The Sentinel=record., 1913-12-09
SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF NATION AL SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION
 VISITS THE PRESIDENT.
TO URGE LEGISLATION
President Informs Them That He Will Favor Committee in Congress to Consider Matter of Constitutional Amendment

Washington, Dec. S.--Woman suf frage-the question which has vigor- Ousy projected itself in the political forum President Wilson today personified by sixty members of the National American Woman Suf- frage Association, who pleaded for his influence with Congress to obtain the ballot for the women of the nation.
 It was the first time the president had been brought face to face with the issue. He told his callers that whatever might be his personal views on woman suffrage or any other sub ject he had made it a rule not to urge legislation upon Congress that had not been the subject of "organic consider ation" by the Democratic party, of which he considered himself the spokesman. The president said that when members of Congress consulted him he would freely give his views, and he added that, having already been asked his opinion about the or ganization of a standing committee in the House of Representative to con sider woman suffrage, he had express ed himself in favor of such a com. mittee
 Some of the members of the delega- tion were disappointed, some felt en. couraged, others were non-committal. Dr. Anna Howard Shaw expressed the view that the presidents endorsement of the idea of a special committee in the House was all that could have been expected under the ciTcum- stances.
 It was a quiet, earnest group of suf- fragists who stood in a circle, with the president in ifs center in the White House offices. Most of them had walk ed in defiance of a freezing gale, en- thusiastic about their mission and de- termined to get a definite expression from the president. They constituted the special committee appointed by the convention of the national organ fzation to await the presidents recov- cry from his illness, and they march ed confidently to the White House to plead their cause.
 This is to be no mere hankshaking affair" remarked one of the leaders to the assembled group, pr Shaw will do all the talking and the handshak- ing, too"
 It was said that she who spoke re- membered visit of New Jersey suf- fragists who took the president a mes sage on woman suffrage and shook hands with him, but got no reply.
 The president nodded pleasantly to the women as they formed circle around him, and Dr. Shaw stepped Gonward. In low voice she told In a straightforward, simple way how un- availing had been the frequent pill grimages of the women to Washing ton heretofore, and how committees of Congress had listened courteously but had sfburied their case.' She ap- tnealad fo the nresident, fin the spirit of justice" 10 urge upon Congress to pass an amendment to the federal con stitution to he submitted to the states, that would give women the right to vote throughout the land She sug. gested three ways for the president to help the cause of suffrage-by 8 special message on the subject, ref erence to it in any general message he might send, or the use of his in- fuence to obtain the appointment of a standing committee in the House of Representative to consider the subject as the Senate had done.
 The president listened in silence. He had not been asked for his own views on woman suffrage, so he did not give it to them. On the proposal to send a message to Congress, he cited his rule of adhering to party policies, intimating that when con suited by members of Congress he might give his views freely.
 There was a pause after the prest dent finished speaking, an air of not having been quite satlsDed, ana a'r'
 Shaw resumed:
 Since we are not members Of any political party" she asked. who is going to speak for us-there is no one to speak for us---"
 T realize that" interjected the president"
 unless we speak for ourselves. And you do that very admirably, reioined Mir Wilson. and genera