The sun., 1918-12-15
BRITISH WOMEN
0UTVOTING MEN
Suffragists in Some Districts
0utnumber Male Electors
as High as 10 to 1.
COALITION SEEMS AHEAD
Lloyd George Attacks Labor
Party as Vehicle for Paci-
fists and Bolsheviki.
COALITION SEEMS AHEAD

LONDON, Dec. 14.-The general cleo
ton to-day was dull and very quiet, as
there is no great issue before the peo-
pie except the peace question, and on
this the great majority are not sharply
divided in opinion. Chief interest was
in the participation OF women electors,
who voted to-day for the first time in
a general election.
In some districts. particularly in the
East End, the women were at the polls
early and in larger numbers than men !;
in several districts there were ten
, women voters to every man This was
in the working districts; in the West
End. or residential regions rain kept
the women from the polls in the morn
ing. The day was half-holidsy.
There is little doubt that Premier
Lloyd George will have a working ma
jority in the next ParliameQt Of $50 or
more, but the Labor vote rs an uncer-
tain element and estimates vary widely
as to the strength 1t will show. The
result will not be known definitely un-
! til December 90. when the ballots will
be counted This delay is to enable the
soldiers vote to be taken.
Polling in the greater part of Ire
land passed quietly, except for minor
collisions between Sim Feiners and
Nationalists. A close analysis OF the
voting shows that the Nationalists
have been hopelessly beaten by the
Sim Fein, even in places supposed 10
be Nationalist strongholds.
To Reform House of Lords.
The reform OF the House of Lords
! will be one OF the tasks undertaken by
the coalition Ministry IL 1t is returned
10 power, A. Bonar Law, Chancellor OF
the Exchequer, declared in a speech al
Glasgow yesterday.
He said the coalition Government
believed that second chamber with
adequate strength was necessary in
! any democratic country, but it was not
| intended that it should be hereditary
chamber. The Government, the Chan
cellor continued, intended to give the
new upper house the strength thai
/ could alone come from direct access
with the people.
The Chancellor reiterated his pre-
| vious statement that the Government
would see that the Empires naval
safety was not imperilled at the peace
| conference. He was not afraid OF Bol-
shevism in the United Kingdom.
! Premier Lloyd George wound up his
/ speechmaking campaign last night at
Camberwell by attacking the name
Labor party" because It did not rep
resent all the labor OF the United
Kingdom. The party represented only
a small part of labor, whose votes, he
| declared. would very largely be cast
for the Government.
The Labor party, he continued, was
not being run by real laboring men but
by pacifists and pure and simple Boil
sheviki. 1t would not be safe TO trust
the destinies OF a great empire to the
Labor party until II was able to over
throw this clique.
Laborites Accept Challenge.
| The Premier's challenge to the Labor
/ party was taken up promptly by the
| Laborites. John r. Clynes, former
/ Food Minister, speaking at Noting
ham, declared that the Labor party
was the same party which had decided
two years ago 10 support Mr.. Lloyd
! George. The only difference was that
IT was larger. He admitted it was
! true in some cases that some members
! OF the party took extreme views, which
/ however he did not share, The ex.
!
I On s,.T Dnp1