THE SUFFRAGETTE SCANDAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 7

THE SUFFRAGETTE SCANDAL.

MR. M'KENNA'S DEFENCE. / VIGOROUS ATTACK ON HOME SECRETARY. "DEPORT THEM." London, March 18. Tho efforts—or rathea tho lack of efforts, as it was complained—of the Government to copo with militant Suffragettes were indicted in tho House of Commons to-day. Mr. Harold Smith moved a reduction of tho Hoiuo OSico vote to draw attention to "the ineptitude and inefficiency" of tho Homo Secretary. _ Lord Robert Cecil, who is an ardent Suffragist, said tho policy of tho militnnts was "an attack on tho liberty and civilisation of tho country. It is perfectly certain to lead to something approaching lynch law. S'oino of these women are undoubtedly of the stuff that fanatics are made of." It was mere pedantry to deal with such persons by 'tlio ordinary forms .of the law. The process of forcible feeding was in itself a severe punishment, but tho public did not realise that. They looked only to the fact that tho women wero let out.

"You must provide some new form of punishment or preventive measures," he declared. "I should recommend that theso women be deported from this country 'for a very considerable' period." Genoral laughter greeted this proposal. "Where are you going to send them?" inquired a member humorously, and from the Irish benches came a mocking voico: "Oh, Ireland!" "I want to bring homo to the public how small in number tho failures havo been," said the Homo Secretary in his defence. They wero "insignificant beyond belief in comparison with nil the outcry that has been raised." Since the beginning of the year 58 jiersons .havo either served their sentence in full or aro now their sentence. In only 8 cases out of OB has there been failure. All the 8 were women, and they were released because they Tefused to take food". "Do these facts justify 'tho assertion that tho law has broken down?" Mr. M'Kenna asked sharply. Some cheering was tho : response.

To show tho determination of the women, he said, some pretended to tako their food and starved surreptitiously in order to .become too weak to bo dealt with. v Trying to Catch Cold. "One of tho prisoners recently sponged herself all over with warm water at night and lay on tho bed without any bedclothing, with no other object than to catch her death of cold in order to dio in prison. I know it is said, 'Leave them to starve. . Give them some milk; they will drink it." Why! some of them refuse to-take water, and voluntarily submit to self-torture, "These are the facts we have to face. The women ivant to make martyrs of themselves in order that the cause may receive further stimulus by their death. Forcible feeding would not be abandoned, because the knowledge that it would be resorted to resulted in many of the women taking food ,in the ordinary way. "The alternatives we havo to face are to let them out or let them die,' the Home Secretary submitted. "I absolutely decline to let .them die," he added in firm tones. "Are wo to let the -women die because they havo broken windows and are so obstinate in their political convictions that they would rather starve and die than give in?. A least 30, 40, or 50 women would como forward..to die. They, are hysterical women who.lto more fear death in fighting this battle than. the Dervishes of the Sudan. .-Fortunately there are; not, many of them.'£' *•"

As to .deportation, "I am not sure that they would not starve themselves on tho way," was his comment, and he declared that in the new legislation, which would •enable'him to. deal- with tho • liberated women as ..prisoners on licence, he wonkl have an effective remedy. "If members will hnvo patience I. think they, will find the law strong enough to maintain order. In a bitter personal attack. Sir Arthur Markham, a Liberal, told Mr. M K&nna. that his limitation was. based on stripped tobacco. anil his services as a party hack. Thoro was a conspiracy oil tho part of til© Suffragettes to kidnap.Mr. M'Kenna. If they are successful, forcible feeding msy give him a little of the strength he requires at tho present time. He urged that the women. should bs allowed to starve. It was not a widespread conspiracy, and if those women who were • drawing large emoluments from tho movement —"some of thorn get <£1500 to .£2OOO a year"—deliberately chose to take the risit of death the risk was theirs. Ho supported deportation, and recommended the : Scottish isles of Rum, Eigg, and Muck.(Laughter.) Only one woman need be allowed die, said Sir Frederick Banbury. "There would be no more." j Freed Hunger-Striker. I Later Mr." M'Kcnna explained his action in releasing. Lilian Lenton "'hen she was under remand in prison without consulting tho magistrates. ' If, he said, addressing Mr. Rawlinson, 'you saw a house on fire, what authority would you have for breaking into it to save the lite of the inmates? Of'course, you would do it, but you would be acting illegally. In that sense my action may have been U; legal, but it was my duty to save life. It was a Sunday afternoon, a telephone was sent to tho Boin© Ofncc t'lQt r 'it might' be a question of minutes if her life was to In* saved, and there was no time to hunt up tho addresses of magistrates. "Any Homo Secretary .who in. Hie circumstances delayed his decision would deserve to be hanged with- his own red tape." (Chears and laughter.) The amendment was rejected by 22-1 to 100. _____