"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3312, 5 September 1917, Page 57

"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

(Specially Written for the Ladies' Page)

HONOURS AND DISHONOURS. June 25

At long last, by a majority of 330 against 55, the House of Commons has voted the women of England their franchise —that is, 6,000,000 women, —those of 30 years of age and over. An amendment was proposed doing away with the age limit; but the Home Secretary stated that it meant an amendment, if passed, against the whole Bill, and must therefore be resisted. If the amendment were passed the Government would have to reconsider the new position. That killed the amendment, 291 to 25 voting against it, and most of those who voted for the amendment of the Bill had voted against women's suffrage the previous evening. These saw an opportunity of further retarding women's votes. The wisest course Is to hold fast to the measure granted. It is the thin edge of the wedge, and the future will drive the full franchise in. The truest friends of the Bill are in favour of the age limitation. It is the essence of compromise, they argue. If it were altered no one could say what would happen. Some of those who voted for it were fn favour of adult suffrage, and would not be afraid of admitting three times the 6,000,000 to the franchise, but recognise the arguments against wholesale enfranchisement. The method adopted of selecting local government ensures that the women thereby enfranchised would be represented by all classes of the community, even of the poorest. _ Age, in the view of some, is the best limitation, on the assumption that a limitation of number is desirable; so the limitation of the woman's vote to the age of 30 was oaried by an overwhelming majority. Whatever be the motives that have Influenced the Government to grant this cir-

cumscribed and tardy vote to 6,000,000 of the women of Great Britain, the women have earned a voice—it is but a muffled voice yet—in the country's councils. I wish that many who have died to win this day could have lived to welcome the dawn of a greater freedom that is as certain to come with time as time itself. It is interesting to note some of the suggestions that have been made about honouring with the new Order of Empire the mothers of sons and daughters who have done conspicuously noble service. The mother of Nurse Cavell is suggested for the list, and Mrs Ball, the mother of our greatest airman. The following is the list suggested by the Weekly De- | spatch, to be included with others of signal service, of which there are hundreds j more:—

Lady (Ralph) Paget, wife of the former ■ British Minister at Belgrade, who superintended the British Bed Cross ambulance in Serbia and stayed there, in spite of her husband's persuasion, j during the Austro-Bulgar invasion. Sergeant-major Flora Sandes, who has been in all the Serbian campaigns as nurse and soldier. Wounded m the Mbnastir assault on the Bulgar.s, she has received ; the gold and silver cross of Kara-

george. ; Dr Mary Durham, the famous Balkan, war correspondent. Lady Grogan, who chose the entire staff for all the Serbian Relief Fund. Mrs Carrington Wilde, a marvellous or- j ganissr, who superintended all +he Serbian Relief Fund stores for prison- ' ers. refugees, and hospitals, and has charge of the education of 300 Serbian children. j

Miss Donaldson, matron of a hospital on the Macedonian front. Dr Garrett Anderson (England's first woman mayor and first woman doctor) and her daughter, Dr Louie Garrett Anderson; and Dr Flora Murray. All three have done -wonders at the En dell Street Hospital, which is one of the best-equipped hospitals in the world. Mvs St. Clair Stobart, whose hospital unit, sent to Serbia by the Women's Imperial Service League, worked wonders of mercy. Mrs Knocker and Miss Marie Chisholme, "the women of Pervyse," whose work among the wounded in Belgium was accompanied by miracles of courage under fire. Dr Elsie Inglis, Dr Alice Hutchinson, Dr Hollway, Dr Eleanor Saltan—all of these have bean decorated in Serbia, — Miss Cecily Hamilton, the Hon. Mrs Haverfield, Miss Edith . Stoney, an Xr.ay3 radiographer, and eight or nine great women doctors attached to the Scottish Women's Hospital. Dr Christine Murrell, organiser in the Women's Emergency Corps, Mrs Bannister Fletcher, and Mrs Gilbert Samuels, organisers of women's war work. Dr Mary Scharlieb, a leader in the fight against syphilis. Miss Lena Ashwell, foremost in organising concerts and theatrical performances for our soldiers at the front. The list itself recalls the wide sphere of some women's war work of the present day, and shames the inactivity of many who have taken no part in this war, still so far from won, in which the very existence of the Empire and the national liberty Is at stake. The King, who has visited the greater portion of his dominions, and knows the loyal sentiments and the present labours of his peoples, with whom as Monarch he has been peculiarly in touch, will desire to honour the chiefest to whom honour is due. It will be a difficult task. King George has greatly pleased this country, and doubtless the whole Empire, this week by his decision that those princes of his family who are his subjects and who bear German names and titles shall relinquish them and henceforth bear British names. This is another proof how closely his Majesty is in touch with the sentiments of his people, and the determination that the

