Evening star., 1918-06-03

Another Act I'm the Peace Comedy"
relative to this matter:
THE great powers OF Europe. eac7
one Jealous of the other. and all eagerly
engaged in the work OF Strengthening
their defenses, manufacturing Improved
firearms, experimenting in murderous
weapons, and bringing their best talent
to bear on military and naval probietnA
still persist in their professions OF de-
sire for peace and every week or two
we hear something Of armies reduced.
propositions for a disarmament, etc.
etc, which all turn out to amount 20
Just nothing at all. so far as The pres
ervation of peace is concerned. BY
such announcements no one IL deceived
and 1t is rather singular that they
should be made so systematicaily ana
persistently II is true. no doubt. that
England Austria and Prussia. as well as
other European nations, have grown
weary of the excessive armaments ana
that they whould gladly reduce them II
they could But so long as they are SO
Jealous OF each other and afraid OF each
other nothing can come OF their good
intentions except wars and bankruptcy
.The curtain has just raised upon the
latest act inythe farce. The cable brings
US news OF another proposition for a
general disarmament This time II is
England that takes the initiative. and
the proposition is made to Austria IN
the first place. This is especially sug-
gestive in view Of the fact that the
English budget for the next nnanciai
year contains increased appropriations
for the navy, while the new Austrian
ccnscription law. recently adopted, is
modelled upon the Prussian and French
systems. and Is ingeniously contrived so
as to make soldier OF every able
bodied man in the empire. We have the
report from Prussia OF a movement in
the same direction. 1t appears that the
king has ordered a reduction OF the
landwehr or militia on this years con-
scription This reduction does not
amount to much. especially as the best
engineering talent Of Prussia is now en-
gagged in strengthening the defenses OF
the kingdom so as to render one man
equal to a number of assaflants-
-
1t is singular that fifty years ago ad-
yocates of woAan suffrage in this coun-
try were point
m. Sr%r.r. ing to England
as promising
in Great Britain. earlier action in
the enfranchisement Of women tnah
seemed possible in the United states
whereas. in fact, American women re-
ce,ved the vote in some states long De-
fore the subject came to q point OF even
good prospect IN LneA
star of May 80. 1865. is the following:
"John Bull. it has been said, does
nothing by halves. and IN sno0uihs
Niagara' seems disposed to take an tne
consequences Of his plunge into democ-
racy and to follow his act out 70 It's
logical conclusions In every oirecuon.
Thus it is that the question OF woman
rights. met in democratic America win
omen opposition or evaded by timid con-
seryatism, seems to be received In Great
Britain in a spirit which gives II lar
more prominence there than It has nere-
England, indeed. seems to be taking gan.
strides in the direction OF reform, ano
conservative Carlyle and those he repre-
sents may well feel alarmed. Franchise
reform and church reform accomplished.
the agitation will probably seek new
channels, and it is not Impossible tnat
women will have the right OF sunraee
there before she has it here. Such an
entire renovation of organized society
as is now taking place there can only
he described as a revolution. Ana no
symptoYn of it is more striking than the
position which the question OF e1tenolng
the suffrage to women has suooeniy as
sumed. A petition has just been laid on
the table Of the house OF commons ask
ing for women to vote for members OF
that body. 1t is signed by more than
| 20. 900 women