New-York tribune., 1912-04-14
CHINATOWN AWAKENS
Women of Chop Suey District
Want English Teaching, Nov
ina Pictures and Votes.

Chinatown had a great sensation last
Wednesday Crowds of excited men filled
the street Excited woman and children
hung out Of the windows shouting. And II
was not a tong feud, either, but merely the
fact that a lady was going out In an auto
mobile. It was Mrs. Lee Towe, she OF the
little lily feet, who could not walk very
far II she tried and never tries, anyway,
because woman's place is in the home
In Chinatown, at least. When Mrs. Lee
Towe-who is shown with her husband and
daughter the progressive Mabel Lee, In the
group above-went out for an errand 1t was
in q covered carriage. No wonder China
town seethed with excitement when the
great. lady went uptown in an automobile
10 attend a woman suffrage meeting.
The crowd was so great that there was
not room enough to turn the automobile
An angry man pushed his way through the
crowd.
Chinese lady in there?" he shouted,
shaking his fist in the face of Mrs Charles
f. Peck, who was in charge Of the expedi-
tion.
"Yes. There is a broad minded Chinese
lady here, who is going out to help the
educational work" answered Mrs. Peck
Then she took a leaf out of Lucreta
Motifs book.
And / know you are a broad minded
man." she added, who is in sympathy with
educational work, too, so can depend on
YOU 10 clear a way for us through this
crowd"
Yah, yaht HI, there! Get out dee way!'
A moment and the riot was over.
But tongues are still wagging in China
town over the fact that Mrs. Lee Towe,
high caste lily-footed. went to a suffrage
meeting Mabel Lee. her daughter, Is, OF
course. a hopeless little suffragette who
has already promised to march in the pa
rade.
70 tell the truth though. IT wasn't so
much for the cause Of votes that the lead
ing ladies Of Mott and Bayard streets came
out from their retreats-many had never
been in public before-it was because they
had unbounded faith in Mrs. Pecks word
that this meeting would advance the edu-
cational work among the poor Chinese
women in whom they were interested. Mrs.
Peck explained 1t thus:
I'm not a suffragist myself, and they
know n, but simply couldn't get anybody
but suffragists to help me In my work.
Other women said, Yes. it is a beautiful
work You must love 1t, but really, you
know, we're not interested So went to
the suffragists and they caught on to II
like wildhre.
"Our purpose was to arouse public in
terest in the cause Of women in Chinatown
who long TO learn American ways, but are
too poor to pay a teacher. We want the
public school opened to them one CT two
afternoons in the week, with a teacher in
charge who will instruct them in English.
simple arithmetic and writing. Think
what It would mean to them, who have no
social intercourse Of any kind shut up in
their little homes all day. and not allowed
TO 90 out at night. Think what JOY 1t
will be to them to get out and see some
body! For they will attend these classes
they promised US. When l first approached
Dr. Maxwell, the Superintendent Of
Schools, he said he would lay the matter
before the Board Of Education II would
secure twenty-five names Of women who
would attend. Well. l have the twenty
five signatures. and through The Chinese
Reform News which is distributing cou-
pons in its daily issues. 1 expect to secure
many more"
DR.. Sttt OF the Board OF Education. has
assured Mrs Peck OF his cooperation in
the following letter:
1T Is certainly unfortunate that so many
Chinese women should be deprived OF some
form OF recreation which shall relieve
them somewhat Of their household duties
We have a number Of recreation centres,
but you informed me that these women
are not allowed out at night. The next
best plan would be 10 permit them to at
tend one of the vacation Fairgrounds
where 1t is possible that room might he
assigned for them and some Of the organ
ized games or other recreational activities
be planned FOR their amusement. ! shall
be glad to interest the board Of superin-
tendents and the committee on special
schools in what seems a very excellent
movement for the amelioration Of the con-
dltion OF the women of Chinatown"
Up in the Young Women's Christian AS
sociation. in Gramercy Park. is a Chinese
maiden Of high degree who is tremendously
interested in the education of her people
and who would have spoken at the meeting
on Wednesday had 1t not been for the suf-
frage element in that affair. SO much
Mrs. Peck had to sacrifice for the alliance!
Tu Jung Chang, however. niece of Hung
Chang, and Connected with diplomatic cir
cles. is not allowed TO compromise herself
on the question OF votes for women. But
she is the idol OF Chinatown, and her ex-
ample and her approval OF this educational