Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-24
National Union at London Pre-.
sents Review of the Past
Years Work. q
COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY
TO MAP OUT CAMPAIGN
Increased Effort Directed Upon the
Government in Antagonistic
Constituencies.
Correspondent. OF he Star.

LONDON, January IL, 1914.
Pressure OF the demand for suffrage
| will be kept up by women Of England
| with unrelenting vigor during the year
1914, according to announcement from
| the National Union OF womens Suffrage
Societies. This organization. which IS
| working only along constitutional lines.
| will hold its annual council In February
to map out its political campaign. which.
1t has already been decided, will be be-
gun with a great mass meeting in Albert
Hall February ia ito voice the united
| and constitutional demand from al
| classes throughout the country for
| government measure for womens SUI
frages
| In review OF the work OF the past year
it is pointed out that increased pressure
has been directed upon the government
| in constituencies represented by anu
| suffragist ministers. and upon strength
| en.ng the position Of the labor party, the
! only party in the house OF commons
| which has made the women's cause an
integral part OF its policy.
Aim of Years Work.
The whole work has been concentrated
| on the demand for government meas
ure, attempts during the year previous
| for a bill introduced by private MEM
bers or an amendment to the govern
ment's franchise bill having both failed
| A recent bye-election in South Lanark
is cited as showing the activity OF the
| women in helping to sweep away q
| liberal majority, and reduction OF ths
| liberal strength Is also reported in many
| important constituencies.
The review continues:
| Not long ago Sir Edward Grey ad-
| he nj
| commons on the woman's suffrage CUES
| ton had not been good, and II 10 SUI
fragists it has been profoundly unsatis-
| factory the success Of the advance IN the
| country is only the more signincant.
| The pilgrimage In July from Edinburgh
| to London was the greatest demonstra-
| ton which the National Union. or In
deed any suffrage society, ever produced
| Sentiment in Rural Districts.
AT a time when resentment against
militant methods was at its height the
country villages and the great towns
showed their appreciation Of law-abiding
propaganda by hundreds Of crowded
meetings. Isolated acts of hooiiganism
there were. but they gave way rapidN
before the general good will. which was
above all demonstrated in the great maj
mass meeting in Hyde Park July %
1.-The support for woman suffrage Iron
| vorable resolutions from nearly 1O coun,
| ty, town and rural district councils and
| from the branches of nearly AL tne
trades unions in the country.
Practically all the greater womens or
Plantations support woman suffrage, IN
Guiding the National Union OF Woman
| Workers, which has once more discussed
the question this year: and, OF the MY
5000. while between 5000 and 10000
friends of woman suffrage have Deen
enrolled up to date About SiOCUo I ma
ing the year and the total number or
meetings held is considerably over 2, 100.
One Danger Averted.
Zone danger during the year has been
averted. The passage of the manhood
suffrage bill was rendered impossible in
the face of unredeemed pledges. After
the speakers ruling and the postpone
ment OF the bill till the end of the ses-
sion was decided upon, the annual con-
ference Of the labor party by two to one
passed a resolution opposing any further
extension of the franchise to men without
the inclusion of women In the follow
ing September the trade union congress
adopted resolution censuring the gov
eminent for failing to redeem its prom
Uses about woman suffrage and demand
ing a government reform bill which would
include women. Finally the year has
marked the growing strength OF the
movement in the church indicated by the
sympathetic attitude of the church con-
| gress at Southampton and the letter OF
the Bishop of Winchester urging the deh-
| mite prospect of the introduction OF sur
frage bill as first-class measure.
1.-The strength of feeling among the
more progressive liberal women and their
determination to stand for Suffrage prin-
| ciples or for what they regard as an
4 apti to ~
| Their seen in the recent formation OF
| the Liberal Women's Suffrage Union.
| Among men 1t has its counterpart in
the Liberal Mems Association for Won-
| ems Suffrage.
Worldwide Growth Reported.
"A review of the suffrage during the past
year carries US far beyond the limits Of our
own country. When addressing the inter
national congress last June, Mrs. Carrie
Chapman Gait, the president reminded
her audience that the question OF woman
suffrage had been considered in seventeen
national parliaments during the past WIN
| ter. and in thirty three states and otnef
legislatures. In the far east. China was
about to be admitted to the international
alliance, and even Persia now had her
progressive movement.
"Of the enfranchised countries. Austria
/ liza, California, Norway, Oregon and
| WASHINGTON sent official government rep
| resentatiyes to the congress. and during
| the session news was received that Nor
! way had obtained her full equal Suffrage
| rights The territory OF Alaska must
also now be added to the list. ana IN
June Illinois obtained enfranchisement On
| the same terms as men, involving the
| Acknowledgement of her million women IN
| Chicago.
Progress in Iceland.
"s;nce the international congress the
parliament in Iceland has again passed
| the amendment to the constitution grant
ing the vote to women on the same terms
as men, and the bill now awaits the
sanction Of the King of Denmark. This
will be granted if the bill is confirmed by
the newly elected parliament next April.
October and the reform bill In Den
mark including the enfranchisement or
women, having passed its third reading
in the lower house, was read for the nrst
time in the upper chamber.
when parliament opened in Holland
the queen in her speech gave promise
of a bill for amending the constitution
and granting equal suffrage rights 70
women, and in Poland the president OF
the diet, when replying to a recent SUI
frage deputation, stated that his new
proposal for reform would include woman
suffrage. though not eligibility.
1.-THE situation in Sweden Is very en-
couraging and there Is reason to suppose
women will obtain their enfranchisement
during 1914, while in Finland the parita-
mentary elections last August resulted
| ~