Evening star., 1915-01-22
EFFECT OF BIG WAR
0NSUFFRACE| ISSUE
Miss Pankhurst Believes Ger
man Supremacy Would
Halt Cause of Women.
LIKELY TOBE RETARDED
FOR ONE HUNDRED YEARS
English Militant, However, Not Ap-
prehensive of Kaiser's Ulti-
mate Victory.


ing III the balance, and its progress
or more if the war on the other side
of the world should end with anything
like terms of victory for Germany and
| Austria, according to Miss Christa bel
Pankhurst, the famous English mill
| tant suffragette, who is making a visit
to Washington.
Miss Pankhurst, who arrived at the
capital last night and who is staying
at the New Willard Hotel, expressed
that view of the international cam
paigr for woman suffrage today in
&C aversaton with a reporter for The
star. She characterized the German
and Austrian systems of government
as undemocratic in the last analysis
ridiculing the ballot rights of those
In German history points to the
fact that if the German culture the
citizens of that country are so proud
of should spread as the possible re-
the women would certainly have no
place i'll it,
Miss Pankhurst. of course. being En-
glish. does not "apprehend German
il. The possibility, however, of a Ger
man and Austrian victory, in the end.
she thinks, must not be lost sight of
by women who are fighting for the vote
all over the world. She said she did
not put the idea forth as "a bugaboo,"
but that it is the part of wisdom
among suffrage leaders to realize that
sympathy with and support of the al
lies means sympathy with and support
of the suffrage cause.
Wide knowledge of Conditions.
Ill rrf 10 tl1a tn N
suffragist that unfriendly cartoonists
have pictured her, so far as personal
appearance goes. An attractive young
woman, with a sense of humor, her in
terviewer today found her to possess a
wide knowledge of world conditions.
She is lawyer. a specialist in inter-
national law, and took the prize in her
college in that subject when she was
graduated. She expressed the opinion
that the woman suffrage cause will be
all the stronger when the war ends.
believing, as she does, in an eventual
victory for the allies.
The women are doing SO much in this
war" Miss Pankhurst said. that it is
Lard to see how the cause OF woman can
fail to be benefited by it. The militant
suffragists are doing just as much as
other women, for we believe that the war
is a war of emancipation. and, after all,
the cause of woman suffrage is the cause
of emancipation. In the very nature of
things, it is just as important for woman
10 be enlancipated from the idea of Ger
man culture as it Is to be ena pa ed
in respect to the ballot box.
"In England the militant suffragists
are increasing the spirit of resistance in
the speeches they are making. 1t is inn
portant to rouse the civil population to
the necessity OF getting behind, and, in
fact, getting into, the army. That is the
way they are helping. 1t is vital for the
woman suffrage cause that England should
win.
After the war is over another stua-
ton will have to be handled. With Eng
land winning. the suffrasists will be all
the stronger. We are winning many
friends now by what We are doing and
making a good impression on persons who
did not look upon us in such friendly
way before.
May Have to Renew Battle.
"Of course. when that time comes,
when the war is over. if we do not get
the vote, we will start our own war
militant suffrage-all over again. That
is our reserve, SO to speak.
We are very much interested in
what America is doing, especially in
what New York will do next November,
for / assume that the question of
whether or not women shall vote in
that state will go to the Legislature
once more and then to the people. If
the women of the United States could
get the referendum for constitutional
amendment it would be a great thing
for the suffrage cause all over the
world. Foreigners watch this country
so much, and are so much Influenced
by what the people of the United States
do. Victories in the United States
would nave Il great effect in Norway,
Sweden and Denmark, where they are
always on the point Of granting women
the vote. 1t will spread, eventually.
You know women have the vote in
Australia. and can be elected members
of parliament there They also have
the vote in New Zealand, although they
cannot be members of parliament in that
country Perhaps it is not generally
known, too. that we have a beginning in
Great Britain. actually. although it is
a restricted suffrage. Curiously enough.
this is in the place called the Isle Of
Man, too-Hall Gaines island