Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-11-23
Driven from Parliament Square
by 1900 Policemen-2O3
Arrests.
SCORES OF WINDOWS BROKEN
Offices of Daily Mail, Liberal
Club and Somerset House
among Those That Suf-
fered Most.

London. Nov. 21.-The suffragettes Jared
badly a, the hands of the police tonight.
They had threatened to force their way
into the House of Commons and make "a
protest on the floor OF the House against
the pr,me minister's refusal to pledge the
government to A bill giving equal sutfra."
to both sexes, but they failed even 10
reach the entrance to Parliament,
Thwarted by the police who made -
arrests the sufrragettes resorted to
campaign Of window smashing. Driven
from Parliament square by the police,
500 of whom were on duty, the women
accompanied by sympathzers and gangs
OF rowdies. proceeded through whitehall
armed with bags of stones concealed un-
der their coats. and broke the windows in
the public offices, the liberal headquarters
and the National Liberal club. They even
extended their operations to the Strand
where windows of the postofice. bank and
other private concerns suffered from tho
onslaught.
The militant tactics of the suffragettes
followed a statement by Premier Asquith
that the government was unable to intro
duce bill TO enfranchise women. as the
cabinet was divided on the question, but
would allow an amendment to be intro
duced to the produced manhood suffrage
bin leaving it to the House OF Commons
to decide whether women should be given
a vote.
FIFTY INTREPID VOLUNTEERS.
The suffragettes had made ample
preparations to renew their attacks on
Parliament with battle which was
expected to surpass all previous eff
forts. They met early in the even
ing in Caxton hall, less than mile
from Parliament square. and after
adopting resolution declaring that
the prime minister's denial OF their
request was a grave and objectionable
| insult to women. called for volunteers
for dangerous service" deputatioh
of 80 women. headed by Mrs. Pethick
Lawrence and accompanied by immense
crowds, started shortly for the House
of Commons to present the resolution
or take whatever other action was
deemed advisable The police, how
ever were too much for the women,
in spite Of all their preparations and
the assistance Of hundreds of sym
pnthizers.
Strong detachments of police. both
on foot and mounted. guarded the
streets from CaXton hall TO the Houses
of Parliament. They broke up the
kdeputation into units, which, when
they reached the cordons surrounding
the square, were thrown back, or II
too persistent. We're arrested and
passed along to a receiving squad in
the square, and thence through a dou-
M a IN he c to
ton
The greatest confusion prevailed
Several women were injured in the
scramble, while others tainted or be-
came hYsterical and required the at
tention of the ambulance mon. The
battle was fierce but short
WOMEN CHAINED TO Ratings.
An hour after the women emerged from
the hall, Parliament square had becr
cleared of the attacking forces, eXcep
half dozen women who had chaine,
themselves to the ratings, and who's
chains the police had to file or break.
The demonstration was not so larg
as those Of last year. The damage 4
, property was greater than ever. howeve,
, and the number OF arrests eStablishe
new record Cannon Row station /
Whitehall was crowded with prisoner:
and the police We're occupied for hour
in making charges against them. Anon
those arrested We're Mrs. Lawrence VIII
Is joint editor of Votes for Women, Lad
Constance Lytton. sister of Lord Lyttot
and the lion Mrs EVelina HavertielC
daughter of Lieut., General Lord Abinge
Altogether 300 women and three me
We're arrested. They We're liberated o
bail
Among the many buildings where win
doWs and glass doors were smashed wer
the offices of the Daily Mail and Somerse
House, on the south side of the Strant
\ The latter building contains public offices
The window breaking was systematic
: the motive apparently being to ensur
, arrest. Many of the women carrie
stones in a cloth bag attached to Ion
tapes These were used like slings