The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-11-14
Denies Republican Party Gave Suffrage To Women Mrs. Bass Attacks Republican Congress Henry Morgen thau Urges Women to Enter Reconstruction
 Work

'I deny that the Republican party gave suffrage to women," declared Mrs. George Bass of Chicago, mem Der of the woman's committee of the Democratic National committee, at the mass meeting of the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association last night at The Stratfeld ball room. Al though Mrs. Bass was supposed to confine herself to the general subject of the evening, The Woman Citizen and Reconstruction" she asserted that the address made by Mrs. Fletcher Dobyns at the Republican dinner Thursday evening, prompted her to correct one statement made by the Republican speaker, and that was that the Republican party was instru- meHal in granting the rights to women.
 Ever since the Civil War the Re pubHcans had been given their op portunity to grant women the fran chise. The Susan B. Anthony amend ment has been introduced at every session of Congress for the past half of a century and nothing was done. Out of the 29 Congresses, 22 were Republican since the Civil War, but 1t was not until President Wilson oc- cupied the Presidential chair that any President of the United States lifted his voice to give the vote to the women. Wilson's administration was the only one that ever listened re- spectfully to our claims and consid- cred our demands"
 Mrs. Bass was enthusiastically ap- plauded as she firmly continued, T believe in January you are going to vote, whether Connecticut wishes it not.
 'I want Governor HolcOmb and his men to know, however, that the women of the United States are go- ing to have memories and are going to remember that their women got the right of vote through the states of the Mississippi Valley"
 Ex-AmbassadOr Henry Morganthau u declared his belief in woman suffrage was greatly strengthened when he reached Turkey and saw conditions there. "Conditions there are terri bIe, outrageous" emphasized the speaker, "Women are uncultured, the slaves of men, and do not come in contact with any men except their husbands, and that revealed to me the principal reason why Turkey is so backward"
 MT. Morganthau had but recently returned from Turkey and other countries i'll Europe where he made a thorough study of conditions. Con fining himself to the subject of the evening, ''The Woman Citizen and Reconstruction" MT. Morganthau spoke briefly of the necessity of wom- en to enter into government activities and said that the present crisis in America can be cured only with the assistance of the women of the coun- try.
 Judge Charles Lockwood was the chairman of the meeting and intro duced Miss Caroline Ruutz-Rees of Greenwich, Fairfield county chairman, who spoke briefly of the contributions women had to offer to the govern ment.
 A splendid review of the work of the women of England was given by Holford Knight, English barrister who said he was talking in capacity of world citizen and asked the women what they intended to do in the world reconstruction.
 He declared President Wilson had formulated a scheme with full prom ises towards a true league Of nations which is going to be one of the great est things in the world.
 MT. Morgenthau said in part:
 ''I believe the great problem of re- construction applies very little to the United States. There is nothing de- stroyed in America. If you could see Europe, you would think we only had a football game as compared to some of those countries of Europe.
 "Our boys returned to the United States with very little injury, while in Europe some of the countries are torn from many battles and how they are going to recover is still a ques- tion. A government is a combination of persons and in Europe the people are bewildered, crestfa1len and amaz- ed after what they have been through Take Poland as an example. On No- vember 12 the Allies looked around for some one to look after that coun- try and to take charge of the situa- ton. The country had no army o1 government and some one had to be selected.
 There were 20,00O,o0o people whc before the war had been governed by three different governments. Ii was a great task to bring them al together under one head. That was one of the big problems that con- fronted the Allies.
 Now your sex has fought 50 years for the right to vote, your right tc assist in governing, and you will come into possession of that right just at 2 time when you will be most needed II there ever was a IlIle when change in the governments of th' world is needed it is now.
 ''I am amazed at the small amour of sympathy men have for eacT other. In travelling over this country I found this condition to be true anC one of the greatest messes at the pres ent time is the squabb1e about tht treaty of peace. Europe is in grea need and has been since last June but Congress has been delaying tht ratification of the treaty.
 "If women will go into the govern -nen. and use the qualities whicf made them good mothers I haven the least doubt but things will change Ladies, we need you more than yo, need the vote.'
 ''If you could see thousands knee in admiration of the United States ana look to this country for help. Those are the places where we must recon struct and if the limit of woman capacity is only to remain at homo and attend to the children, then I an disappointed. I believe we all ough to rise above party lines and use oul energy to help the world as she need. ,.a now as navar bafore."