The Washington times., 1912-03-05
SUFFRAGE RIOTS
GETTING BEYOND
POLICE CONTROL
Grave Danger Outcome of
Present Movement Will
Be BloodShed.

LONDON. March 5.-One million de-
voted women, firm in the belief that
they have been refused rights guar
anteed them months ago by Premier
Asquith and the present British govern
ment, and stung to anger by the calm
refusal of Asduith and his colleagues
10 grant them a hearing, have brought
about a situation that today threatens
TO overshadow the great labor troubles
The demonstrations of the women adj
Vocates of equal suffrage have reach
ed point where the police can no
longer prevent or control them. Vio-
lence, of type peculiarly aggravatng,
has been ordered by the leaders, and
wholesale arrests, instead of checking
1t, have merely enhanced the dctermi-
nation of the women.
There is grave danger today that the
outcome will be bloodshed 1t Is known
that Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst and
other leaders of ultra militant body
hope this will come. AS she was led
away to her cell last week Mrs Pank-
hurst declared the cause would have
been advanced ten years had she been
killed.
Willing to Be Martyrs.
1t will take martyrs to stir the coun-
try TO a realization of our bitter de-
termination" she cried at the meet
ing that preceded the demonstration
that began the present fight. And that
Is the spirit of the women who today
shouted from the street corners that
the government must yield.
Mounted and foot police alike were
detied by the women today. They re-
fused to move on, and when the officers
showed their horses against them they
tried to drag the uniformed men to the
street: The foot policemen were bait
ed with determination that proved
nerve ruff1ing in the extreme.
The women want to be arrested.
They are very strong, and their pres
ent hope now is that the iails will be
filled until there will be no place to
Confine them. The police and magis.
trates know this But they also realize
that as fast as a woman arrested for
riotinG is turned loose she arms her
self with hammer and goes back TO
break more windows, to throw stones
and to lombard the opposition with
arguments to the cause.
I'VE will be militant until we gain
our rights" say the leaders. IF our
methods are not strong enough, there
are others in reserve" And the wom-
en- who utter these sentiments are not
the rabble of the East End They are
the representative women of Britain.
Mrs. Frederick Pethick Lawrence,
highly educated, a powerful platform
speaker. and an editor of note, made
this plain today.
we will terrorize this country, or
we will get our rights" she cried, and
an audience of gentlewOmen refiped
and most of them wealthy in their own
right, cheered her statements to the
echo.
Would Burn Palace.
1T He. have to-. We will, burn down
the royal palace itself, declared Mrs
Lawrence again, and that incendiary
sentiment likewise received cheering
welcome from the women listeners.
Today Bow street police court was
iammed with the women arrested in
last nights demonstration. Most OF
them were bound over for hearings
later. Two, Victoria Simmons and Lii
liam Ball, noted leaders, were sentenced
to two months Imprisonment at hard
labor.
They dramatically faced the mags-
trate and warned him that their SEN
tence simply meant further and more
severe demonstrations. Defiance was in
their every utteranCe, and as they were
led away. still shrieking for the cause" "
their sisters in misery cheered them
loudly
The city looks as if it were in a state
of siege. Nearly every big store win
dow is boarded up. The banks main-
tain special guards outside to keep the
women away. The entire metropolitan
police is on continuous duty. Everyone
10 kept moving, and women suspected
of planning violence are hustled into
vehicles and rushed to police stations to
be searched.
Urges Prison Terms.
The Times today demands that all of
the leaders Of the suffragettes be prose-
cuted on charges of conspiracy to break
the law This is a felony punishable by
sentences up to seven years.
The government hesitates to act thus
severely although the demand Is joined
in by the shopkeepers whose property
has been destroyed. The women hope
this action will be taken If it is, they
say, they are sure to win, as they insist
Englishmen will never consent 10 their
wives and daughters being made felons
because they demand the rights for
which their fOrefathers fought.
Dnar Wallis nOUUn