DEPUTATION PREVENTED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22019, 31 July 1933, Page 14

DEPUTATION PREVENTED

POLICE TO THE RESCUE WOMEN AND SIR J. SIMON STATUS WHEN MARRIED TO FOREIGNERS. (Fbou Oua Own Correspondent. ) LONDON. June 23. Un e night this week the police prevented a deputation of women approaching Sir John Simon, the Foreign Secretary, and Lady Simon, as they left their home in Kensington on their way to the reception of conference delegates at Embassy." Light women members of the Women’s Freedom ' Democratic League, gathered outside the house and asked that Sir John should receive a deputation, apparently regarding the question of the nationality of women who marry foreigners. They refused to go away, and in response to a telephone call, an inspector and, three constables arrived. As Sir John and. Lady Simon left the house the women ran forward calling: Give us an interview. Sir John.” The request was refused. Miss Dorothy Evans stated that the reason for the somewhat dramatic action of the deputation was to attract public notice to the question of the status of British women who; have married foreigners. She, said, that, the Six-point Club, which ,is an organisation of women whose policy is full legal equality of status with men, and the Women’s Guild of Empire were totally opposed to the British Nationality" and Status of Aliens Bill, which is to come up for, a second reading in the House of Commons on June 27. That Bill did ,not go nearly far: enough. Sir John Sandeman Allen is shortly moving a Nationality of Married Women’s Bill under the ten-minute rule for private members in the House, and that Bill, said Mias Evans, embodied what the women’s organisation desired in the way of new legislation in regard to Englishwomen who had married foreigners. The deputation consisted of:— Mrs Favaretto, of the Women’s Guild of Empire; . Mrs Henry de Jan, who is Miss Winifred James, the novelist; Miss Dorthy Evans, hon. secretary of the League of Nations Committee on the nationality of married women and also a member nf the Six Point Club; Miss Betty Archdale, who is a lawyer of the Six Point Club; _ Mrs Beach Clark: of the Women’s Guild of Empire; ‘ ■ Mrs J. G. Buchanan, organiser of the Womenis Guild of Empire; and

Mrs Bana. ' ■ ■ , . Mrs Favaretto,' Mrs Beach Clark, Mrs de Jan, and Mrs Baria are all “victims" of the present state of the law with regard to British women who have married foreigners. ;• Miss Dorothy EvaiVs, it is stated, threw herself on the bonnet of the car, arid for some time refused to allow herself to be dragged from it and the car to proceed. However, she eventually gave way to the rather forcible persuasion of the police and Sir John Simon drove on.