Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-17
POLITICAL PICKETING NOW
MILITANT AT WASHINGTON

cal pIcketing. often of the peaceful
sort, and more often with militant ac-
compartments, is running epidemic
in Washington again and the thous-
ands Of tourists who make the ma
tional Capital their Mecca all year
round again sec bands of women
slowly parading about the streets
bearing Inc with a wide variety
Of inscriptions.
Seemingly every cause which wish
es to impress its demands, arguments
or protests on the powers that be"
ultimately adopts the picketing sys-
tenn which vas first introduced in the
capital by a branch of tho woman
suffragists about ten years ago. The
latest to adopt the method are women
espousing the cause of Irish freedom
and there have directed their protests
against the British embassy. Their
campaign. has caused somewhat of
furry because 1t Is not without It's
international aspects.
The British embassy, for instance,
Is foreign territory; whether the side
walk in front of 1t Is American terri
tory, no one has essayed to decide.
Moreover, there is a federal law which
penalties any person who assaults
a diplomatic representative of a
friendly power, Whether the pick
citing of the embassy Is an annoyance
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
plcketing. Often some woman pass
erby, expresses her disagreement
with the banne the piclSets bear by
ripping them to bits and the pedes-
trian and picket have a scrimmage
with sometimes regular old fashioned
hair pulling. The police patrol
clangs up. both parties to the quar-
rel are hustled off TO station house.
Relief pickets Immediately arrive.
The police court gets another case.
The personnel of the picketins
forces furnishes an interesting study
in human nature. They are women
apparently from all walks of life
Many bear evidences of breeding
education and social position. Others
are women who appear to be of the
opposite types. Every picketing cam
paign brings out new charges thai
many pickets are hired for the
work by others who are willing e
provide substitutes and do not wish
to picket in the streets in all sorts
Of weather.
The suffrage pickets who made
record for getting arrested. jamming
| the police court docket n finally
having a hunger strike. patterned af'
ter their British sisters, were com
posed apparently of women of al
classes. Many whose names are ma
t~ionally known did picket duty, spent
nights in a police station cell ano
finally did time in h workhouse
Il Some of them. IL the truth were
known, were freed by husbands who
disapproved of their actions. There
was more than one case Of q HUSBAND
promising the authorities he woulc
undertake the responsibility of max
;, ing his wife be good" and more
|. cases Of stormy scenes at the work
house when the husband arrived u
: take the wife home over her pro
tests.
With the adoption by congress o
. the resolution for the woman suffrage
amendment to the constitution, tn
suffragists laid off, but they had free
an example in a local association o
2 negroes who were demanding tn
Z dismissal of a man of their race from
: the local school administration. 50
the negro women In emulation pick
eted the streets surrounding tn
school administration buildings bear
ing banners. Their picketing, how
ever, was intermittent, n the ne
gro educator to whom they objected
still holds his job.
British humor all but broke up tn
picketing of the British embassy
with its possibilities of disagreeabl
incidents of an international flavor
when on the first day the empass'
officials sent out and invited the PIC
kets in TO afternoon tea. 1t probapl.
!, was q temptation, for a cold raw
wind was sweeping the city, out Tn
|. leaders pulled stern faces and de
, clined the invitation.
The embassy Is oil Connecticut ave
. niue in the heart of the downtown
: business and residence district not IA
. from Dupont circle. The neiehbor
: hood might be compared to Fifth ave
!, hue In New York in the ffties.
: Thousands of shoppers. tourists an
> government clerks and ofhciais o.
/, their way TO Office pass by and 10
! DAYS there was always a small crow
watching the pickets and hoping for
/, lscrimmage. The old and deserte
: Austrian embassy, once the scene 0
social g~aieties in the prosperous day
lof the Hapsburgs stands grim, snen
. and dusty just across street. Nopoo
knows who owns 1t. now. 1t is a highl
valuable piece of property gone beg
lging. Not far away is the nous
a James @. Blaine occupied while Sec
. rotary OF State, Dolly Madison's hou
= Is not far off In another direction
3 practically every building In tn
Il VICINITY has housed some notaele 9
. some time or other n the neighbol
\ hood is q playground for he sigh
! seeing wagons. The pro-lrish packe'
.selected a battle ground where the
Twill be plenty of onlookers.
The first arrest of the Irish pAckei
ers were not unaccompanied by Ell.
lments OF humor. The police capital
who took them in was Robert En-
lmett Doyle. ro~sy-cheeked and blu
Ieyed. who couldn't possibly deny !
Twas 9Wn Of Erin. All the policems