The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-04-19
haUCH PiCKETINC
 IN WASHINGTON

Washington, April 1S-Political picketing, often of the peaceful sort, and more often with militant ac- compartments, is running epidemic in Washington again and the thou sands of tourists who make Ine na- tional capital their Mecca all year round again see bands of women slowly parading about the streets of inscriptions.
 Seemingly, every cause which wishes to impress it's demands, argu- ments or protests one "the powers that be- ultimately adopts the picketing system which was first introduced in the capital by a branch of the wom- an suffragists about ten years ago. The latest to adopt the method are women espousing the cause of Irish freedom and these have directed their protests against the British ern- bassy. Their campaign has caused somewhat of furry because it is not without it's international aspects,
 The British embassy for instance, is foreign territorys whether the sidewalk in front of it is American territory, no one has essayed to de- eide. Moreover, there is a federal law which penalizes any person who assaults a diplomatic representa- tive of friendly power. Whether the picketing of the embassy is an an noyance to the British diplomats, and whether an annoyance is an assault within the technical meaning of the law is an additional question.
 Then there is involved the question of preserving the public peace, for disturbances often grow out of the pickeCng. Often, some woman pas serby, expresses her disagreement with the banners the picIkets bear by ripping them to bits ard the pedes- trian and the picket have a scrim- mage, with sometimes regular old fashioned hair pulling. The police patrol cIangs up, both parties to the quarrel are hustled off to station hous2. Relief pickets immediately arrive The police court gets another case.
 The personnel of the picketing forces furnishes an interesting study i~ human nature They are women apparently from all walks of life, Many bear evidences of breeding. ed ucation and social position Others are women who appear to be of the opposite types Every picketing campaign brings out new charges that many pickets are hired for the wcr!, by others who are willing to provide substitutes and do not wish to picket in the streets in all sorts of weath- CT.
 The suffrage pickets who made a record for getting arrested, jamming the police court docket and finaIl1 having a hunger strike, patterned af- ter their British sisters, were compos- ed aDnare0t1v Of v-O07n0 of al o1o Many whose names are nationally known did picket duty, spent night. in a police station cell and finally dit time in the workh ouse- Some O them, if the truth were known wert freed by husbands who disapprovet Of their actions There was nor, than one case of a husband prornisin1 the authorities he would undertak, the responsibility of making his wifi, ~'be gpod~ and more cases of storm! scenes at the workhouse when tn, husband arrived to take the wifi home over her protests.
 With the adoption by Congress 0 fher esolution for the woman suffrag, amendment to the constitution tn suffragists laid off but they had fir ed an example in a local association of negroes who were demanding tn dismissal of 8 man of their Ta oe iron the local school administra tion- S the negro .,5men in emuIa ton pick eted the Streets surrounding tn school administration bui1dinsz, bear ing banners. Their picIzeting. how ever, was intermittent, and the negr educator to whom they objected sti1 holds his job
 British humor all but broke up tn pfcketdng of the British embassy with it's possibilities of dfsagreeabl incidents of an international fIavo, when on the first day. the emba ass officials sent out and invited the pic Iets into afternoon tea It proba bI was a temptation, for a cold raw win was sweeping the city, but the lead CTS pulled stern faces and decline the invitation,
 The embassy is on Connecticut ave pue in the heart of the downtow business and residence district nc far from Dupont circle The nefgI borhood might be compared to F'ift Avenue in New York in the fiftfe
 Thousands of shoppers, touris and government clerks and offfcta on their way to office pass by an for days there was always q srna crowd watching the pickets and ho, ing for fl scrfnmage. The old ar deserted Austrian embassy, once Il scene of social gefetfes in the nro porous days of the Ha Dsburgs stan,
 grim. silent and dusty just across Il
 streets, Nobody knows who owns
 now. it is a highly valuable piece
 property gons begging. Not f.
 away Is the house James c. Blaf,
 ocHunted while Secretary of Gtai