The Washington times., 1921-10-30
By LADY ASTOR
American Woman Member
of British Parliament Be-
lieves Women Inspire Bet
ter Legislation

the practice and administration OF
law. About a year after women
got the vote. a Sex disqualification
Removal Act was passed. The title
is a trifle misleading, for the act has
\ not done all that It's name implies
or all that Its promoters intended
It to do. But It has thrown open the
legal profession TO women. and made
them eligible as magistrates, as well
as jurors.
Sex Discrimination Removed.
The entry OF women into the old
established and conservative pro-
fession OF law is bound to bring
changes with II. The creation OF
women magistrates has brought with
1t an extension and Improvement OF
children's courts. and the act that
put this into effect would never have
got through without tremendous
pressure and propaganda by the wo-
mems societies. One hopes that
prison reform and a bigger dose Of
common sense In law courts will be
the next results.
The Sex disqualification Removal
Act was also supposed to let women
into the civil service on the same
terms as men. This has not hap
pened yet for a variety Of reasons,
but 1t is bound to come in the long
run.
All employment questions over here
are rather complicated at present by
the problem Of the ex-service men,
and this has been partly the reason
and partly the pretext for a hold
up in the proceedings as far as the
civil service is concerned. Women
are not permitted to compete for any
of the better jobs. The theory. or
perhaps rather the subconscious
feeling. that well-paid jobs are too
good" for women. dies very hard.
These are all political questions
just now, but they are not party
politics. AS far as general politics
go, women are not very different
from the men in England. They
have always taken a large part in
politics and in the party organiza-
tions. They join the women's asso-
citation attached to the different par
ties and work hard for them.
You do not find all tho women
massing together on any big politi-
cal issue. like the coal dispute, the
protection of industries. colonial
policy or Ireland, any more than men
do. They are. however. becoming
more interested in these things, and
think more intelligently interested.
Women's citizens associations are
starting in most towns or are evolv-
ing out Of older pre-war organiza-
tions. Women's institutes are mul-
tiplying by leaps and bounds in the
villages all over the country. These
are. village clubs for women, run
by themselves. on a perfectly dem
ocratic basis, not "bossed" by the
nearest magnate's wife, which were
started during the war to improve
food production-fruit-b -bottling. jam
making and so on.
Oppose Policy Of Hate.
Many home industries like glove
making. basket making, etc, grew
out of this. and just the other day
they decided to remove the bar 70
politics which they had imposed
upon themselves. This will mean
great increase in political interest
among women in the big agricultu-
raj and PASTORAL districts Of Eng.
land.
In fact, think that the most out.
standing thing about votes for
women" over here is the effect II
is having on the women themselves.
1t is already modifying the laws and
calling attention to important things
which have been long overlooked.
But more far-reachins than that, 1t
is waking the women up to their re-
sponsibilities as citizens. When this
has become more fully expressed by
the votes Of the women under thirty.
think the effects will be felt far
beyond Great Britain itself.
Neither English men nor English
women would ever support a policy
of hostility to the United States.
But the votes of English women
have made and will make that
doubly sure proposition.
I feel certain that the votes Of
American women will not go for ~
campaign of prejudice and hate.
The last five years have taught us
that HATE is not a policy Of prog
ress, but one Of disaster
Hate blinds an individual, and
makes a national policy barren and
destructive to all that men and
women who have vision long to see
put into national and international