New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-13
7omen Fighting for Political Liberty, Win Victory
Suffrage Speakers Ca;,
support of Men by
Attacks on Old.
Time Bondage /

opening and shutting his 1no.,A
saying nothing. The Iady's rstor, ,. p1'
NO such thing" Or the japanese ,.s -
like wcsds to that general effect
First g1ow In Campaign
Came In Petition Form
The first activities of tho y
Women's Association came in ~. ~, NV
OF repeated petitions to tho NJ. .'.@
the removal'of the objectionsbl. ~. .0'
from Article V Of the peace ors,,a .-'s
A little later the women Of 4ss NJ
Womcn's Association demands
amendment Of the law. And thu c.
party introduced q bill in the lav.
house Of the Diet in aceordan.. w
the demands Of the New womn,,. ~
ISOLATION. The bill passed III. -
house, but it was strangled - ~
House Of Peers last year. That 80
made the members Of the New W..
Association redouble their ss,...
While the measure was before tie ~,
per house the women called ., ~
and every member Of the house :, -.
son and pressed for his es-ooerst;,.
for the rewriting Of tie Law ~.
strenuous efforts told on the heal.h :.
Nine. Hjratsuka and, in addition " -, "a
longed illness, Nine. Ichikaxa soa> .ii|
trip to Europe. The chief burden :,
pushing the work Of the Nov
Women's Association through the ls,
session Of the Diet fell to Nm,
Makoto Sakamoto, and she worked viii
admirable courage. On the las. dav a,
the session she signed more than 900
cards and passed them to the nenben
Of the House Of Peers, reminding then
that the new women Of Japan experssS
the peers 20 wipe out the insult to the
womanhood Of Japan. And Exactly aal,
an hour before the close Of the sesgio.
the bill, or the motion Of Count Yars.
giwara, passed the upper house.
1t was dramatic enough, this arr
faitering step for the political emanei.
patton Of the women Of Nippca. To tie
leaders Of the New Won MS Assods-
ton the whole enterprise appeared in
all the light Of crusade. It was ne
political or any other sort Of agitation.
1t was question Of honor with them
the honor of the nation.
There is one thing even more signisl.
cant than this first step Of the sisters
of Nippon into the world of pclities.
It is the dominant note which has
characterized the movement. A rs
porter once asked Nine, Hiratsuka for
the most vital reason for demanding
the right OF equal outrage. And here
is her answer
"1he most important argument il the
advocacy of woman suffrage is 70 S.
cure rights and protection for lie
mother" The emphasis, in the JUG
ment OF tht, Japanese Susan 3. h
thony. was nAS Oh the daughter or Ire
wife; neither was II on the justice {.
marital relations Of women or on thsis
rights over their own property. Il vas
or the mother. She declared taa.
motherhood was the most important
thing in the world.
To the question: What women lead
ers do you admire most Nine. Eini-
suka replied: II am following 7eT
closely the ideas Of Ellen Key" And
she showed copy of "The Renaissance
of Motherhood" which she had trsns-
lated into japanese.
The story of the new womep's roTs'
ment fer political freedom is not con
plete without the mention Of Nine. 70
ssno, gifted poetess. who has de-
voted her pen TO the fight ell along
the line.