New-York tribune., 1922-10-29

her last visit to the United
States. "must change its
attitude TO women before the twenty
four peereses in their own right can
take their places In the House of
Lords" England's leading woman cap
tain Of industry. director Of half
score Of big businesses, Is not fight
ing lone hand in asserting her right
to sit there. She is fighting at the
same time the battle of her band of
sisters in misfortune who are denied a
place In the House Of Lords as
peeresses, though the right Of women
to sit in the House Of Commons is
now conceded,
Lady Rhondda's sister peeresses in
their own right have been content to
let her make herself the champion of
| their cause. Her plea for admission
to the House of Lords admittedly was
test case, whose decision would af-
feet not only her own position, but
that Of all other peeresses in their
own right. She seemed to have won
their cause as we'll as her own when
the Committee on Privileges, the body
which decides all questions dealing
with the peerage, first conceded her
claim to seat in the House.
| But she and they reckoned without
tho powerful opposition in the Cabi-
net Due chiefly to the influence Of
Lord Birkenhead, an old opponent Of
women's claims to political equality,
who as Lord Chancellor guides the
proceedings Of the House Of Lords,
the question of the position Of
peeresses in their own right was re-
ferred back to the Committee on Privi-
leges. And that all-powerful body, on
second thoughts, reversed Its earlier
decision and ruled that peeresses in
their own right should not be allowed
the entree into the Upper House.
| Success Expected to Crown
Long Fight by Lady Rhondda
! There, for the present. the matter
rests. Lady Rhondda. who sees In the
presencs of Lady Astor and Mrs. Win
tringham In the HOUSE Of Commons
'the entering wedge Of Freedom" ad-
mits that IL will be slower process
for women to break into the conserva-
tive House Of Lords. II may need a
change Of government before 1t can
be done, but sooner or later, Lady
Rhondda's logically unanswsrabie
claim to a seat Is bound to be con-
ceded. And when It is, automatically
/ the bar against her sister peeresses
will be removed.
None Of these Is SO ardent feminist
as Lady Rhondda, and none can be
regarded as sharing her genius for af-
fairs. But several have publicly !den-
tilted themselves with her fight for
the rights of her order, and as whole,
/ they make up representative cross
section Of the womanhood Of England.
| Women who lead quiet family lives;
women who control broad acres Of
English land under the semi-feudal
1 system, which still fingers here;
women who are In the van Of the
movement looking toward now occupa-
tional openings; typical English
sportswonen; literary womsn-all
these arc represented in the ranks Of
:. peeresses In their own right.
! Lady Rhondda Is not strictly ac-
curate In saying that oil Of the twenty
four peeresses could take places In
tho House Of Lords If the claim were
conceded. One Of the number still
Is minor, and, as such, not entitled
to sic In any case. Others hold titles
In the peerages Of Scotland and Ire
land. and these too would not auto
matically win seats in the Houss. Only
peers Of England. or Of the United
Kingdom az present sit IN the House
Of Lords by hereditary right Peers
Of Scotland and Ireland have the
privilege only Of electing percentage
Of their order, who then sic as rep
resentativs peers. In fact, only seven
teen Of the peeresses, aside from Lady
Rhondda, would be entitled to st were
their claim conceded.
An interesting feature Of ths
pssrssss IN their own right Is the re-
spsstsbia antiquity sf their titles,