The Washington times., 1914-10-20
Suffrage Gains As War Gives
Pr00f0f Women S Real Ability
England Gets Object Lesson in
Ability of Wives and Daugh-
tiers to Do Mems Work in
Time of Need.
Substitutes Supplied to Take
Over Tasks of Soldiers,
Whose Salaries Are Paid to
Their Families.


Suffrage for English Women NIL
be fastened through the European
MAR.
Washington potes for Womer
leaders see an inspiring future I
the action of British wives dnt
sisters, which leaves men free tt
answer KitcheneIs call for troops.
Many Women in London are
Milling to undertake the work Of
men who Wish to enlist, and sur
render the salaries to the wives
and Children thus left without sup.
port.
War is regarded as the eco
Homic cause needed to demonstrate
that John Bulls women are more
than mere females of the species.
By KENDRIcK SCoFIELD.
England's women are stepping into
the everyday occupations left vacant
BY the enlistment of England's men,
and because of this, the suffragists
Of Washington predict that by the
time the world-war of Europe has
passed into the histories of the ma
tions, the Briton will be ready to
admit that his wife and his sister
and his mother are something more
than mere females of the speciels."
Or. Cora Smith King, speaking for
herself and for Mrs. Carrie Chap
man Gait. Miss Ida Huested Harper,
Miss Janet Richards, and Miss Emma
Grams, sets this forth as the CON-
ciusion which supporters of the equal
franchise have reached upon the
question which has been asked a
great deal lately: Will the war In
Europe retard Woman Suffrage"
Mrs. King was asked that ques-
ton. She replied: "Of course all of
the carefully constructed interna-
tional machinery of the movement
has been absolutely paralyzed by
the war. Members of the Interna-
tional Suffrage Alliance cannot COM
unicate with one another under pres
ent conditions. This state of affairs,
is, ] believe. responsible for much
OF the contention that the war has
dealt to suffrage aboard a body blow.
Step Into Shoes Of Men.
But there is another and greater
side to the question. The attention
of a great many of US has been
called to what the women of Eng
ping into the shoes of the men so that
Lord Kitchener can have the recruits
he needs at the front; how when
these men are married, women are
agreeing to perform their duties with
out pay, turning the salaries over
TO the families of the men who have
enlisted. That can mean but one
thing-progress.
All the years of propaganda nee
essary to prepare the way for the
acceptance of a reform amount to
nothing unless the value of that re-
form be proved. Sometimes, as in
the case of the English women, who
have been struggling for years to
demonstrate their fitness to be
something more than mothers OF
men. there comes a sticking point
when the opponents Of the reform
answer to all arguments: What
you say may all be theoretically
true they say, butts il pract!cal?'
And then. just as the sponsors
Of reform begin to feel discouraged,
some economic cause will precip1tate
the practical proof.
THAT is what is happening In
England today. All this was sug-
gested to me by Mrs. Gait. whom
call The Philosopher OF the move
ment. as well as by Miss Harper,
Janet Richards and Miss Emma
Grams have just returned from the
war zone and they bring similar
conclusions. In passing through
temporary break in the French mob
ilization on their way from Lucerne
10 Paris, eye-witnesse' Of all wars
melancholies and horrors, these
women found one inspiring idea.
And that idea is that in spite OF the
paralysis Of international communi-
cation between the suffrage work
ers. the war in Europe may hasten
the enfranCh.sement Of women by
many years. simply because the
women of the warning nations will
he forced into the occupations Tor
many generations sacred TO mascu-
line occupancy, by reason or thelr
husbands and brothers enlistments
or deaths.
Release Recruits for War.
How the women Of England are
.psvorIn, the war call, finding in
the disrupted conditions of commerce
and business inches in which they
can be of real and practical use
Is destined to form one of the most
interesting minor chapters OF the
great struggle.
Kitchener's call for men SOUNDED:
A few ten-thousands answered, but
the bulk OF England's mankind re-
manned at their desks and counting
house stools: and Kitchener was
answered that there We're many VINO
would go to the front, but for the
fact that they were married men,
with families dependent upon them:
Then the following advertisement
appeared in the London Times, OF
August %: -,
Doctors wife, middle aged. Will
undertake to perform the work or
any tramway conductor, coachman.
shop assistant or any other married
worker with children, provided that
worker will undertake to enlist and
fight for his country in our hour
of need: all wages earned TO be paid
over to his wife and family"
Curiously enough. few inches be
low this advertisement was another
which read:
AN ex-yoemanry officer who has
seen service and who now occupies
the position of private secretary to
the managing director Of a we'll
IL - Co. h.