New-York tribune., 1911-01-06
YOUNGEST Suffragette Comes for
Long Lecture Tour.
LACKS MILITANT ATTITUDE
Her Speech, However, Gives Her
Away-Regrets She Will See
No Violence Here.

fresh faced schoolgirl, with loose WispS OF
hair coming down under her cap. But
when she sat down and began TO tank suf-
frage. then il was easy to believe that she
was Sylvia Pankhurst, that she had helped
TO raid" the English Parliament. had been
In Jail for the cause. had painted pictures
and written books for the cause. and In all
respects had worked shoulder TO shoulder
with that valiant English woman, her
mother.
Loyal to the cause In her dress IS MISS
Pankhurst. The first glimpse OF her that
Mrs John Winters Brannan and the rest
OF the suffragsts had when they went
down to meet the American liner 81. Paul.
y which she arrived. yesterday morning.
was of futter of purple cloak. and the
next was the gleam of the green-and-purpie
button. which. she explained with pride,
she designed herself.
There's green for hope, and white for
purity, and purple for the royal cause.
That's what our colors mean" she said
Mrs. Brannan and the other Americans
in the party wore the English cOlors, out
OF compliment TO the visitor. and II was a
green. white and purple cavalcade that
moved from the dock to the Union head
quarters. where Miss Pankhurst sat down
and talked with a readiness which showed
that she was used 10 the exercise. But
first she wanted TO know whether militant
methods would be practical in America
and seemed disappointed to hear that she
wasn't likely TO see any OF them during
her stay here.
-kgs Il i'll o,f nftT fagf
inquired with the naIvete Of a girl who
wants to know how you like her new play
In tennis.
yes, I've been knocked about by the
police" she said. but" she added with
open-eyed seriousness. 81 didn't knock
back. However, they've put me in jail
twice. once for three weeks and once for
two weeks. The first time I was arrested
for entering a courtroom 20 protest against
being barred out from giving evidence at a
trial of suffragists that was going on, and
once on a charge Of obsuucting traffic.
But ! wasn't obstructing. was helping
lead a suffrage procession to the House OF
Parliament, and We were obstructed; We
were not obstructors.
How did I like Jail? oh. it was had
You don't sleep. and YOU don't digest your
food We had to cat brown bread and
skilly. which is kind of grucl, and we
STAYED in our cells twenty-thrce hours out
of the twentv-four, and We had to wear
dreadful, il-fttins underwear and clumsy
shocs-i think they were made by Some
horrjd man. The shoes hurt our feet
and mostly they were not mates. ! knew
some women who had gangrene from wear
ing them. The first time 7 was in prison
it was in 1861 was put i'm the third class.
the worst class. which has the fewest priv
llaees. I'm sure / don't know why.
hadn't done anything. But all suftregist
prisoners arc put IN the first class now
"Is it true the suffraGists aren't allowed
mirrors IN prison." some one asked.
"Oh, yes; but We could polish our tin
plates and use those" said the youngest
suffragette nouchslsntly.
Then she began 10 talk about the last
raid on Parliament, the ore Of November
IS "Other people call trem raids; we
don't" she said. THE last one was hard
experience The police treated the women
terribly, vindictively I have seen many
demonstrations. but have never seen any
thing so violent as this
"T saw one woman thrown down a dozer
TINES; as fast as she struggled up she was
thrown down again. l saw arms twisted
thumbs dslocated. Men who tried q
come TO the assistance Of the women were
as5aled. too one physician who tried tc
take a polcemans number was arrested.
Miss Billinghurst was knocked abou
dreadfully. she's the crippled suffra gist
YOU know. who goes about In her wheeled
chair and converts people She and her
chair was right at the front on November
-. in spite Of the battling till the police
took the stufling out Of the tubes Of hel
chair ana bundled her out
81 don't blame the police for their bru
tality They were told 10 send us away
and they were doing what they were told
There were many policemen in plair
clothes. which. made II harder for us. O
course. YOU know what IL was all about
how We had called a truce which had last
ed for many months how on November is
hen we saw that Mr.. Asquth was no
kccplng his promises to us, only playint
with us the truce broke Mother called
parliament OF women In Cexton Hall
and the demonstration was decided on
The women went In patches Of eleven
keeping to the law, which comes from the
time OF Charles II, forbiddng delegation!
Of more than twelve.
"Mothor headed the first one. As fas
as the patches OF women approached Par
lament House their banners were tori
from them and they themselves were
thrown back. This went on till s o'clock
when Parliament rose. As for me, / wa.
scouting about with Annie Kenney In &
taxi. taking messages from one group tc
another.
But the day we marched on Mr.. As
ouith's house in Downing street-it was the
following Tuesday-we really made the po-
lice give way. There was a long procession
OF us-four hundred and more. The police
said. We'll. give US the names OF some
and perhaps well let 9. few through But
I saw a chance to push through the line
and called out. Push. push and we did
push. and we made the police give, for the
first time.
And we shall make the Prime Minister
give some time. Well get the vote
finished the youngest suffragette. as sh,
started with her hostess over 10 the Hote
Martha Washington. where she will stay
in New York.
The lecture Miss Pankhurst Is TO give IN
Carnegie Lyceum tonight will be the first
OF a string OF lectures lasting a space OF