New-York tribune., 1920-02-19
" omen Uphold
League; Reject
Army Training
Suffrage Convention Makes
Declaration Against Mill
tary Plan After Debate
Involving Honors of War
Mrs. Park Is Chairman
Message Sent to Washington
State to Insist ON Early
Federal r att Fl alton
By Emma Buebee


CHICAGO, Feb. 1S.-The League of
Nations was indorsed by the League of
Women Voters at the final session of
the suffrage victory convention here
to-day. The women also adopted a
resolution opposed to universal mill
tary training. Both these subjects
we're debated at great length and with
much feeling, but were carried by large
majorities.
Mrs. Maud Wood Park, was elected
national chairman of the league, and
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, honorary
chairman.
Mrs. Park is the woman who engin-
eered the course Of the Federal amend
ment through Congress. She was
chairman of the congressional COM
mttee of the national American
Woman Suffrage Association, and
headed the suffrage lobby which the as
sociation maintained at Washington
for several years.
She is the only woman on the board
Of directors of the new league who is
we'll known throughout the country,
as most of the experienced national
workers are retiring with Mrs. Gait,
now that the end of the suffrage cam
paign is at hand.
Members of National Board
The national board is made up as
follows: Chairman, Mrs. Maud Wood
Park: treasurer, Mrs. Richard Edwards,
Indiana; secretary, Mrs. Solon Jacobs;
seven regional directors, Miss Cath
crime Ludington, Connecticut; Mrs. F.
Louis Slade, New York; Miss Della
Dortch. Tennessee; Miss Elizabeth
Hauser; Ohio; Mrs. James Page, Mime
sofa: Mrs. George Gellhorn, Missouri,
and Mrs. c. B. Simmons, Oregon. The
last act of the convention was to send
an open letter to the women voters of
the State of Washington, calling upon
them TO insist on the ratification Of the
Federal suffrage amendment by their
legislature.
The telegram read:
washington is the one state and the
only one needed to ratify the Federal
amendment. 1t is the only state which
has given the vote to its own women
and denies it to the women of the ma
ton. Therefore, we call upon the
women of Washington to repudiate this
denial OF suffrage principles
In summing up the suffrage situa-
ton Mrs. Gait said:
"Thirty-three states have ratified.
Two more are pledged to ratify.
at is conceivable that there may be
some casualty Governors might repu-
date their promises, but | never heard
Of such d thing. However, do not be
pened We should not give up, but
Immediately open up such campaign,
the hottest campaign in the history of
our movement, that success would be
inevitable. No power on earth can
prevent our victory in the immediate
future-no Governor, nor party, nor
corrupt group within party. The
woman's hour has struck
Debate Overs Training
The debate over the compulsory
military training resolution aroused
more feeling among the delegates than
even the league of nations. Although
the resolution condemning military
training was passed at the morning
session by a vote of 1872 to II, its
enemies, after a luncheon outside the
hotel at which they heard a speech on
the subject brought it up again in
the afternoon, charging that they had
not been given time enough in the
morning for debate. The vote to re-
consider was lost, by 141 to %.
81 have brother lying in the fields
of Flanders" said Mrs Fletcher
Dobyns, chairman of the Women's Re-
publican Executive Committee of Illi-
nois. and l know how this country
suffered from the lack Of military pre-
paredness in the war"
The league of nations resolution,
urged by Mrs. Raymond Brown, of New
York, was hotly debated for nearly an
hour. Although it was considered a
Itnloy Nro$ -
women delegates, Mrs. George Bass, the
Democratic woman leader, who brought
II before the convention yesterday,
tactfully stayed away from the morn
ing session, while women less conspic-
uous as partisan politicians argued for
An attempt was made to change the
resolution to read "a League of Ma
ions" instead of "The League of Ma
tions"
Mrs. Brown opposed this on the
ground that "a" league of nations
meant nothing more definite than might
have been advocated any time in the
last ten years, while "The" league Of
nations was definite political program
upon which the women should take a
stand The change was not made.
Resolution for League
The resolution also included as orig
inally composed the phrase with such
reservations as may be considered
necessary" but these were ordered
stricken out on the ground that they
mad no definite meaning.
The resolution as finally Endorsed
read:
I'VE urge the adhesion of the United
States to the league of nations, with
the least possible delay"
resolution in favor Of free speech
presented by Mrs. Gait, was adopted. II
read
We declare ourselves emphatically
IN favor of the principles of free
L---------------