xt70rx937t9n_433 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt70rx937t9n/data/mets.xml https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt70rx937t9n/data/46m4.dao.xml unknown 13.63 Cubic Feet 34 boxes, 2 folders, 3 items In safe - drawer 3 archival material 46m4 English University of Kentucky The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Laura Clay papers Temperance. Women -- Political activity -- Kentucky. Women's rights -- Kentucky. Women's rights -- United States -- History. Women -- Suffrage -- Kentucky. Women -- Suffrage -- United States. International Woman Suffrage News text International Woman Suffrage News 2020 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt70rx937t9n/data/46m4/Box_16/Folder_9/Multipage19019.pdf 1925 1925 1925 section false xt70rx937t9n_433 xt70rx937t9n J UNE, 1925

two above were the most contentious, was put to the
Assembly, and the Bill was thrown out by 54 votes
against 26 “amidst the applause of the orthodox.”
\Ve, not being )'[.L.A.’s, and possessing the “ illogical ”
mind of woman, find this a very amazing proceeding:
how a body of persons can pass a resolution one day,
and throw it out the next is not easy to understand—-
.5'///'/ Dir/(rum.

 

ITALY.

The Administrative Vote Granted to Italian
Women.

T last, after sixty years of work and propaganda,
the right of Italian women to the vote has been
recognised through the goodwill of Signor lVIussolini,
who has kept faith with the women’s movement. At
present we have to be content with the administrative
vote, limited to women who have reached the age of
25 years, who have. a certain standard of education, who
pay a. certain amount in taxes, who have received
war decorations, or who are the mothers or widows of
soldiers killed in war. The final step in passing the Bill
will be taken shortly, as it still awaits the approval of
the Senate. \Ve hope that this body will be in favour,
and will not bring in any further restrictions. \Ve are
continuing to work in. order to obtain further conces-
sions. In the meanwhile we wish to express to the: Inter—
national \Voman Suffrage Alliance, on behalf of all the
Italian groups, our gratitude for the support it has given
us in our work and for all it has done on behalf of

unenfranchise-d women.

PAOLA BENEDETTINl ALFERAZZI,
Secretary of the Federazionc pro Suffragio.
Home, May It).

 

NEWFOUNDLAND.

A banquet was given by the Newfoundland Woman
Suffrage League to- celebrate the passing of the Woman
Suffrage Bill. At this banquet a League of Woman
Voters was inaugurated to take the place of the existing
Suffrage League, which it is hoped will receive the sup-
;ort of women all over the island. The League is to: be

anon-party and is pledged to support the interests of

4 ’ women and children. The need for compulsory education,

better poor and health laws, etc., were among the topics
discussed.

 

ROUMANIA.

1\/ ME. Maltopolu has sent a brief account of a meeting

’ held in Bucarest on May 6 to celebrate the 20th

' anniversary of the first feminist meeting organised by
Mme. de Ruess Jancoulesco, who is president of the
League for the Rights and Duties of \Vomen. The large
hall of the Carol Foundation was too small to hold all
the people who came to acclaim and congratulate Mme.
Jancoulesco as the apostle of the feminist movement in
Roumaniaw-a movement fraught with tremendous
difficulties. The speakers included Mme. Sadoveanu,
who spoke. on behalf of the Association for the Civil and
,Political Emancipation of \Vomen, and Mme. de Reuss
Jancoulcsco answered from amidst a mass of beautiful
flowers present-ed to her by one of the peasant women, for
whom she has done so much.

 

SOUTH AFRICA.

The Labour Party and Women’s Suffrage, 1925.

URING the short session of the new Parliament
which followed immediately upon the Election of

1924, the llouse Committee was reconstituted. The two
Labour Ministers had been approached by the President
of the \Vomen’s Enfranchisement Association of
the Union and requested to introduce a Bill to
enfranchise women; they both declined, however, saying
that the Cabinet were divided on this question. As
there was no hope at all of a Govermnent Bill, Mr.
Mullineux was asked by the House Committee and repre-
sentatives of the \V.E.A.U. to introduce a. private Bill
to enfranchisc women. This he agreed to do, and the

