The Detroit times., 1910-11-14
mrs. SNOWDEA IS
LONG ON HUM0R
English Sufragist Both Entertaining
and convincing-Takes OF Austen
Chamberlain Cleverly.

Mrs. Philip Snowden, the Enruxh
suffragist, who favored Detroit BY in
Guiding 1t in her American itinerary.
was greeted by a large audience In
the Church of Our Father. Saturday
evening. II was an interesting occa-
sion and 1t was accordingly an inter
ested audience that hardened 10 Mrs.
Snowden's at times dramatic recital
OF the struggle of our fair British cou-
sins for the ballot.
They were mostly women in the
auditorium. Here and there a stray
man might be found to applaud most
amiably when given the proper cue
by a severe and enthusiastic woman
escort
Mrs. Snowden is a valiant champion
OF the suffrage struggle OF her sisters.
She has pleasing face and figure, a
commanding presence upon the plat
form. and a voice that is endowed with
excellent powers Of mimicry.
She Is versatile 20 a degree. She
is perfectly at home In an imitation
OF the Cockney London cabby, who I'm
his rage at being caught in a vortex
OF congested traf1c occasioned by the
press OF people all come TO see the
militant suffragettes turn out. cries:
Give tn wimin wot they arsk. Give
EN- their votes, l SOL
Again, she demonstrates her pecu-
liar powers by mimicing the London
factory girl, who In sudden burst OF
/ pent-up enthusiasm, leaps upon q
/ table and shouts: 'Ts this a deelara-
ton of war;"
It's local color that Mrs. Snowden
gives us. An infection of her we'll
modulated voice, little touch Of dia-
lect. an airy gesture of jeweled hands
and she transports US into the very
midst of the scenes she would paint
for US.
The cabby and the factory girl are
delightful bits, as the vaudevilleGar-
lists would say. And don't ever think
that Mrs. Snowden could not do her
20 minutes or so on any OF the cir
cults. The cabby and the girl sink
into insignificance when she draws
herself up to her full height, sticks
an imaginary monocle into her eye
and becomes Austen Chamberlain,
"son of his father"
According to 'the Snowden imper-
sonation, Austen is a very impressive
person, given to many ahems and
ahas, accompanied by much reference
to very full notes.
HIN, ahem," she quotes him as adj
dressing parliament. This is-er-
indeed q serious mattah. Ahem---
Men are--er-ah--men." long
pause. And women--hem-are wo-
men" Another long pause with the
evident purpose OF allowing this ter
rible truth to sufficiently impress it,
self upon his auditors. "Ahem, err
and no act OF parliament can evan
make them the same"
All of which may be very unkind
to Austen Chamberlain, but 1t is quite
lside-splitting TO the average American
audience.
But II must never be imagined that
Mrs. Philip uses such methods alone
to plead her cause. With her ironical
shafts. the sting OF which Is made
more severe by the womans his
trionic abilities, she combines subtle
argument and presentation OF fact.
Mrs. Snowden grows eloquent at
times, but never bombastic.,
In her, the suffragettes as we'll as
the suffragists have an able champion,
one whose appeal is largely personal.
II is tan intelligent portrayal or the
situation in England that she strives
70 give. and that she does give to her
American audiences. It serves TO ria
the popular mind of much that might
be called prejudice.
} Those who have interest in the wo-
man suffrage question will be enilgnt-
ened by hearing Mrs. Snowden. HaV-
ing in mind Austen Chamberlain,
those who have no interest In the
"mattah" at least would be well en-
tertained.