SYLVIA PANKHURST SENTENCED

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 82, 31 December 1920, Page 5

SYLVIA PANKHURST SENTENCED

SIX MONTHS AS SHE EXPECTED.

Miss Sylvia Pankhurst, charged on remand at the London Mansion House with -publishing seditious articles in her Communist paper, the "Workers' Dreadnought," was sentenced to six months' imprisonment in tlhe second division. The Magistrate (Sir Alfred Newton) said that m his opinion the Government had taken a most lenient course in proceediug against her under a particular section of a charge which liniiifed the 6entance.

At the previous hearing Mr. Travers Humphreys, fur the Director of Public Prosecutions, referred to four articles which he said advocated revolution and resistance to all constituted authority. Mi&s Paivkhm'st, wearing a long fawn coat and a grey felt hat, conductcd her own dofence. At intervals in her 6peebh she paused to raise a bunch of red carnations to her face. •

She said that of the four articles sho herself had written only one, and that Jinrl not been read. She then read it'. Referring to tho coal strike the article said: "Communists, now is the time to prove your revolutionary fervour. Work to bring- about the strike. "Work to extend the strike to all industries. Work to enlarge the objects of the strike to tiho overthrow of Capitalism and the establishment of Soviet."

liaising her voice and looking round the Court, she declared, "Tho chargo is that I am preaching revolution in this country, and I shall go on .preaching it. The' present system is wrong and must bo smashed. I would give my life ill smnsh it. X don't apologise for my ideas. If you punish me for them your conscience should ask you why it is I should not he able to say the same things as others have done."

Mr. TTavers Humphdoys, in 6pite of a strong objection from Miss Pankhurst, then quoted - from a leilter she was believed to have written to a member of the Moscow Soviet, and which was found on the Innn, believed to be Lenin's secret courier, remanded at Bow Street on a chargo of failing to register as an alien. It 6tated: "I shall be going to prison in a. few days, and I suppose I shall get sis months."

Passing sentence, the Magistrate snid "I shall refrain from lecturing you."

Miss Pankhurst (loudly, and with a laugh): "Quito so." Sho tfhen passed but of tho dock.