THE INTERNATIONAL WOMAN SUFFRAGE NEWS. 139

matter was left in his hands. \Vhen the session of 1925
opened, a new situation arose. The Government intro-
duced an Electoral Bill, and the Speaker’s ruling was,
as on former occasions, that two Bills on the same sub-
ject could not be concurrently before the House. The
Government measure, of course, would have taken pre-
cedence of a. private Bill. It became necessary, there—
fore, to reconsider the situation. The Ilouse Committee
met with the representative of the \V.E.A.U. and
decided, in view of the Speaker’s ruling, to drop the
private Bill and introduce a suffrage amendment to the
Electoral Bill. Mr. Mullineux agreed to be responsible
for introducing this amendment. In support of this
policy a large deputation, representing 20,000 organised
women, waited upon the Prime Minister. It was a
matter for great regret that the leading Labour women,
Mrs. Creswell and Mrs. Boydell, refused to take part in
this. Some, weeks later, Mr. Mullineux, on behalf of the
Labour Caucus, announced that he would not be able to
introduce the amendment, and that the Labour Party
would not support it, because the Minister of the Interior
did not wish his Electoral Bill complicated by such an
amendment. The Labour Party say they feel bound to
support the Electoral Bill and assist the Minister in every
way to secure its passage. In view of these facts a
member of the South African Party has been approached
and asked to take charge of the amendment, which he
has agreed to do. As a result of the attitude adopted
by the pact, there is little hope of the amendment being
carried, but it is considered essential that the new Par-
liament should have an opportunity of affirming the
principle of women’s suffrage.

 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

OUR large gatherings of women in the last month,
bringing together representatives from virtually
every country in the world, stand out as impressive
testimonials to the march of progress women have made
in the last century.

For the first of these gatherings—the sixth annual
Convention of the National League of \Vomen Voters, in
Richmond, Va.—women came from all parts of the
United States for a serious six-day programme devoted
to consideration of the principal subjects of political
interest to women. It was the largest Convention the
League ever had, and its deliberations were the most
carefully considered in the history of the League. To
League members and the many special visitors who
thronged Richmond for their Convent-ion in the South,
the meetings had a deep significance in marking the first
five years of what might be truly called “ pioneer League
work.” To those who believed, back in 1920, that, with
suffrage won, there was no need for a. League of \Vomen
Voters, and, in fact, women should confine their political
views to work within the parties, there is but one answor:
“ Consider the five years’ achievements of the League.”
The test has been made, and in the words of Miss Belle
Sherwin, president of the League, “ the morrow is
assured.”

Five years of suffrage, to judge by the convincing and
scholarly way in which women have made use of the
ballot, was admirably reflected in Convention spirit and
action. Basking in the presence of such leaders in the
field of suffrage, social welfare, and better government,
as Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, Miss Julia C. Lathrop,
and Mrs. Maud Wood Park, the Convention expressed
a new spirit, a spirit which will “ keep on,” ever mind-
ful of Miss Lathrop’s comforting words that “ Democracy
moves slowly and painfully, but it moves forward.”
There were meetings devoted to international peace,
public welfare in government, efficiency in government,
an afternoon lesson in practical politics given by women
in public affairs in the United States, and an evening
with “ \Vomen in Public Affairs in Other Countries,”
when women from England, Servia, Italy, the
Philippines, and Brazil joined wit-h Mrs. Catt in speak-
ing of the movement for woman’s political advancement
the world over. ‘

But of the gala events there is one that stands out as
the banner occasion. To say it was a finance luncheon
stirs up visions of a still." technical programme, but never

 

  

140 THE INTERNATIONAL WOMAN SUFFRAGE NEWS.

in the history of women’s Conventions has a finance
gatheringr been made as “ gala ” as this one arranged by
Miss Katharine Ludington, the League’s treasurer.
There was a scenario, the guessing of a cross-word puzzle,
and then an hour of spirited pledging with over 983,000
promised for the 1925-26 budget. To be sure there
were plenty of pledges, but, Lady Astor’s cablegram
pledging $41,000.00 provoked special interest and grati-
tude, and before the afternoon was over even Lady
Astor’s cablegram was sold by enterprising finance
directors for $35.00].

The presence of Mrs. Corbett Ashby for three days
was a stimulating experience to her many admirers in
League gatherings. She had an honour place on the
platform during all business sessions, but made her only
address on the night of the banquet. ller greetings as a
president of the international \Voman Suffrage Alliance,
from the “ other thirty—nine members of the Alliance to
the American auxiliary—the Imague,” were warmly
receiv ad.

