The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-23
UFFRAGETTES
SAY WAR WORK
WILL WIN VOTE
Believe Proof of Their Ef-
ficiency Means Triumph
of Cause.
WOMEN HELP ALLIES
LIKE REAL SOLDIERS

sp,cioi Correspondence TO THE SuS.
ioSpoN, May Whatever Others mny
think. the advocates of woman suffrage In
England seem sincerely and firmly con-
,inced that their cause Is won. II Is true
that they have no expectation OF winning
the vote while the war il on. for they ac-
cept. as all political parties have accepted.
the fact that while the war Il on all contro-
versial matters In Parliament must be
avoided. But once the war Is over they
EXPRESS the utmost confidence that they
will receive the franchise practically
vithou, opposition.
They say that since the war they have
found much Of the narrowness Of view on
the part Of men on this question has been
wiped out.
This they nnd quite natural. for. as they
say. how could The that women
are not N for the vote prevail when the
men Of this country have seen them share
the dangers Of the roo on the battle
field while nursing and doctoring them?
They have seen Them efficiently organize
and engage in a thousand necessary works
Of charity and relief. and effectively taking
the place Of men In numerous spheres of
activity, so that the latter might be free
10 90 to the front.
says Emciency win win Cause.
4 think Il IL the demonstration Of our
efficiency since the war began that is win
ming our cause for u.s." said Mrs. Henry
Tawcett, IL. D., who Il the president of
the National Union OF Women's Suffrage
Societies, in the course OF a conversation
with the SUN's correspondent. The so
eiaty Of which | am president is of course
not a militant one. but when the war broke
OF We realized that though our propa-
sanda must he suspended It was an oppor-
tune moment for our organization to lend
its services in the numerous national
needs that AZ once arose"
The paid workers OF our union were
transferred from their activities in prop
eeandist work 10 relief work throughout
the country: their training in our own
particular work and their ability 10 handle
diNlcult situations in a practical manner
made them invaluable helpers.
The societies In the union responded
nacnifcently to the call made upon them.
j. will he almost impossible to give an
account Of the different forms OF work
undertaken by them all over the country.
] may say hat over 4! 800 members OF the
national union have been appointed TO
serse on local distress committees. More
than forty workshops have been estab-
llshed by the union in different places.
and over 1000 women have found EN-
ployment in them.
'We we're responsible for starting the
Belgian Refugees Relief. and when II
became so big that the Government took
Il over they still continued To Use the sys-
ten We had installed. incidentally. II
was one OF our women who first sent re-
lief TO the Belgians after the fall OF Ant
Nerp. one OF our members. noticing
the distress OF the refugees In Holland.
tppealed TO the Government. who thought
they might do something in a fortnight
or so. That did not suit us. and in twenty
four hours We rae a ship loaded and on
It's way TO Holland.
Women Active Everywhere.
other activities OF the union are almost
zoo numerous to mention; many OF the
societies in country areas have been
engaged in the work Of preventing waste
by picking and preserving fruit many
have been collecting and sending COM
forts both for the fleet and the army:
tie London society has eaui pped and
sent out a motor ambulance and endowed
q bed in the new King Georges Hospital
Tor soldiers. Other societies have given
motor ambulances TO the British Red
Cross and the French Red Cross.
one society Is formulating a scheme
for teaching women how to work their
sl!otments and gardens prohtably in the
AI-aFfn ~ ,-An GO a1 To In, = "a Nn gIn 1nnnl
food supply. some have been courageous
enough TO work for the relief OF aliens in
distress, others have arranged lectures and
demonstrations in economical cookery
end food values.
The work al headquarters after the out
break OF war falls roughly into three
sections ~ Emergency aid work. tl
rational care for maternity. (9 the work
D safeguarding the interests OF women
The emergency aid work was inspired
By two ideas: Tho executive committee
tled TO ~foresee what the greatest needs
we're likely TO be and 70 pTepa.e for them.
and they also aimed at filling the APPS
U tho national machinery.
1t seemed clear to the National Union
Nat offers OF voluntary help Of all kinds
would Immediately have to be dealt with
W those In authority. The officers 40
eordinsly approached the Local Govern
nent Board and offered their services.
md the officers and staff Of the National
Union. for the work Of dealing with offers
o. help. This offer wal not accepted.
Tie National Union nevertheless found
Hseli called upon to take up the work Of
Classifying. registering and indexing the
numbers Of volunteers who called In all
DAY asking how their services could best
Be employed.
AZ the same time Inquiries we're made
to the work that was being undertaken
py ORGANIZATIONS Of all kinds, 80 that IL
vas almost Immediately possible to draft
Volunteers 20 the work for which they
we're most suited and In which they were
most needed.
rSismph Of Women Physicians.
Mrs Pavcstt said Perhaps one OF
vs pnost Interesting parts of our en-
pas been the medical side We have
equipped and sent hospital units TO France,
oe'Rllm and Servia, One Of our units
'W' despatched 10 Servia has been
Nopped AZ Malta by orders Of the British
government 70 attend 70 the needs Of our
o~n wounded from the Dardanelles,
IN this respect II IL interesting. amusing
ma satisfactory to ns at least to tell Of
Wy success IN thu madical aide ne zach