The Washington times., 1927-02-18
EXPLOSION
Of MYTH
SEEN

A6mpers OF the National
Woman s Party see in the con.
tinued absence Of Alice Paul,
their one-time leader, from
the headquarters on Capitol
Hill the explosion Of the Alice
Paul myth.
EARLY in the winter Miss
Paul, it was disclosed today,
shook the dust Of the head
quarters from her feet and
established d residence at the
Ugly Duckling, d tearoom on
B Street not far from the
House Office Building.
Said She Wanted to Study
At the time Of her departure,
Miss Paul claimed that she was
leaving ii order to pursue her law
studies in peace and quiet.
Members Of the party, however,
&ay that her departure was the
first step toward complete break
between the organization and their
forrner leader.
Has Avoided Party
They point to the fact that Miss
Paul did not accompany the party
delegation to interview President
Coolidge on the 10th birthday an
niversary Of Susan B. Anthony, the
great pioneer suffragist, nor was
Esne present at the luncheon staged
ut party headquarters following the
visit to the White House. One hun.
Jared and fifty women, including
practically all those women promi-
aent In the party's affairs, We're
lpresent.
to Miss Paul's name has been re.
moved from the stationary Of the
ORGANIZATION, and has not for some
time appeared In the party publica.
lAion, Equal Rights.
IL Is stated that trouble has arisen
Between Miss Paul and present
headers Of the party over her at
tempt TO manage the party head.
quarters from the Ugly Duckling.
Recently the headquarters have
been furnished and redecorated by
donations Of members of the party
scattered throughout the country.
The building itself was a gift Of
Mrs. o. H. p. Belmont, the good
ahgel Of the party. Mrs. Belmont,
lst Is alleged, has for some years
paid Miss Paul a generous salary.
and has remembered her Literally
an her will Mrs. Belmont is at the
present time sojourning abroad.
May Join Mrs. Belmont
1t Is understood she expects TO
establish a permanent residence in
France, and that Miss Paul con-
templates joining her. s.
Friends of the organization feel
that Miss Paul Is working toward
The dissolution Of the party itself
following the convention In San
Francisco next May.
They feel that her interest In the
fight for the proposed equal rights
amendment to the constitution,
never very strong, has completely
vanished. And that Miss Paul, out
of the party, believes the time has
arrived for the party to fade off the
map. 81
The differences between Miss Paul
and her former disciples is watched
/ with interest by foes of the party
An the old line suffrage organization,
Women Voters. Members OF that
rganization. called, in the days
before the passage Of the Nineteenth
a - .,
Suffrage Association, have never
fgubscribed to the theory that Alice
Paul put over suffrage in the
United States.
On the contrary. they claim that
Miss Paul hindered the passage OF
the amendment until it could 60
through apparently through her
efforts.
The Alice Paul myth, they be-
IieVe. was the result of clever pub
lefty on the part of her followers.
Rumora that the party was on
the verge OF disbanding have been
circulating in circles interested in
momer's activities throughout the
winter. The fact that furniture
shipped headquarters from Mrs.
Belmont's place on Long Island,
line 1OWSISS WuSH that ldQy IGlC
Cor France, has been sold, has lent
color to the stories.
III has been intimated at head
quarters that Miss Paul was re-
sponsible for the sale of this fur
iY1iture. At the last meeting Of the
national council Of the organization
resolutions were passed forbidding
any further sales Of furniture or
eoiiipment from this national club
house for women
Furthermore no steps have been
e&ken BY the party to secure new
home. The organization must
nhortly leave its present headquar-
GERS at 81 First ST.. which building
has been taken over by the Govern
naent. An appropriation Of 100000
mas been authorized and will be
made to cover the purchase Of this
property which money win go into
the general fund Of the Woman's
PARTY. During the thick OF its fight
Ror suffrage the party headquarters
we're located az IL jackson Pl., from
which they moved In 1921.
At the time many of even the
most ardent admirers of Miss Paul
telieved that she would be making
sensible gesture to retire from the
marty leadership, that her big work
was over. Her opponents saw, how
ever. IN the party's equal rights
campaign an attempt TO maintain
Miss Paul in the public eye.