Royal Family shall be Britons not only in inheritance but in name, although taken on the advice of his Ministers, is in accordance with his own feelings. The merging of the members of the Royal Family in the nobility of this country is the King's intention by a creation of peerages of the United Kingdom which -will stamp the Royal Family as Britons first, ignoring the relationships and the German titles and names for British surnames. Following on this welcome announcement, the House of Commons has been informed that orders have been given that henceforth all alien enemies shall cease to be members of any British Order of Chivalry to which they belonged before the war. There is to b"e removed from the roll of honours eight Honorary Knights of the Bath, eight princes at war with us (including the King of Bulgaria, Prince Albert William of Germany, Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein), and from the roll of the Victorian Order with the Victorian Chain (including the German Emperor, the German Crown Prince, Prince Henry of Prussia, and his Royal Highness the Duke of Albany}. Perhaps the wish of General Smuts will come to pass, as expressed in his great speech at Westminster Palace on May 18, that the members of the Royal Family should form matrimonial relations with subjects of the British instead of with princelings of Central Europe. The Royal Marriage Act of 1772, which is still the law of the land, could be repealed, and to the happiness often of Royal bridegi'ooms and brides, whose true love-stories,

could they be told, would sometimes make the nation's heart ache for the sacrifices they have been called upon to make for the upholding of the Royal dignity. No more German titles, anyhow ! The King's decision has abolished the title of prince and princess for those who are not directly of the Blood Eoyal. Thus the Queen s brothers, both born in England, are now one a marquis and Prince Alexander of Teck an earl, but Alexander's wife, who is a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, is a princess in her own right, but her children cease to be princes and princesses. In the future the only princes and princesses will be children and grandchildten of the Sovereign, and in the male line only—that is, that children of the King's daughter will not be princes or princesses. Queen Victoria's daughters, who are Duchesses of Saxony, have at the King's desire renounced their titles. It was on Queen Alexandra's Day that the murdered children at Poplar were buried, down among whom the King and Queen and Queen Alexandra had come with sympathy and help at the time of the raid. The 16 small coffins before the high altar in Poplar Parish Church were hidden by a white drift of flowers, and outside the church thousands of the women of the East End were gathered, many weeping. All along the streets in the hot sunshine of the glorious June day, through Canning Town to the cemetery, more thousands of people congregated. Inside the church was a pathetic scene. The nave was crowded with mourners; young fathers in khaki were home from' the fighting with their arms round the sobbing young mothers. The Town Hall opposite the church was piled with floral tributes, and among them was a little cross of posies and daisies sent from the sweet, blossoming country to the memory of the children of the crowded streets. It had been sent to the Bishop of London, who placed it before the altar in the church. The Bishop is known and loved by the people among whom he laboured so long. Speaking of that occasion, he said: "During the 24 years I have worked in London, this is the most touching sight I have ever seen" (the row

of little coffins, the weeping young I mothers, and the soldier fathers). "Therefore," continued the Bishop, "it is only with broken words that I can express what is in all our hearts to-day." He then read a message which he had just received from the King and Queen from Buckingham Palace: —"The King asks that you will assure the parents of those children who were killed in the air raid of June 13 while at .school how his Majesty and the Queen are thinking of them and their saddened homes, especially to-day, when the bodies of their little ones are laid to rest. The early ending of young, innocent lives, at all times pathetic, is made so more than ever in these cruel and tragic circumstances. Their Majesties pray that the mourners may be blessed with' God's help and comfort in their sorrow." And God's help and comfort comes through man. For the sixth successive year London has been brightened by Queen Alexandra's rose festival. It was an ideal day, and the 6000 rose sellers in white, with their rose-wreathed hats and laden baskets, expressed the very spirit of June. The Allied countries, particularly America and the Dominions, vied with England indoing honour to the beautiful Queen Mother, who, in her drive from Marlborough House through London in the afternoon, received a great outburst of loyal and enthusiastic welcome. She was cheered to the echo, her carriage held up again and again, and she herself almost smothered in roses. The Lord Mayor, sheriffs, and aldermen lent picturesqueness

to the city welcome at the Mansion House. The return journey was by way of Q.ueen Victoria street, St. Paul's Churchyard, Fleet street, the Strand, and Trafalgar square, to Pall Mall. In Haymarket the American contingent of flowersellers worked, organised by Mrs Romilly Feddon and Mrs Page. The Canadian section occupied Whitehall, New Zealand Queen Victoria street, and Australia the Strand. There is but one day in the year that London blossoms into a rose garden, Queen Alexandra's Day; and the bridges and streets and squares seethed with rose-decked humanity, for the gracious lady who never .will be an old woman, should she live for a hundred years, holds by her charity and charm what she first won in England by her youthful loveliness and held as consort of King Edward. The long drought has been broken by refreshing rains, which have drenched the parched country and saved to an abundant vield the precious garden crops. The straAvberries are ripe, early pease and beans are coming in, and new potatoes from lOd to 6d per lb. But even to see them again is something. From 85deg in the shade the temperature has dropped 20deg. So far it has been a wonderful season, the brilliant sunshine hurrying on the late growth, and now the rains just when needed. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. "Jack."—Have not heard whether you got letter containing the violets. Lastheard with Marjorie's photo. Have written several times since New Year; expect letters lost. Write again.