearing Downing street .
s.,fsr OF millinery. bits of costumes, hand
bags and torn banners gave evidence o
the ferCeness with which the field ha
been contested.