The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-26
JEANNETTE
ISCLEVER IN
INTERVIEW
Montana Congresswoman
Out-Does Famous Charles
F. Murphy.

! New York. Feb o5.-tSpecial.) Miss
Jeanette Rankin of Montana, the first
woman elected to the house of repre-
| scntatives. proved in her first inter-
| view given in the east that she is a
| master politician. She talked with 10
| reporters for an hour today, parried
| close to a thousand questions and did
| not commit herself definitely on any
thing excepting woman suffrage.
Charles f. Murrhy's famous TASK the
people" interview, given on Il hundred
| occasions. was backed off the boards
by this woman from the west She
was the eternal feminine applied to po-
litical interviewing. Her mastcry
| evasion of issues and situations makes
| the Tammany system seem crude and
| old d-fashonal. Here are some of the
| western woman politician ways of
! avoiding n direct answer:
| THAT is q matter for development :
Il have not decided definitely on
| that"
| "Of course. / cannot tell what I shall
! do before | take Office
| women will meet that question
Loyalty when the time comes" and II
really am not prepared to discuss that
yet"
| Her Seeming Position.
| BY using these answers frequently
enough Miss Rankin succeeded in maxi
Ing the reporters who apparently were
rather dense, understand her position
on a few questions to be about as fol-
lows:
She knows practically nothing
about the politics of the house in
which she will sit as the first rep-
resentative of her sex and has not
| learned for certain whether it will
be Republican or Democratic.
| She has not decided definitely
about universal military training.
That question has not much dis
turbed the west
Miss Rankin would not state
whether she was pacifist, but
was certain women generally
would support their government.
She would not advise what the
government should do in a food
crisis such as now faces New
York and the east but explained
that was a matter of develop
ment"
Told that most of the food riot
ers We're women. she did say she
believed suffrage for women would
not enter vitality into such a situa-
tion. She has not decided how
she will work in congress; wheth-
er she will try to win support
from Democrats for her suffrage
and child welfare bills or line up
strictly with the Republicans
But on the two questions of woman
suffrage and proper care for children
miss Rankin is positive and definite
She believes the surest way to get tn,
ballot for women is the quickest way
and therefore she will advocate, a fed
eral amendment. Also she will seel
adequate appropriation for the PRO,
posed children bureau. She said:
"One of the reasons the men ant
women Of Montana had for sending m,
to congress was that they believed /
would center the attention throughou
the country on the house and it's meas
ures. Women will be likely to follow
measures IL they know woman is II
the house. Men from the lumbc
camps supported me as strongly as tn,
women.
Il homo to present in the house tn
point of view of women and children
Every measure affects the child an,
that is what is overlooked. ] want I,
interpret every bill 10 show it affect
children"
Are western women moro progress
sive than eastern women" she wa
= asked.
No. it is tho men" Miss Ranki
answered. New York women an
western women are much the same
they are very womanly.'
During her short stay in New Yor
(Continued ON Page EIGHTY