Evening star., 1928-06-14
ENGLAND PONDERS
ON WOMEN'S VOTE
All Parties Claim Advantages
as Equal Franchise Bill
Is Speeded.
BIZ HARRY HOUSTON RoMER.
correspondenee Of the Associated Press.

By HARRY HOUSTON RoMER.
Correspondence OF the Associated Press.
LONDON.-The woman vote seems
not unlikely to decide the political COM
plaxion of the British government after
the five-year tenure of the Conserva-
tive Baldwin government expires next
year.
This possibility hanging in the ofiing,
tire political aspects of the equal fran
chsse measure. more familiarly known
as the "Flanper Vote" bill. are exciting
a lot Of discussion both before and be-
hind the scenes while the bill Is fast
working through its various legislative
STAGES to final embodiment in the law
O. the land.
There is a general election coming of
within little more than II months
from now and speculation AS TO how
the more than 100000 women under
the present voting age of 30 enfran-
chised bv this bill. as well as some
1900 900 over 80 added TO the lists, are
going 10 cast their votes in that struggle
Is a not unnatural subject of more or
less anxious speculation.
II has to be borne in mind that the
pending measure is a government
backed bill. and thus the prestige OF
enacting it will accrue TO the present
Conservative government. This has
been and is being used as an argument
that the grateful flappers will flock to
the Conservative standard as the one
under which they were given the privi-
iege of the b3llot-or that at least a
majority Of them will. and thus ad-
vantage the present dominant party in
its effort to maintain its dominance.
LoophoIe Is Seen.
But there are many who see large
locpholes in this argument. and among
them are not a few of Prime Minister
E3ldwin's followers, who are really
conservative in fact as we'll as in party
name. It is well known that the cabi-
net was divided on the advisability of
introducing and pressing this measure
through before the general election
Some. winston Churchill among them,
WIRE quite outspoken about it, and in
g public speech even after the decision
to 20 ahead with the flapper en-
franchisement had been reached the
Chancellor Of the exchequer expressed
his open doubts as to its present wis
ocD1. while naturally voicing his ad-
heslcn to the decision of his colleagues. !
In Liberal and Labor party quarters
the prospects opened I'D bv the huge
imitation Of the voting lists through the |
admission Of the younger n7atrOns and |
misses down 10 the age of q are looked /.
upon Tor the most part with liveIiest
satisfaction. The enlancipated Young
seers Of the new generation are noth-
faE If not liberal. say the Liberals. are |
NOTHING If not ultra-cemocratic. say |
ne laporifes. Both expect to profit |
n1seiy ny the sceesston Of the newly |
rz1de maiden and n1atron voters
But obviously no one really knows in |
wf1at direction the napperg are poino /
W Jump: whether their frolicsop1enegc |
val lead them in numbers to help the I
scclallSfic elements in BFitains political /
LIE Rst INTO position To nut their /
Tfories into practice: whether their
k3gDort OF liberal but less radical can /
claates will tend TO give the Liberal |
party 2 new hope Of coming back in |
.gIse y not 70 power. or whether, as
a1F. JoynSon- Hicks indicated his belief
- explaining the bill to the house dur
- me frst debate on ii, their votes
w. re 50 apporticned as TO maintain
fs1s status ulo-that Is. in the hone N
povser.
Had Not Suffered.
!. ne home secretary pointed o,it on
kfaat occasion that ff1a Conservative
pzgEH had not suffered BIZ putting IA :
O90 900 wCnaen on the ssft11r racsefers
e sla The women had not given the
conservatives reas0u to regret their en-
Ifsf.e eaiSeTnent, and would not do 50. he
predicted
There has been practically no areu.
rlfsat over the Justice of erfrancfaisino
IT. 10000 women over the age Of 90
Ns9o Tor various reasons Of qualifying
nature IN the franchise Of 1919 Were
os0aFreo from voting under that act
ne justice of making the privilege of
tne franchise an equal thing for rner
ana women fas been almost unigersaily
Le.DgnAzed except BY the "die-fardsa .
at all " 'Ds4'e
Ine quite prevalent Conservative
apa:hy toward the ''1apper" features
01 the new measure. however. could he
easily OWNED by the fact. which ever
L1o9SeTFaf1Ye organs commented upon al
re tine, that practically half the Con-
seFfafiye members Of the House az r0ra.
nasfas eid mt vote AZ ali on the second
Teaolng q me oilI II only had 10 yotes
Sx1BffSt ~ ON that eccaEsCgF--au dir
hafGS~-Dpt tEe great ma foYifv Of at /.
TeeesYeo %aS nasce possible Dg the viz
LlA}Ag unanimous support of the
LsoeTal ard Labor members with. 0f
ceaiae. tf1e yoleg ~ So per cent or Sc
q sKsc Conservatives, who stood bv the
oee9saon t1at il vas up u fhe Conyergs-
faTf aosegpncg1t ~ see ihaf Tho hin Was
pNt through, rs kr Baldwin and other
parry leaders had promised There lYavf
peen many comments. howeeer. that il
N@fe soi fsr t99 Aoiid Labor and Lib
era support the fate Of tile nreasgre on
Lgs hf1ai sRSt would oe dubious. indeed
CaFfooDisls Aetlye.
Meanwhile some " the carskonlsfs
nsse Oeen having their fun with Mr.
Eail*3n cFer his supposed confidence
faas MS party Is whole -heaYtediv III hts
DAek la The wisdom of the decision ts3
pxSa me bin through.
Don't be alarmed kHoN / have the
pzF1y kgS1sssa ne Gise prime minister h
eaESooned as saying while cepicted ae
sssa2 virtually blown eky9srd together
wSFA hig "GappeY Y0te7 bill bg blasts
greFI ne b.uDGefbu@snS ~ Winston.