The Washington herald., 1910-04-17
WOMEN AND PROGRESS
Ballot

women to carry rife and make long
marches she replied: Lighter weapons
will be manufactured for US, and. be
sides. instead of being fighters we could
be employed in the hospitals and the
commissary department. But we should
have a uniform. II gives a certain pres
tige and commands respect. Military
gymnastics. rife practice and marches
will be valuable training TO US all"
After all. there would not be anything
new i'm the idea Of women serving as
soldiers and doing military duty. Among
the colonial possessions, or more cor
rectly. dependencies OF Holland. there is
remarkable little state which I'm its
constitution and the original costume of
its inhabitants surpasses the boldest
dreams OF the advocates Of womens
rights. In the island OF Java, between
the cities OF Batavia and Samarang. is
the kingdom of Bantam. which. although
tributary TO Holland is an independent
state The sovereign is, indeed. a man;
but all the rest Of the government be-
longs 10 the fair sex. The king is en-
tirely dependent upon his state council.
The highest authorities, military com
manders and soldiers are. without excep-
ton. OF the female sex. These Amazons
ride in the masculine style. wearing sharp
steel points instead of spurs. They carry
a pointed lance. which they swing very
gracefully, and also a musket. which is
discharged at full gallop The capital Of
the little state lies in the most pictur-
esque part OF the island. In a fruitful
plain. and is defended by two well-kept
fortresses. manned by these women
soldiers. Whether our American suffra-
gists will sooner or later embody the idea
Of enlisting in the army in their platform.
I am not prepared 10 say at this time.
over in England, the suffragettes are
having the time OF their lives. They are
having themselves arrested just 20 show
that they are made Of the stuff OF which
martyrs are made. They also know how
10 advertise themselves, as this incident
will show. Just to remind the public Of
their existence and TO bring TO their no
tice their meeting at Albert Hall. the
Womans Social and Political Union hired
a fire engine OF the most up-to-date pat
tern. and. having decorated it in purple,
white, and green. drove it around the
main streets Of West End London recent
~. The driver Miss Douglas Smith, was.
with the exception Of a skirt. I'm regula-
ton freman's uniform. She carried the
usual AK The other "fremenD six in
number. were dressed I'm similar fashion.
a start was made al the top Of Kings
way shortly before midday. and. as the
horses galloped down that broad thor
oughfare, with the engine rocking from
side 20 side. and the "fremen" clinginE
to their perilous perch. the fireman" in
the rear changed the bell loud and long
The result was that instinctively the
drivers Of vehicles in front drew their
cOnveyances 70 the side OF the road. and
the engine passed gloriOusly by. All the
| policemen on post duty were deceived
/ and held up traffic 10 allow. as they
thought, one Of the metropolitan fire
/ brigade engines TO pass.
| The route taken was along Kingswav.
| Hoiborn, oxford street. and thence around
! the West End. where the engine was Ger
tainly a successful advertisement. An
umbrella parade Of about fifty women. in
single file, followed Needless to say.
at more moderate pace than the fire
engine, as l have no information at
this time whether among the English suf-
/ fragettes there are some who are training
for the next Marathon.
!
/ The woman in France, or, rather. the
/ new woman in Paris. stands an elegant
chance Of outstripping her American sis
/ ter so far as real" glory is concerned.
/ for l understand that the young Duchess
/ de Rohan will be the next president Of
/ the Society OF French Poets. There is an
/ almost unanimous call for her. and she
/ doubtless will respond. She will succeed
/ Edmund Harancourt. The duchess not
/ only writes beautiful verse, but holds a
most delightful literary salon in her spa
cious home during the winter season. II
!