The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-11
Even the Antis Will Be "BenevOlently Neutral During the Convention
 Here This Week
BUSINESS SESSIONS TO OVERSHADOW SOCIAL END DURING MEETING
Mrs. Parke to Be Reelected President Without Opposition - National Leaders to Conduct School Immediately Following
 Convention

like to express your views anent
 the feminist movement, you'd bet
 ter get it all out of your system
 today, because next week you
 won't dare. Next week everybody
 in Birmingham will either be
 sympathizers or neutral.
 Certainly with .sWeIcome, Suf-
 fragists" slogans stretched across
 the downtown streets, with the
 yellow banners waving from var
 ious points of vantage around town
 and with 100 suffragists as the
 guests of Birmingham, suffrage
 sentiment will reign supreme and
 the members of the local associa-
 ton are hoping for many converts
 during the week.
 The annual convention of the Alabama Equal Suffrage assoication opens a two day session here tomorrow. Already Mrs. Julian Parke. president of the state association, and several other delegates have arrived. This evening and tonight they will come from all parts. of the state to attend the convention and to join the local association in congratulating the state board for the work accomplished during the past year.
 Indications are that the meeting will be quiet, educational and undisturbed.
 Those who come will come of one ac- cord, it is said, and ready to cast their vote for Mrs. Julian Parke as president for another year.
 CITY IS DECORATED
 The decorating has been done under the supervision of a special committee with Mrs. J. T. Slater as chairman. Mrs. Slater has called personally upon practically every merchant in Birming- ham, and solicited his aid in preparing welcome for the visiting suffragists. Her efforts have been rewarded with at tractive decorations in many of the win- dows, and with the suffrage banners placed in practically every window down. town.
 The convention will open with an ex- ecutive meeting of the board tomorrow morning at the Tutwiler.
 The Tutwiler ballroom has been espe- cially decorated for the occasion, and across the front of the hotel a big "Wel- come SuffragistS'' streamer has been stretched. There will be few social fea- lures in connection with the convention as has been the case in the past. Luncheon will be served to the visiting suffragists, local suffragists and sympathizers both tomorrow and Tuesday
 In view of the fact that the suffrage school follows immediately after the con- venton, where three noted suffrage speakers will be in Birmingham, It was decided not to have any outside speak CTS at the convention, and to devote all of the time to the development of the suffrage cause in Alabama, according to Mrs. A. J. Bowron. president of the local association, and chairman of the hospi- talities committee.
 TO ENTERTAIN DELEGATES
 Mrs. Bowron, with her committee, has been quite busy during the past week assigning the / visiting suffragistS to homes in Birmingham Practically all the visiting delegates will be entertained in private homes. Mrs. Julian PariSe is with Mrs. Alex London on Highland avenue.
 The convention proper will begin to- morrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, when the local president will welcome the visit ing suffragsts. Reports of standing com mittees will be made at this meeting and much interest is attached to the report of Mrs. Pattie Ruffner Jacobs, chairman of the legislative committee.
 The session tomorrow evening will be featured by the reading of reports of officers and special committees.
 The election of officers will take place at the Tuesday afternoon session. Dis cussion of the budget for the year will also take place at this session. and the convention will como to a close with the Tuesday evening session, when all un- finished business will be taken up.
 Wednesday morning, following the con- vention the suffrage school will open at the Tutwiler with Mrs. c. P. Gotham of Arkansas, Mrs. H.. W. Wilson of New York, and Miss Annie Daughty of New York, all noted suffragists, as instructors