The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-10

Is said here by friends who know Miss Elizabeth Shelley in her present Washington environment that in her business surroundings she is as com p1etely mistress of herself and of the situation as she was during her debu- fante days in Birmingham. During a drawing room chat with her yesterday she awakened the thought that it is perhaps the especial genius of southern women of brains and education that she knows how to adjust her manner iperfectly to the particular circumstan- tces in which she finds herself So in Washington, where, for three years in "a business capacity, Miss Shelley has dealt with the great public of both isexes and of all sorts and conditions, she assumes a demeanor precisely suit ted to the needs of the case-matter- Of fact, good humored, dignifled, tactful and capable In the more sheltered role rof guest in some charming Washington home or, when office duties are over she seeks the little apartment where she is fostering her love of home-she displays the charm and grace which made her one of the most popular so- ciety girls Birmingham ever knew
 She has been so closely in touch with political affairs in Washington it was impossible to know of her presence here and not wish to ask her some thing about the manifestations of tho equal suffrage movement in the capital She was about to leave Mrs Gray's res- idence, In which she is a guest, for the Country club to lunch with the visiting golfers Friday when found her, smart ly turned out in black cloth tailleur with a fan-like ribbon ornament, and white kid tops to her incredibly small black boots.
 What have the women of Washing ton done recently toward promoting the cause of equal rightsa" Miss Shel- ley was asked But with the most win ming and truly sincere smile she said ''Oh, l would so much rather talk to you of Birmingham than of suffrage or anything else5 You must know that l love Birmingham, that l always loved 1t and thaK coming back after seven --year,ss absence and seeing the little trees I knew grown huge and some of them meeting across the avenues; with big, beautiful homes spreading out to
  friends here just the same sweet, lovely people they have always been, Birming- ham is the biggest subject in the world to me just now.
 But" continuing in the same ami mated fashion, her bright face glowing with interest in her topic, the equal suffrage cause has some of the ablest women in the country at the helm in Washington and they are constantly 1t work tG further it's advancement I have been unable recently to take an active part in the work because of my position with the government, but I have had a most interesting association with Miss Alice Paul and Miss Lucy Burns, two of the most important lead CTS in the national organization. Il wish you could meet them. In these two you find the intense type of suf- fragist that is absolutely self-s sacrifc- ing, eagerly pushing on, unwilling to wait moment longer than is absolute ly necessary for the ballot. Miss Paul spends her entire income, Pm told on the work, and has almost the look of a fanatic so long and so seriously has she concentrated on this thing which she considers so vital for American citizen ship"
 You are one of the conservative fol- lowers of the cause, I see," was my re- mark.
 Indeed, yes" she replied, 1T am Aiohc tit ltss iuteTeSleO DeCduSo 1 am Conservative, but I feel so sure equal suffrage is coming that conservatism seems rational, from my viewpoint Isn't it funny, though" she continued, reflectively, how men receive your arguments? have friend upon whom l have practiced all my most forceful reasoning, turned the full bat tery of my equal rights pleas, and without the remotest results. The other evening he came in and announced to me that he had been listening to a pretty red-headed woman speaker on the corner She's convinced me- he laid enthusiastically; I'm right with her! And l assured him that I fully understood She is pretty and she has red hair, told him. and the fact that her arguments were the same as the ones he had heard over and over from me had evidently nothing to do with the case, because I wasn't pretty and hadn't red hair I had learned all of those arguments from Alice Paul. thinking at one time I might become public speaker, but I find I can't use them privately without the assistance Of beauty and red hair. So much for Woman's need of the ballot when in- direct influence' fails"'
 Questioned as to her conversion to equal suffrage. Miss Shelley said: q