The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-08

LONDON, July 23.-It will he a sur
prisine thing II the women OF England
do not win the Parliamentary vote as
Saturday when thirty or forty thousand
strong they marched to demand Of Mr..
Lloyd George the opportunity TO work
for their country in its hour OF need.
Thu suffrage question was In NJ way
mixed up with the demonstration either
In its inception or In Its carrying out.
From first to last there was no mention
Of the suffrage. The fact hat Mrs.
Pankhurst led the procession and that
1t was entirely organized by the Won-
ems Suffrage Societies is due to the sim
plest Of reasons. There was no other
society or body OF women In England
with an organization capable OF han
ding IL.
Behind 1t all was the ubiquitous Mr..
Lloyd George, the British factotum Be
fore the war the s~uffragettes set fire to
his country house at Walton Heath. Last
Saturday they came at his call ana
Joined hands with him to help in his
work as Minister OF Munitions. For
there is no doubt that 1t was Lloyd
George who gave the word that resulted
In last Saturdays wonderful demonstra-
ton. He is fully convinced Of the enor-
nous potential value OF women's aid In
munitions work.
l. He was doubtless struck with the I'M
mediate and enthusiastic respons made
by women OF all ages and every class
when the Government some months ago
started the registration of women who
were able and willing to do work OF
any kind that would relieve men for the
army. The scheme was fully described
In THE SUN at the time. For various
reasons IL has proved "a failure. but this
has been no fault OF the women. More
than $4,000 registered. but work mas
been found for only a bare couple oi
thousand. 1t is small wonder that regis
tration ceased. and only SINE io,ooo
names are now on the register.
When Mr.. Lloyd George took up his
work at the Ministry of Munitions the
organization of the supply Of labor was
one OF the first things he had to deal
with. In France thousands OF women
are working on munitions. In
IL is said. soc. OOO are employed. Many
thousands of skilled mechanics are al
the front. These Mr.. Lloyd George could
not get back. Many others are IN the
trainir., camps. and some OF these ne
could get hold of. He has enrolled more
than ninety thousand skilled mechanics
in his mobile labor army. but many OF
these are already employed on Govern
ment work. and there Is or soon Will oe
work for thousands more. II Is work
that women are doing, and doing with
complete success, in rance and Gers
many. and Lloyd George was determined
that they should do 1t here.
Labor Unions Against Plan.
The question was how to get at the
women. The Government registration
plan was vague and complex. IL aimed
at too much and accomplished pfac-
,ically nothing. II antagonized the
labor unions, who saw In II a scheme Tor
oustirg well paid male labo: and sub
s~tituting for It cheap female labor. Dir
fculties sprang up IN every side and IL
was not long before the Government
practically dropped the scheme ALTO
ge,her. and 1t is not to be wondered at
thai the women felt angry about II.
But the Minister OF Munitions is not
the man to be daunted just because the
Government failed. He wanted the
women. so he just went ana got them
Personality. the human element, was all
that was needed. When he found that
there was no woman's organization III
the country that could do what he
wanted except that of the suffragists Il
did not worry him 10 think that little
more than a year ago he was at the very
top OF their black list. He took no
thought Of his windows smashed In Lon
don. OF his houses fired IN the country.
both at Walton Heath and in North
Wales he forgot all about the untor-
tunate man who was attacked with a
whip on board "A train In mistake for
himself So he went TO the only persons
who could serve his purpose. and every
thing was arranged smoothly and n
once.
The women who had organized raids
on him In the House of Commons. In his
official residence and in his suburban
and country homes, organized a great
procession to call on him and ask per-
mission to help him In his work. II was
a triumph for the women and a triumph
for the man.
The procession, in spite OF the wet
and windy weather. was a marvel OF
e~flcient organization. Kitchener him
self could have done no better. In his
address to the deputation who waited
on him Lloyd George spoke straight to
the point, as did the women VINO
formed the deputation. II was set forth
plainly that women who did mems work
should receive mems pay. From the
ou,se, they would receive the same