WOMAN SUFFRAGE UNION & THE CABLEGRAMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2164, 1 June 1914, Page 2

WOMAN SUFFRAGE UNION & THE CABLEGRAMS

LETTER FROM MISS NEWCOMB. The IViK-iwing letter ireceivrf li-m Miss Harriet iSc-weisni!*, honorary tary, pro tern, lor Clw Women's S»fIrago tliiioii, British Dominions Overseas, who k'L'raml when in Wellington Hpou the Suffragette Mowm&nfc in Croat Britain, has been forwarded to all women's societies its Australia and New ■Zealand, and also to the newspapers of the L'oiniiii'.n i'or publication. /'At a meeting of tire Executive Com» ftiitteo of tin! Australian and Ken- Zealand Woaien Voters' Association (London), held on Docembtr lf>, when I gave some account of my recent visit to Aus* tralia <i.fid New Zealand, t-lis arose ffif Uie unsatisfactory character of ; the news concerning tito Suffrage movement in Britain, wliteh is tmsaiiitai by cable to the Australasian .Press.' itwas resolsred that tlio Manager of the chief agency (Australian Associated I'rcss Cablegrams) slio«M be approac'ii;'edj aiK.t asked to receive a deputation : from our association to discuss L'lio matter with him. "The deputation was to consist of Miss Hodge a-nd myself,_ who could speak i'nwi personal experience of tiio uniformly mistaken impressions c@iicerriiiig tho Sutfrago iiiflvemeait which we foMid current in every part of Australia ai?4 New Zealand, snd af ted other niotjtbofs of oiii' association, who, sesident in London during oiir' afisfiraco, could testify to the number of interesting and important events ooatwetod with £1© Kntivoiiionfc which luid taken place- during that time, of which no 'notice or very inadequate justice had been sent to tlio Australasian papers.

I j-pgret- to say Hint tho manager of ih& cabas's h<is .rcfusod .vft'ooivo out deputation. He promises to coiisidef any coinpmuit made in writing, b<it •" discuss tho matter with us.- .la. the mt&vimv I had with him, to ;isk iirni' flur deputation might bo rccetvcd, lie said that his otilv ljushipss was to .-end out news tthidi "would intorcst the general .public, and as uiev had VVomn Sutl'rsifro in Awsiwiia and. Zealand, tlio quosfcitm iu Bntnwi, apart from, the 'sßrtsatiofial iu* ■wttoots, tod no interest for i-ht»m Besides, nscr.pt for tiifse incidents there liad bwoft really nothing «f important to came. • L "I send yo« with this Inter a r<-.py of Votes for woinei'i/ Jnmuirv $, iyl4 which contains a history <i|' tfog g u fl Irago lijovcni-eut ia Britain for the past ycflj similar summaries have appeared 111 ail the Suffrage papers, ■ hat 1 h.ive chosen tliig otio because of the clear-' ihssa with which aft cseeed'ioglv complicated story is teld. beeau.se or "the calm irttp wnicii the details of cruel ivron« and injustice are related, because of tlio impartial view taicen of tlio Wit ' tap ay the (.liferent parties iii tiie bit.ffi:«go army. These qualities m:.dor tiii-s stmmiap' of tho utmost importance to readers far removed from tho sccao of conflict, ■ •

• glense. bring the paper and this letter of mine before tlm notice <jt the- members of y&ur oraanisatios, wia ask theta to comparo the imprest Si&n left 011 tn© mind aftij-jf* Toadinn the siiiiiiiiary with that which litis bcfeii erc--atccl throughout the yenr by a- perusal of the cablegrams? , . . - ''Secondly, will j-tfur eseciiiivo tato» thes necessary steps to flcq&arat; tlm castors of yoar iicwspapois with your opinion. TQgardj-.ug thi> To: say that tho Australian and- New Zealand publii; takes 110 Interest in a movement of such iftomei-itaws importance to tho Iranian race, except in tho reports ©f a few sensational 'outrages,' is t® tafio a singularly low view of tlia i;rtelligenco G-f that pwlilic—men as well as wonien. But editors are not to blamo to their mistaken view of oui intdliffijfics. I.t is oar fiU'iit for not keeping them ii'toniiecL If every woman's sotao% in Australia, and Xow Zealawl will protest, the- editors will bring tho aiecesaary pross<;re to bear 011 their represciiiativrs in Ixindoii. A grand step forward will thus !w takei-s." ]''„r tjijc, witiihaMilig ejf trtlt.u >viuch deiiiaiidf; tiwugiat ffom_ the reader n : n,d the ,s-i.ib-stitiiliott for it of seiisationafeffli. S'hich paiufai's tfj teiness. of mind and kiv vieAvs of life is one of the clmraeix-Hstic vices of tto I'ress at the- presmit- day agftinst wJiie'h \vi);;v?n all ever tiio worlil must light. Undoiriiiedly the most important part of tto work 'to be dene by tlid Wo.m.n; S'lffraco (Inimi, British .Dominiens Overseas, will be the uplifting of the Press .jn each trl tiro Dominions, an-tl the leaders iii this duty ar© tho WflKion of Atis.iralia and New Zealand, who already share equally with the men the rcsponsibiiiiiea of the ftiv-errin-cni- of t!i-; Sbiie."