The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-04
Mrs. Pankhurst Much Discussed

She-ffend or martyr which is Mrs. En-
incline Pankhurst2 Be she one or the
other. she is the most discussed woman
| in England today. The editor of the
London Daily Mail. Marlowe says of the
uncrowned queen of the wild women:
If Mrs Pankhurst had been born in
the great days of Rome she might have
been a mother of the Cracehi. Had she
lived in the middle ages she would have
rivalled St Catherine of Vienna, per-
chance, made herself famous as Poor
Clare.
She Is a spiritual descendant of all
martyrs and fanatics who have ever worn
themselves out in pursuit of an ideal
For years before she became a fighting
suffragist. she had worked quietly for
the cause Her gnawing eagerness for
self-sacrifice saw in this such an objective
as it desired. Gradually she identified
herself with it. Gradually she came to
believe that she was marked out to be a
leader. that the cause for which she was
fighting depended upon her. That steeled
her to suffer. That made her run to
meet labors and punishments which it
seemed impossible forl so slight frame
| to bear. 1t is power of will that supports
her, sided by the self-esteemed which is
in all fanatics, which even helped to
bear up Joan of Arc, with whose life, by
the way, that of Mrs. Pankhurst might be
at many points compared
The popular vision of the leader of the
mlitants in the votes for women war
was wrong from the start Frequently
as she is described, frequently as her por-
trait Is printed, she still figures in the pub
lie mind as gaunt figure in i'll fitting
clothes. with scanty hair, large features
a rasping voice. That is perfectly nat
| ural. That, given her behavior, is how
she ought to look.
Actually she is the very opposite of
what the public gre determined TO believe.
She is a little woman of a delicate pretti-
ness. Her voice is soft and musical. She
is always well and becomingly dressed.
1t is almost ludcrous to see her as gem
eral issuing orders to her soldiers as she
calls them. 1t would be ludicrous but for
an earnestness about her which rises
above laughter and exacts from opponents
a certain grudging respect, which is all
very nice and impressive, but does not
restore the property destroyed and nerves
shattered by the mad militants.
Theatre Queues" Doomed
IF the decision of Mr.. Justice Joyce Civ
en- in the chancery division of the high
court is Upheld on appeal, it would ap-
pear that the theatre queue is doomed.
An action was brought by Messrs. Lyons,
Mona & Co, wholesale lace and em-
broidery dealers of Quality house, for an
injunction, damages, and costs against
Charles Gulliver, the manager, and the
Capital Syndicate Ltd, the proprletors
of the Palladium, for allowing crowds
waiting admission to the upper circle
to gather in queues, SO as to obstruct
the access to and egress from the plain
tiffs' premises. The defendants denied
the alleged obstruction, declaring that
the plaintiffs evidence was greatly exag
gerated, and pleaded that as the queues
were controlled by the police they were
not responsible if there was any obstruc-
ton, claimed. Mr.. Justice Joyce came
to the conclusion on the evidence that
these stationary crowds or queues had
caused obstruction and that such OBJ
struction was calculated to deter, to a
slight extent, at all events, customers
from resorting to plaintiffs shop. He
was unable to appreciate the argument
that the police were responsible.