The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-30
SUFFRAG|STS Who
ARE NOT MILITANT
Effective Work Being Done
in England by This Class
QUIET ORGANIZATION
Anti -Suffrapisfs Arc hv M Means
QUIET ORGANIZATION
Anti-Suffragists Are by No Means
Idle-Their Campaigns Aided by
Influential Britons-Urge En-
forcement of Sentences

pupilclty since the question OF votes Tor
women became really live one in Eng
land, some very effective work has been
Gone by those women who, adopting the
quieter methods of their American sisters
are endeavorlng to get the vote by con-
stitutional means.
The work of the latter, in the minds of
many of the politicians OF the country,
is far more likely to lead to success than
the more strenuous efforts of the mill
tants. The argument is advanced that
the miitants, by their methods, have
estranged many men supporters. and es-
pecially since their resort to arson and
their attacks ON the parks. they have
| undoubtedly aroused certain elements of
the population to make counter demon
strations. with the result that suffrage
meeting is now seldom held in peace.
The women who are making the suf
frage fight in the usual way, by attempt
ing to convert their opponents by press
and platform arguments have banded
themselves together under the name of
the National Union of Women's Suffrage
societies. and are carrying on cam
| paign throughout the country. They have
been holding meetings at the universities,
| IN the hope of making friends of the
younger men of the country; they have
| had demonstrations in most of the large
| cities, and whenever an opportunity Of
| fered, they have taken part in bye-elec-
| tions.
| One of these opportunities came in the
| election at Houghton-le- Spring. This con-
| stituency has for years been represented
| by a liberal and the last majority was so
| large that unless third party interviewed,
| the unionist would have had no chance
| OF election. Each though the unionist
| was opposed to them, the women decided
| to support him in preference to the lib
| eral, as their policy has always been to
| keep the government candidate out,
At Houghton, however. they found In
Alderman House. a third candidate nomi-
mated by the labor party a man whom
they could support with heart and sonl,
for not only Mr. House but his party is
pledged to give votes for women equally
with men
Mrs. Henry Fawcett, one of the first
women in England seriously to take up
the suffrage question is the head OF
the non militant organization, and with
her lieutenants she carried on quiet
propa ganda work in the Houghton con-
sttuency which, If it did no great good
this time, she hopes will help material
ly in the future. The union has raised
a big fighting fund, and each election
will find the members in the field to
support those who favor their cause.
| If they have not got friend among
the candidates, they will at least en-
| deayor to keep out the supporter of
| the government which refuses them the
| franchise
| The nti-suffragists also are by no
| means idle. and their campaign. which
has the aid of such men as Lords Cur
| zon and Cromer and a great many men
and women of ability and influence,
| goes steadily along.
In the meantime the matter of most
immediate necessity is to find some
| means of dealing with the law breaking
militants. They are usually caught
| convicted and sent TO jail, but as they
| Immediately start the hunger strike
and are released, the campaign of de-
| structon is not restrained The press
and public blame Reginald McKenna,
the home secretary who should. they
say insist upon the sentences imposed
! being served. Thousands of letters
| have been written to the authorities,
| making suggestions of how the mill
| tants should be dealt with. The most
popular one has been that If the women
woIss not take food, they should be
| ALI" ID to starve to death.
| The retort of the women to this
suggestion Invariably has been "brute"
| or some thing worse. 1t is no secret
that Mr.. McKenna and the other mem
bers of the cabinet are seriously nom
plussed. They know that the English
conscience would be outraged should
woman die of starvation in an Eng
| lish prison and that the people in re-
turn would. in all probability. demand
| the life of the government. which they
would hold responsible for such an out
come. Mr.. McKenna, 1t is announced,
viii, during the present session of par
Lament. introduce measure TO enable
the police and prison authorities to
deal more effectively with the women
prisoners.
Charles Nicholson who was selected
| by Sir, Thomas Upton to design and
| build Shamrock ~, is one of three
brothers who compose one of the Oldest
and largest firms of yacht builders in
Great Britain. The firm was estab-
lished as long ago as 1890, and, they
| have turned out many famous racers
Latterly, of course, they have been
engaged chiefly in building boats for
racing under the European inter
national rule, which produces healthy
| seagong vessels. One of the most
successful of the firms latest boats
Is the Istria which has met with great
lsuccess in European waters.
| Linton Hope. the well known racing
yacht architect, in a recent interview
| on the prospects of success for the Brit
ish boat in case a race for the America
| cup should be arranged, said:
THE great handicap is still the passage
across the Atlantic. The hull of the racer
that has to make this trip can be strength
ened by internal struts, which can be
| removed after the voyage, but the boat
| cannot be built as light as one that has
not to make the passage because sh :
might not be able to stand the strain Of
very bad .yeather. There are possible
ways of doing it. but they involve risk.
! Personally. | would prepare to take it,"
Asked as to whether there had been
ony new discoveries In the science OF
yacht building since the last race for the
America cup Mr. Hope replied: There
| Lave beens several discoveries but they
| are all equally available to American
| builders. and so the initial advantage
still rests with them. Boats of this kind
are only built for the special purposes
| Cf the cup, and | do not think there has
| been any advance in design Aluminium
was used in one Of the other Shamrocks--
| il was IN use for racing yachts as long
go aS lS95-and no doubt the newer anu
! better aluminium alloy would he used IN
buiding a boat The great advance has
been in the direction OF rigging. Strength
for strength, wire rigging is much lighter,
and blocks Of aluminium are a quarter
the weight OF steel ones. But the Amer
leans have them all