The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-12
Explode Bomb In Westmins- ter Abbey and Stop Nc
 Kenna's Speech
CORONATION CHAIR
 SLIGHTLY DAMAGED
Explosion Startles Hundreds of Visit. ors and Breaks Up Meeting In House of Commons-No New
 Measures Contemplated

London. June 11.-MilItant suffra- Eettes staged one of the most dramatic acts of their campaign today when they exploded a bomb i'm Westminster ab- bey at the very moment the Rt. Hon. Reginald McKenna, secretary of state for home affairs, delivering m opti- mistic speech in the House Of Com mons nearby regarding the govern ment's method of dealing with "the wild women.-
 The bomb was placed beside the fa- nous coronation chair in Edward the Confessors chapel Although 1t did lit- tie damage, its report penetrated to the House chamber, interrupting Mr McKenna's oration and bringing mem bers into the street to learn what had happened.
 A statement issued by Scotland Yard gives the facts in a conservative form
 "At o'clock" says the statement, "a small bomb was exploded in imme- diate proximity to the coronation chair It is supposed some member of a large party of sightseers Jagged behind the rest and deposited the bomb when the others had left the chapel. Damage Slight
 The damage done was slight A nor tion of the carved wood at the back of the chair was blown off and some of the stone carving of the screen of the great altar was damaged. 'The bomb. thin metal, nickel plated, was exploded by fuse. woman's feather boa, guide book and small black silk bag were found on a chair nearby. The pieces blown off can be put together again."
 The explosion startled hundred or : more visitors, who were being con dueted about the abbey and women ran screaming for the doors. A great cloud of dust filled the chapel and those within first thought lightning had struck the building.
 Two young women who were nearest the chair were taken to the police sta tion, but were released when they proved they were foreigners
 No New Measures Discussion of the militan campaign in the House of Commons today showed that the government contemplates no new measures except to attempt to make sm scribers to the funds of the Women's Social and Political. union re- sponsible for damage the militants in- flict The home secretary, who made lengthy speech, dismissed the sug- gestion of the deportation of the mil- itants as impracticable and declared to let them commit suicide in jail by star vation likely would arouse sympathy. He appealed to the newspapers to kill the agitation by ceasing to give them advertisement.
 n question in the House, made an un- happy beginning.
 There has been open defiance of the law, which is serious matter" he said. The liberal side gave this ex- pression sarcastic cheers because Lord Robert Cecil had supported the Ulster volunteers.
 'I interpret those cheers,'' he respond ed ito have reference to recent events in Ireland. l desire to say how totally different the two events are. There is difference between rebellion and an- archy. These women want to destroy the government. There are distinct symptoms that the public is going to take the law into its own hands. That means lynch law, of which I have a profound horror, being grossly cruel and unjust.'
 Urges Deportation
 The speaker advocated deportation.
 There were cries of Where to?"
 There are many islands belonging to this country he rejoined, "and it would not be difficult to discover suitable island"
 James Kier Hardie socialist and in- dependent labor member, denounced police interference with the procession under Sylvia Panl<hurst, which sought yesterday to see Premier Asquith He declared Miss Pankhurst should not have been arrested.
 Sir Arthur Basil Markham, liberal. said thef suggestion that there would be a reaction in the country if hun