Three—quarters of a century ago a group of women
with a common object shocked the world by announcing
they believed in suffrage for women. Many scores of years
have rolled by, and the struggle is won; but to those
who have had a. part in such an epoch-making change of
affairs, there is nothing quite so exhilarating as " a (lay
of looking backwards.” And so, under the able leader-
ship of Mrs. Catt, the National American \Voman
Suffrage Association met in \Vashington 011 April 23 to
celebrate the rewards of ” its continuous struggle for
political freedom.” Members of the League, including
the board of directors, made up a large part of the dis-
tinguished throng which greeted l\“lrs. Catt and her
Executive Council. It was a. happy occasion, as Mrs. Ida
llusted l larper, Mrs. Harriet. Taylor Upton, Miss Mary
Garrett Hay, and Mrs. hIaud \Vood Park, and finally
l\'f_rs. Catt called to mind interesting experiences in the
old suffrage campaign. There was, too, a tinge of sad-
ness as tributes were paid to the gallant and dcvotcl
Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Harriet Cady Stan—
ton, and Dr. Anna Howard Shaw.

The board of directors of the Sufl'rage Association will
continue to be in existence until certain bequests amount
ing to about $30,000 made to the old association and now
held up by legal entanglements, are granted.

And now the third gathering of international import-
ance. The All-Ameri:an Association for the Advance-
ment of \Vomen met in Washington, late: in April, to
promote the work in which South American women.
joined hands with North American women at the first
Pan—American Conference of \Vomen called in 1922.
Again Mrs. Catt proved herself to be an astute leader.

An import-ant development was the change in aims of
the organisation to include the promotion of education
among all women, and the raising of the standard of
education among women, work for the welfare of women
and children, insurance of the civil rights of women, and
stimulation of ” friendship and mutual umlerstanding
between the: two Americas, with the aim of establishing
justice and maintaining permanent peace in the \Vestern
l:[emisphere.” An important resolution adopted called
upon the Pan-American Union to “ urge all American
nations to promote education through the establislnnent
of more schools, improvement of standards, and the en—
actment and enforcement of compulsory education
regulations.”

The Association hereafter will be known as the Inter-
American Union of \Vomen, and Miss Bertha Lutz, of
Brazil, who has been vice-president for South America
for the last three years, was elected president. Mrs.

Iatt- will remain as honorary president, and Miss Belle
Sherwin, president of the National League of \Vomen
Voters, was elected vice-president for North America:
Senora Estes Niera de Calvo, of Panama, vice-president
at large: Senora Amanda Labaroa, vice-president for
South America: and Senora Casal de Quiros, vice-
president for Central America. Brazil was selected as
the place for the next meeting.
- At the time of writing, the seventh (plinquennial of
the International Council of \Vomen is just getting under
way in \Vashington. Under the: leadership of the
Marchioness of Aberdeen, the Council bids fair to hold

JUNE, 1925.

sway in the capital city for nearly two weeks, and im—
portant issues of international importance will command
the attention of leading women from forty nations.

In a statement on the day of arrival of the foreign
delegates, l\l,rs.. l’hilip North Moore, president of the
National Council of \Vomen of the United States, and
vice-president of the international body, welcomed
Council delegates “ back home,” for it- was in \Vashing—
ton in 1888 that the Council was formed. Lady Aber—
deen. was elected its president in Chicago in 1893, when
the Council was still in its swaddling clothes.

ANNE WILLIAMs.

 

 

 

MISS BELLE SHERWIN, 'U.S.A.,
President: National League of Women Voters.

THE BAHAMAS.

T is of interest to record that on the 30th of April,
1925, the question of extending the Parliamentary
franchise to women was first brought before the Bahamas
Legislature. There was no serious attempt to pass a
measure. through the House, but the senior member for
Exuma, who has just visited Bermuda, where. a \Voman
Suffrage Bill has only recently been rejected by the House,
no doubt conceived the idea that the, time had come for
the matter to be discussed here, and gave the ,l louse the
opportunity by moving for the appointment of a select
committee to consider the question. He found some sup~
port, but a majority of the House by a silent vote rejected
the motion. No arguments were brought against it,
which showed that members either did not take the
motion seriously or were not prepared to go into‘dhe
merits of the question. H is unlikely, however, that the
matter will rest there, for having once been opened it will
not. take much to make it: a subject for serious discussion.
It. is not without interest to note that: while the women
of the Mother Country and some of the Dominions have
exercised the franchise for a number of years, it is only
within the last few weeks that it. has been extended to
the women of Newfoundlandwthe smallest dominion
and oldest colony in the Empire. In the next oldest
colony, Bermuda, from which the Bahamas were colonised
by men who brought with them the germ of representa-
tive institutions, a Bill extending to women the laws now
applicable to men with regard to Parliamentary,
municipal. and parochial rights, privileges, and
franchiszs was rejelted a few weeks ago after a campaign
cmulucted with much zeal and earnestness by the women
of that colo‘iiy. It is fitting, therefore, that the Bahamas
should be next in line, and it is remarkable that the