New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-19
SHAW FINDS ECHO HERE
Let Hunger Strikers Starve,
Say New York Suff!ragettes.
THAT'S THE LOGICAL THING
Forcible Feeding Should Not
Be Practised on Political
Prisoners, Is Opinion.

Wouldn't most people suppose that
when Bernard Shaw says, as he has just
been saying in the London newspapers
IF the jailed suffragettes won't eat let
'em stsrve"-wouldn't most people sup
pose that the sufrragists over here would
exclaim ''Why the heartless, horrible
thing"
But they don't They agree with him.
They declare that 1t would be much more
logical for the English government to let
the suffragists who are hunger striking
starve-much more logical and less cruel
70 the suffragists than that horrible forci-
BILE feeding
AS TO Shaw's pronouncement, they say
"Oh. the Shavian manner" "Pshaw!
shaws a suffragette himself, an ardent
militant and he can't deceive us"
The fact Is they are on to Mr.. Shaw 3
curves.
Miss Inez Milholland did criticlse the
English phrase maker for not appearing
to understand that Miss Mary Leigh and
Mrs. Evans, the imprisoned suffragettes
In question-they are now In Dublin Jail
started their present hunger strike not
as means Of trying to gain release from
prison, but as a protest against the fact
that they are not treated as POLITICAL
prisoners, which they consider that they
ought to be-
IF the government would put them in
the first division and treat them as po-
litical prisoners they would serve their
sentences and make no protest" she said.
why, man who commits murder in
England, If his crime is done with a po-
litical purpose, is put In the first d.
vision These women demand to know
why. since II was with political purpose
that they get Are TO that Dublin theatre,
! they are placed in the third division. The
government conceded the principle for
which they stand when It treated Mrs
Pankhurst as a political prisoner. Mrs.
Pankhurst, though, declared that she
would not be treated differently from her
followers and co-workers"
Mrs bennett Agrees with Shaw.
II agree with Bernard Shaw" said Mrs
Mary Ware bennett, executive secretary
citation. 81 agree. though perhaps
oughtnt 10. as Mr.. and Mrs. Pethick
Lawrence. who arrive in New York on
Sunday. are 10 be our guests here at the
National on Tuesday afternoon. But
always did feel that the authorities had
no right TO butt-ln IL a person wanted 10
commit suicide, and feel with Mr.. Shaw
that If the government places food with
I'm the prisoners reach it has done all II
should The prisoners right to refuse 4,
should be recognized. Forcible feeding is
disgracefuI. and the government position
in doing IL is untenable.
1T is pity that the English suffragists
supported the Cancellation bill Mrs. Den
nett added. Ever since they did that
their position has been uncertain. But We
hero have no right TO crlticise any one
80 noble 40 disinterested as those women
are"
Miss Caroline Reilly press chairman
OF the National. insists that when Ber-
nard Shaw wrote that article ne had
probably had a row with his wife. who is
a militant suffragist. Il have heard" She
said with demure smile. that some
OF the most violent anti-suffrage editorials
IN our New York papers were inspired
by the action Of the writers wives in in
slsting In marching in our parade"
so Mr.. Shaw thinks the English gov
eminent ought 10 let the suffragists starve
themselves to DEATH" said Miss Eleanor
Brennan. well. perhaps that would be
better for them than being tortured by
the government. ! am afraid that the
hunger strike has failed as a method. |
thought when | was over there that IL
did not seem to rouse public sympathy.
You see. women aren't regarded as peo-
pie in England. They aren't very much
regarded as people in this country, but
even less so there
On Lowell with Gutter.
Women are placed on the level of the
gutter In England" said Miss Elizabeth
Freeman, who was with Miss Brannan
when the reporter met them. The suf-
frage they have been granted there, mu-
ncipal suffrage, deals with the things OF
the gutter ! remember when / went out
in London 10 sell suffrage papers the
policemen told me 10 stand in the gutter
j
ment.
Bernard shaw's logic seems cold, but
Englishmen regard women not as Ameri-
cans do. but quite differently"
Miss Lucy Burns. who has worked as
an organizer for Mrs. Pankhurst in Scot
land, and has served sentences In Hollo-
way Jail and In Dundee. said she was
sorry that Bernard Shaw did not seem to
that these suffragists were
lighting not to be released, but to be re-
garded as poltica! prisoners. "t'orcible
feeding Ia n horrible thing" she said.
Mr.. Asauth is determined not to Yield
TO the suffragists. lis is as obstinate as
an Englishman. But those sunraslsts are
English women, and obstinate, too
Mrs. 4. f. Townsend. treasurer OF the