New Britain herald., 1915-06-18
UNILN l 0()I | I[AuE
 FEARED IN JAPAN
Activity of Females in Election
 Campaign Arouses Statesmen

Correspondence of the Associated Prsss.)
 Tokto June 17.--The prominence of women in the recent election cam paign has started great deal of dis cussion on all sides. Some parlia- mentarians who are pronounced1y against woman suffrage talked of in- troducing bill prohibiting women from taking part in campaign can vassing The law already prohibits women from taking active part in political meetings or discussions or joining political societies.
 viscount Oura, the minister of the interior, touched upon the woman question when urnn1ing up In an ad- dress his impressions of the general election. First said the minister. ab- stentions from polling were fewer than in preceding elections Tn the election of 1912. abstentions amount ed to 10 per cent. of the voters. The rate in this election came down te s per cent contrary to the expectation that the mere rigid control exercised by the authorities would increase ab- stention. Secondly. violations of the election law, were also fewer, the number being 4,200 against $500 in the preceding election Thirdly. there was an alarming increase in the number of women taking part In the campaign. This might be taken as a prelude to women's suffrage, he thought.
 Viscourt Oura Surprised.
 Referring to the suffragettes in England, viscount oura said he was astonished when on visit tc Eng land few years ago to see with his own eyes the trouble they caused Any similar agitation in Japan would require most careful consideration from the point of view of national character
 The absorbing interest in the woIn- an question induced the Tokio Asahi to interview Mrs Takako Kayetsu, the well-known principal of tho Tokio Girls Commercial school who has devoted her life to the educating of Japanese women.
 Action Too Cruel.
 If the home department proposed to prevent women from taking part 1 in campaigns, 1t would be too cruel, l Mrs. Katetsu said, to be tolerated by women. She did not believe that 1 Japanese women, whose national habits and customs were different from those of their sisters in Eng land. would initiate their agitations. Japanese women who were educated and had a sense of duty would re- l .heir foreign sisters. She strongly <hn$ e< keep pace with political thought. Jap- lnese women are angry at being pro- nibited from attending political Women ought to know now their own country was admin stered and 1t was one of the duties of women to cultivate political among themselves. The wife of a. politician must advance to | such q stage in political knowledge 1s not only to understand the thoughts of her husband, but to discuss poli- tics with him and actually help him. |
 Mrs Kayetsu declared: General Iy speaking. women are better judges of things than men Men look at things only from one point of view, and the wife should assist her hus- oarik iii making his outlook more com prefsnsite. The help of wife need rot De confined to household affairs. When she agrees with her husbands political views, she must assist her husband at election time
 ' Badly Representing Sex.
 Mrs. Kayetsu did not advocate in- discriminate house-to-house canvass Ing in elections with personad ap. peals to the sentiment of voters and III the usual lowing and f1attery. 1t was deplorable that some ladies would go to ignoratnt voters without knowing themselves the condition of he administration of their country, what tie political parties were do- ng, or even the political views of heir husbands. The ladies who re- orted to such practices were badly their sex.
 The educator concluded: When 7isfting voter in person, the lady mould speak of the political. views # her husband and ask the Nlector e vote accordingly. The personal ,ie-i< ~1S n,,fH hn Sfricf1,y 1iraitad Io