New-York tribune., 1918-01-10
Women Have Earned Right
to Ballot in War,
He Says
400 Votes i'm House
Expected To-day
Victory for the Anthony
Amendment in Senate to
Follow, Is Belief
BY James Arthur Seavey

BY James Arthur Seavey
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-President
Wilson to-day gave his Endorsement to
Federal woman suffrage. The Presi-
dent told House leaders this afternoon
that he favored passage of the Susan
B. Anthony suffrage amendment,
which comes Up for vote in the House
tomorrow.
The Republican members of the
House met in caucus at the Capitol to-
night, and late in the session Repre-
sentative Mondell, of Wyoming, intro
duced resolution to the effect that it
be the sense of the caucus that all the
members support the suffrage amend
ment. Enemies of the amendment tried
Immediately to get a nadj djournment and
failed. Then motion to table the
Mondell resolution was defeated.
The conference. late tonight, adopt
ed by unanimous vote the resolution.
which urges Republican members to
support the amendment sin so far as
they can do so consistently with their
conscience and the attitude of their
constituents.'
For suffrage and anti-suffrage alike,
this is the night before Waterloo. But
since o'clock there has been little
doubt among the Washington friends
Of suffrage that Blucher would arrive
on time tomorrow. AS matter of
fact, he arrived this afternoon in the
person Of the President of the United
States. Representative Taylor,<of Col
orado, chairman of the House Steering
Committee, and something like a dozen
members of that committee called on
the President at his Office to discuss
the Anthony amendment The COM
mittee was with MIR. Wilson for half
An hour and when the meeting was
over the President authorized Repre-
statement:
The committee found that the Pres
dent had not felt at liberty to volun-
'eer his advice to members of Con-
gress in this important matter, but
when we sought his advice. he very
frankly and earnestly advised us to
vote for the amendment. as an act of
right and justice to the women of the
country and of the world
The Presidents Visitors
Those who called upon the Presiden:
in company with Representative Tay-
: or were: Representatives Baker, Of
Californian; Hayden, of Arizona; Mays.
Of Utah; Caraway, of Arkansas; Gregg
and Jones, of Texas; Linthicum, of
Maryland; Brombaugh, of Iowa; Bark
Icy and Temple, Of Kentucky, and
Ayers. cf Kansas.
In his informal talk with the com
mittee the President said that in ordi-
nary circumstances he would be in ia
vor Of following the declaration of the
Democratic national platform regard
ms suffrage and leave the question to
The legislatures of the various states to
decide. But, he added, these are not
ordinary times. and women are not do
ing ordinary work, either here or in
almost any ether country in the world.
Any sincere advocate of suffrage, there
tore, ought not to bubble over the
manner in which the women shall get
the vote. Therefore, said the Presi-
DENT, he esteemed it q privilege and a
the committee.
Tie went on to say that his luncheon
guest today was the Duke of Devon
snlre, Governor General of Canada.
with whom, he said, he discussed the
suffrage question at consid rable
Iength, and Devonshire expressed the
very decided opinion that within com
paratively short time fhe Dominion
goyernment would give the vote to
women. Just as surely as the imperial
government at Westminster gives the
vote to the women OF England
Women Now Confident
Nnen the women here who have been
working for the passage of the An
rhonY amendment for months heard
',hls they metap aphorically threw up their
nonnets and also ,netaphorically y
shouted:
There is nothing to it, We win in
walk"
And so it seems. With the head of
No nation and the leader of his party
ueclarlng eCuivocally for the passage
u INC amendment, it would appear that
nnotnlng could stop it. Even before the
res dent had put himself on record for
ne amendment it was an "odds- on bet
'nat II would pass. According to the
"lseacres in the House, there will be
-to' Tar from 400 members voting when
ope question comes up late tomorrow
afternoon.
fairly careful canvass failed to
,ho" any reason to materially change
nv ~ prediction as to the vote which
me ne r'bune made several days ago
mat prediction was based on d poll of
ne House which showed that there
~onio be 20 votes for the amendme mt
S'ld n 70 votes against it. Now that the
resident has been heard from, the
l.lends of the amendment assert that
.ne favorable vote will be much larger
AT the same time the friends of the
amendment are well aware that it has
We. to be passed and not person on
post. NV
Neither the leaders OF the National
whnerlcan sh!sIan Suffrage Association, of
"n'cn Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait is
mesident, nor of the National Wo.
mans Party, Of which Miss Alice