MILITANCY,

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 102, 30 April 1913, Page 7

MILITANCY,

WHAT TO BO WITH THE SUFFRAGETTES. STARVATION OR DEPORTATION? LORD ROBERT CECIL'S SUGGESTION. (From Our Lady Correspondent.) LONDON .March 20. In or about the # year 1905 it occurred to a number of very capable and resolute women that an agitation run on purely constitutional and rationalistic lines was as unlikely to impress upon the British electorate in the future as it had done in the past, that the case for women's suffrage was seriously put forward, and as strenuously demanded by an influential seetion of British women. There is no need to recapitulate the stages and the rapid development ot what is known as the "militant" movement which followed. It is generally conceded that in its earlier stages, at any rate, militancy was necessary, and that it gave a tremendous impetus to the cause of women's suffrage in England. Time after time situations arose in which it seemed inevitable that the franchise would be extended at least to some women. A Liberal Prime Minister made promises, and overwhelming majorities for the principle of women's suffrage were obtained in the House of Commons, but, in spite of all, circumstances arose, or if you will, situations were forced, which foredoomed to failure any hopes that the supporters of women's suffrage may have had. The result has been a tremendous revival and extension of militant methods —involving window-smashing, incendiary speeches, pillar-box outrages, burning down of buildings, violent assaults upon Cabinet Ministers, destruction of golf greens (a very sore point with elderly and portly gentlemen), blowing up ot houses, and wholesale destruction of property, besides a resolute disregard and contempt for law and authority both inside and outside prisons. Short of calling out the soldiery, all the usual expedients of Governments to coerce unruly subjects have hern employed. Imprisonment has, of course, been tire favourite method resorted to, and to this the women have replied by means of the hunger strike, first used by the Russian Nihilists. FORCIBLE FEEDING has been tried by the (Jovernment. but without success. " As Mr. McKenna, the Home Secretary, said jn the House ot Commons debate of the night before last, the prison officials are engaged in a contest with would-be martyrs—"Women who no more fear death than do the dervishes iv the Sudan lighting under the banner of the Mahdi." Never has forcible feeding succeeded in keeping a sutfragette in prison to the end of her sentence. Extreme violence has had to be exerted in order to compel the women to undergo forcible feeding, and they in their turn have violently rested the operation, with the result that the Home Secretary, who certainly wishes to prevent successful martyrdoms, has been compelled repeatedly to release dying women consistent in their re=ol\e to disregard the law and all its consequences until the cause which they have at heart is won. It iri difficult to say %vhat is the state of public opinion on the matter. rofessor Sciiafer. the eminent scient.st, writing recently on forcible feeding, sa\s: "I know that when violently nvi=.evi the operation involves exquisite torture and is liable to be a danger to life hut as far as the public is concerned there j* little realisation of what forcible feeding really means. What is certainly realised is that the present policy of the Government in this matter has completely failed, and that its position is something of an ignominious one. Everyone is asking. "What is to be j done liext?" The expedient of granting the vote seems to be thought a far too revolutionary one to be considered, at least, hy several members of the Liberal Ministr\-. The women are resolute and persistent, and the militant movement seems to gather force, if not numbers, 'with every fresh prosecution and releaseCritics "of the Home Secretary's methods have taken exception both to bis leniency and to hi,- excessive seventy to his ineptitude and inefficiency in eneouraninj the women 10 snap their fingers at the law in this war against society, and to his harshness in resorting to the cruel ;ind barbarous process of forcible feeding. Clearly. Mr. McKenna finds himself in a cleft stick. If be lets the women die of starvation, it is maintained that ho is legally responsible for allowing them to commit suicide; when he releases them, he is accused of allowing them to defy all government by refusing to be amenable to its authority. DEPORTATION SUGGESTED. Talk on the subject ir; indulged in fast and furious, but there is an extraordinary lack of practical suggestions to meet the present impasse, which on ail sides is admitted lo be a serious one. .Suburbia, coming up tn its business hy train, waxes bold and eloquent oyer its morning paper: politicians give vag:io and evasive answers; Cabinet Ministers are not to be seen; policemen dodiie about in all conceivable places, like jack-in-the-boxes; every intelligent woman, especially if she fa young, is suspected; and meanwhile women suffer and Parliament talks. Lord Robert Cecil seriously urged in a House of Commons debate that to treat the women as ordinary prisoners is absurd, and shows a complete lack of imagination. That being so. he argued, you must provide some new preventive measure that you would not apply to ordinary criminals. Personally, ho recommended their deportation from the country for a considerable period- lie did not believe there could bo any difficulty in carrying it out. They were not normal people, and should be treate.l from that point of view. Sir A. B. "Ma.rklia.ni apoke later in the debate, and supported the suggestion of Lord Robert, whilst Sir Frederick Banbury, tho member for the City of Ixmdon, thought that a more effectual way would be to let the women die. So far the only proposal on tho part of the Government is th- introduction of a bill to enable the authorities ;o rcloasn prisoners who could not safe'y be .subjected t'i forcible feeding, an i af;rrw>irds ■bring them back to Zorvv (v; their «•:!■ j truces--.1 system, as Mr. Kliis Griffiths puts it. of punishment by instalment. It seems quit.- plain lhai whatever proposals the Government may make, the futility of withholding the. vote from women will effectually render such proposals a* ridiculous a.- the deportation proposal of the noble lord of 'he house of Cecil.