Imperial Valley press., 1913-04-01
sWeL!SH SUFFRAGETTE TODAY
FACES SERIOUS SITUATION
g IrNITED PRESS ASSOCIATIONSl

y. l..
91nkhurst. dauntlesS leader of the
Haiitant suffragetteS and perhaps the
oest known woman in England. today
ssraln faced the stern-visaged. somber-
1>oHned magistrates in Old Bailey. This
.IH1e the often prosecuted and much
alled chiefteSs of the bashi-baZouk-
.sses. as she has been ribaldly dubbed
~ the crowd. faces ii years imprls-
inment.
She is charged With melting to ma
1ea0us destruction Of property. and il
= generally accepted that King George
aimself is behind the prosecution. Mrs.
pankhurst was arrested for alleged
Assigation nf the bomb plot that partly
wrecked the new country home of
Chancellor Of the EXchequer David
Lloyd George. at Walton Heath. and
Der arrest came Immediately after
5Ssule Secretary Reginald Mckenna left
private audience with the king.
The trial that began today marks a
2rueiat point in the battle for the ballot
wagpd by British women. On its out
.agne depends their right to militancy.
IN deciding the fate Of Mrs. Pankhurst,
.Ae magistrates of Old Bailey indirectly
xll decide whether the women who
Slew up LlOyd-George'S house. burned
,aeF~n the country seat OF Lady White.
asIiO hShed Kew gardens and smashed
nnuinerable windows. We're merely
HsaliciOus miscreantS in the eyes Of
IL law. or We're honorable revolution
.Sgs lighting for their rights.
Did Bailey perhaps never saw more
1B.ense crowd than that which
,oJfay to So Mrs. Pankhurst tried.
Il tie Sut1'ra-rtte j. convicted. il
All H. ont uf her own mouth. The
rY0Hn'~ main evidence against her i
asr OWL utterancrS at Cardiff Males
5s.e day after the Walton Heath eXplo-
Sz3n- In her speech. Mrs. Pankhurs
s5eI '-d that ~, would gladly assume
RI responsibility for the bomb. am
- police uf Cdrdfl at the bcheSt oI
EOmr Secretary Mckcnna made q stem
bEeaphir copy II Mrs. P3nkhurSi'> re-
zSrk~.
Mrs. PankhurSt wa, for several day,
u Frlnre with her daughter Mis-
.-AristobcI Pankhurst, an exile from
.aGiOn since the leader W3~ released
from prison I'D surrey IN promising
g1,2u arhNiur il WAS announced by
-sIrnrraI- Mr.. Flora DruHmond that
Ms. P5nkAur~t Wa~ completely broken
]. health toy ''per~"cIltiun' and required
-sSr. But tie @uvarDmcnt profcssed
u believe that Mrs Pankhursi desired
10 consult her daughter regarding Mis-
s.1riStohrI'> assumption uf the miiiian.
leadership if Mr-. Plnkhur>t should 90
a prison.
0tle militant >ufIrasette> of ENGLAND
1sa~ - '"n tn" map" officially. Fear
81 -stiff'3grtlr demonstration. Pre-
1Lz-r 'Sgu'fh abandoned the time non
-9gd reception tu parliament members
.; the recent opening "f HE new par
-l.ment. and WhrH that body convened
: fsV. JRr- a4p. the houses If parliI-
g-r.9
A,e.rch and N-ilant guard than they
3aTh %&en in many generations. Fear
j. suffracettp- caused thi, surveillance.
44D4nrt ministers are guarded in their
5Cz8r@ ~ home and un the streets.
>smrthint awful" that would stag
cer humanity" WAS the promls" of the
Taiitani> for the new parliament unless
11at government put through another
franchise reform bill providing votes
pr women.
Soi since the gunpowder plot Of
If05 rave the parliament houses been
lsSser such vigilant surveillance as
SAGE the new parliament met. From
Gsshermost subcellar to tOpmost cham
7,er. the guards overlook no rOuru nor
..zsoDyffoIe. The police and parliament
lsaGnorltes prOfeSSed to believe that
-. suffragetters intended to "stagger
ss.zaanity" with an attempt to blow up
.s14 houses Of parliament. They said
as-e4 were apprehensive that some fe-
anfe Guy Hawkes. would try q bomb
s1--agr when the new parliament was
sifyened And the new precautions
90 not strike the public as Ovefdrawn.
apparently the London public has
ixGergone revulsion of feeling on
sn4 suffrage question. From the
s11aseInent with which the people at
sr,ss received the suffrage activities
sssanse Of their novelty, the feeling
gr4sflially changed to mere tolerance.
8ga with the bomb incidents tolerance
zsa. Become actual hostility. At Hyde
x.l6 and Wimbledon recently the wO-
,sfa mad their clothes torn from them.
1ssq.r mats torn off and tramplcd and
s,sJfr Of the anti->ufrragi1ts even spat
z tnelr faces.
s6me Secretary Mckenna has caused
rs 36unSelIOrs to prepare several new
ssifIs, relating 10 the suffragetteS to he
1z1SDddeed in this parliament. The
sLzaS Office proposes to give the courts
.l4spr To punish the militants more
4-Eeiically than is possible under pres
81. laws. which contemplated no such
s.is1bdPsts as have shattered the peace
II sre island. The home secretary has
5aalerred much with King George and
ID . supposed the king and queen are
sfgsesting many Of the steps the gov
fssAaasnt is taking to combat the spirit
az violence that has been making Eng
is.zpd uneasy, if not fearful.