The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-22
TRUST "CATS"
TO END "MICE"
British Officials Are Sure
That Militancy Is Now
Doomed.
OUTRAGEs ARE FEW
Public Is at White Heat. at
Slashing Of velasquez
Masterpiece.
LET ZEN sTARvEw rs CRY
Advice viii Not Be Adopted Be-
cause Of Possible Murder
Charge.
LET ZEN sTARvEw Is CRY
ss.oss css,s pss,sseA 20 n, sus.

toeu0 CoAje osspoteA 20 TnB Su1.
LONDON, March 2i.--The recent out
rasss Of militant suffragsttes, especially
the slashine Of tho Rokeby "venus" IN
~ National Gallery. has provoked uni
SsaAi cnticissn OF the efficacy Of the cat
and mouse" act but inquiries In o0lcial
circles show that those who are re-
sponsIbls for tho administration Of the
&C. arc satisfied with it, working. They
wnt out that the act was passed To
meet . unique situation They do not
assert that II v a perfect way out Of the
dIn'culty. but urvs that no bsetsr solu-
ton has been suggested.
The authorities still regard the In.
crsasingly general suGgestioa that the
women should b allowed to Starve an
impracticabie. The suggestion that the
women be deported 10 also regarded In
the same light In support Of the act the
authorities say that the fact that II has
been 80 bitterly attacked by the miIitant
suffrasettes proves that Il In slowly but
surely causing q decided Improvement
IN the situation. Recently the campaign
Of violence has not been 30 pronounced
as In the months preceding tho passage of
the act. although one or two particularly
fragrant outrages have attracted public
attention.
working 81 the Act.
Tho fa!rest way OF looking at the mat
Ter. 1t ID said. IL to consider what would
have happened II the act had not been
pushed forward. Al an example the re-
cent arrest OF Sylvia Pankhurst IL quoted
Formerly when she was released, which
sss inevitable In view Of the determine.
Ion OF the authorities not to allow q suf-
'rasette TO die In jail. she had been i'm
uiune from arrest until she committed
some fresh outrage, but recently she was
arrested while on her way to a meeting at
Trafalgar Square before she had an 90.
Tcrtunity Of doing any damage.
further result Of the act has been
mat the women who were released on IL
eense felt that they were liable 10 be re-
arrested at any moment and this told
ihem that they must keep in hiding. After
time every man they met was regarded
With suspicion. ~ he might prove TO be A
dsective. The result has been q con-
tnual strain on the mind Of q miiitan mt
woman. which resulted in more than one
ing from further violence.
For the most part the public speakers
among the women. although they incite to
acts OF violence. take no actual part In
the preparation Of outraged the two
classes of workers being kept quite dis.
uncf As rule. the women who are
considered likely TO commit acts Of vio-
Ience are well known to the roiice and
are being closely watched. Such IL the
ofiicial defence to the outraSes at the Biz.
minsham Cathedral and other churches
ana the slashing Of the Rokeby "venus-"
Public IL NauseateA.
Il obvious that the public attitude
toward the militan:s has changed. The
feeling. expressed by contemptuous
shrug. with whicn the first acts OF VIC
ience were dismissed has developed into
one OF nauseated disgust which 10 now be-
coming hot anger and Q desire for ~
A letter 10 the Times from DR.. Charlie,
Arthur Aercier. . specialist In menta
diseases. has attracted much attention
Vie bluntly advocates letting the women
d.e or self-inficted starvation and voices
the growing opinion that the general yer.
right"
The Medico-Legai Society. IN discussing
Dr. Merciers letter. brought forward Ger.
tain points In regard to his advice which
nave hitherto not been dreamed OF. ut leas,
oy the general public. The chief OF these
put briefly. 10 that In a common Law
Prison the governors and doctors who de.
hoersteiy attempted to allow q woman
who was starving herself to 20 her owr
way might be liable to criminal proceed.
inss II Is even suggested that man.
Slaughter or murder charge might b
brought against them.