New-York tribune., 1918-06-12
Wilson Doing Allie
Can with Honor"
To Aid Sufragists
Miss Alice Paul Brings His
Official Message to Mu-
milton Workers

President Wilson is doing everything
and propriety he could do" according
to the latest reports from the suffrage
front, brought to New York yesterday
by Miss Alice Paul, head of the Ma
tional Woman's party.
Miss Paul, however, says the women
Of the country will not be satisfied
until the President does enough more
to obtain the passage of the Federal
amendment, She told how delegation
Of women workers in munitions fac
tories, but are denied recognition as
House waiting room every day hoping
TO see the President and tell him ex-
actly how they feel about women who
work for the country in munitions fac
tories but are denied recognition as
citizens by that country.
1--WE are only few Of the thousands
Of American women who are forming q
growing part of the army at home.
Tho work we are doing is hard and
dangerous TO life and health. We want
to be recognized by our country as
much her citizens as our soldiers are"
This was the appeal the munitions
women sent 20 the President. His re-
ply came through the hands of Secre-
lary Tumulty, as follows:
The President asks me to say that
nothing that you or your associates
could say could possibly increase his
very deep interest in this matter, and
that he is doing everything that he
could with honor and propriety do in
behalf of the suffrage amendment"
Then followed an exchange of let
tors. which will be known in suffrage
history as "epistolary picketing," the
women stating their case in writing
and the President answering in kind.
for several days, until finally Mr.
Tumulty told the women that he could
take in no more letters. Their last
one read:
"We know, Mr.. President, that you
, are working for suffrage. Our rea-
son for wanting to see you and talk
with you is that as women war work
ers we feel that we have something TO
say about suffrage that has not been
said before, and that we wish to reach
the Senate through you.
I'VE are told that our work in mu-
nition factories is as important as
( that of the soldiers who fight with the
arms We make for them, yet all the
tine we see that we are not treated
like the men who work with US.
Women war workers are talking about
these things, and we believe that at
the bottom of the whole trouble is the
fact that though our work is Just as
important we are not. We are no.
thought worthy of citizenship"
The munitions workers went away,
promising Mr.. Tumulty that they would
return with larger crowd some day
when the President would have time
to receive them.
1t will not be delegation of muni-
tions women only, however, but a pro-
cession of women in all kinds of wal
work, if the plans now under way by
! the Woman's party are carried out
There will be Liberty Loan workers,
| Red Cross women and workers in the
various government war bureaus. The
! delegation will be headed by Mrs. Inez
! Haynes Irwin, wife of Will Irwin, the
writer. The exact date for the depu,
tation to call has not been set be-
cause suffrage affairs have taken turf
for the better through the sudden ac-
tivity of the Republicans in the SEN
! ate.
"The Republicans announced las:
week that they intended to force 81
vote very soon,' said Miss Paul, $50
it may not be necessary to. go to tbs
President again
Miss PaNl went to Greenwich imme-
diately upon her arrival in New York,
and raised $4,000 right away for the
Cause" Mrs. II. o. Havemeyer gavs
$1,000. Miss Elizabeth Hooker $1,00.
and Howard Cole $500. In Philadel-
phia she raised $4,000. She hopes te
/ make the total $4,000
This is a hideous waste Of money
! she said Think of having to spend
S50,oG0 just to make three obstinate
silly old men change their votes, which
they are bound to do anyway within
! few months. We shall have to carry on
campaigns in their home states. and
this means paying the salaries Of our
organizers and their travelling ex-
penses, as we'll as great quantities OF
! money for printing and postage"