Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-15
WHITE HOUSE PICKETS
HONORED WITH DINNER
Men and Women in Washington
Compliment Militants Out
of Occoquan
By CAROLINE KATzENsTErN

WASElNGION, oct 10.
Men and women from different States
assembled in the Cameron House. in this
city. Saturday night to honor five pickets
who had been released from Occoquari
Workhouse after serving sentence Of
thirty days for picketing the White House.
Two of the five released women were
young Russians who felt bound. as they
said, TO help American women win polt-
ical liberty-"Darkest Russia" Of yester-
day, the apostle Of democracy today Rus
sian women going to prison that New World
women might wrest from a reluctant gov
ernment what the Republic Of Russia gave
freely to all its people, men and women
alike!
When Miss Nina samaradln. of Kiev.
Russia, mounted the speakers stand and,
In broken English, gave her reasons for
joining the pickets, I was filled with pride
and shame--pride for the splendid herosm
Of the young foreigner and shame that her
sacrifice was needed.
Miss Anna Gventer, another Russian,
was moving by her very presence. Her
pale face and bent shoulders emphasized
the frailness Of her little body and her
weak voice made you strain TO catch every
word. Her thirty days in prison had rob-
bed her Of eleven pounds and had made
her almost too weak to tell her story of the
trials Of Occoquan prison.
Mrs. Frederick Willard Kendall. wife OF
OF the pckets who in no uncertain terms
criticized the horrors of Occoquan. Her hol-
low cheeks and her loss of thirteen pounds
in one month gave silent corroboration TO
her testimony.
Miss Katherine Fisher Of the District
Of Columbia in a signed statement before
notary public, said in part: There is
no separation of tuberculous and other
prisoners. A prisoner who had hemor-
rhages from the lungs handled clothing and
the drinking water pail in our dormitory
and drank out Of the same cup as the other
prisoners. The punishment system is un-
changed
1t is on the basis Of such afidavits az
! these that Miss Jeanette Rankin has in
| troduced resolution calling for a con-
gressonal investigation of Occoquan.
The toastmistress Of the dinner was Mrs
| Richard Wainwright wife of Rear Admiral
| Wainwright. In commenting on the inde-
| fatigable spirit Of the p!cltets and their
| insistence on the immediate passage of the
| Susan B, Anthony amendment, Mrs. VAIN
| wright said, They are a living reminder
| that while Liberty enlightenlng the world
| stands a. the gate Of our nation, thousands
| who enter the gates must find that liberty
i does not exist in the United States of
| America, where 100000 American citi-
zens are without a voice in their own
| Government"
! Among the Pennsylvanians who were
| present at the dinner were the new State
| chairman Of the woman's party. Miss Mary
II. lngham; Mrs Mary Hallack Greenwalt
| Miss Elizabeth McShane and Mrs A. L.
| Scolay, of Philadelphia and Miss Kate c,
| Heffelfnger Of Shamokin.
The forward steps taken by the Sixty.
| fifth Congress in special session point to
| favorable action on the suffrage amend
! ment this winter. The Senate reported tn
measure out Of committee with favorabi,
recommendation by unanimous vote OF
those present and voting. The House by
a large majority vote, created a special suf.
frage committee