The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-31
To Rule Labor Party,
 Is Claim
By CLARA MOLD, International News Service Staff

COrrGSpOnQ9nt.
 London, Aug. 30-When I arrived at the headquarters of the British La bor Party to ask party leaders what they think of Lady Astor's statement that the Labor Party will be the last to elect women to Parliament" my question was received with somewhat kindly smiles of amusement
 NO one really takes Lady Astor seriously" remarked one leader, ana such a statement is ridiculous. Lady Astor must have forgotten that the Labor Party was the only party that pledged itself to woman suffrage and carried Non a campaign for it.
 Perhaps I should not have asked them if men will regard Labors women representatives in Parliament any more seriously than they do Lady AStor. There was some little embar- rassment on the part of everyone, but declared that the whole attitude ot men will change
 One Strong Backer.
 However, I found when l went to see Miss A. Susan Lawrence, one of the seven women whom the Labor Party has, endorsed for Parliament, a far more convincing advocate for the cause of women in the Labor Party.
 Why do do enetad belong t9 wt the frst Labor or all, because it is the only political party that offers perfect equality to men and women-perfect equality tempered with special privileges for women" Her gray eyes sparkled when she said this, and she brushed back a few strands of her soft gray hair as she stepped back, with just a i suggestion of preparing for a fight | that she hoped would come to her. What special privileges?" I asked. ""The special privilege of having 1 every member of the executive body 1 of the party a woman. Men never 1 had that privilege, and they never will 1 have it. The constitution of the party requires that there be at least four women members on the executive council. We can have as many more as we elect. But the men have no clause for even a minimum number Of men" Miss Lawrence smiled broad | IY as she tFiHmBhantlF gased back at ne.
 And do you think that women will ever elect only woineh?" 1 asked her
 If they are better representatives | they will-not otherwise" Can't Divide Interests. | Lady Astor," I remarked, told me that the women of the British Labor Party are apt to forget the interests of women for the interests of the party"
 "It is impossible" declared Miss Lawrence, ito separate the interests | of women from those of the Govern i ment. When women suffer the nation suffers, and any party that doesn't understand that has nothing to offer l women.'
 l Miss Lawrence has stood in six cleo tions, beginning, before the days of suffrage for women, with school board elections. She is the only woman member of the London County Coun- ] ciI, having been sent there by the Borough of Poplar as a labor repre- sentative. She is also a Justice of the Peace.
 No Interest in 1918. l I reminded her that in 1918 women did not vote very generally in Eng land.
 Well, and if the women didn't vote
 IS they should have. I say the men didn't either. No one seemed to care about voting in 1918. But since then
 we have organized our women's sec- lions of the Labor Party in every local in the country. We have SOP sections in all. We have taught women that they can make a mighty stir in Parlia- ment They did it when the milk SUD- ply for babies was threatened by the present Government. Women simply stormed the Parliament and lobbied
 so successfully that the old grant was gladly continued.
 There isn't the least doubt" she
 concluded, that the Labor Party vii
 form the opposition party in Parlia-
 ment after the next general elections
 which we hope will be in the Spring EHow many women will be returned |
 is difficult to say, but certainly there
 will be more than one"