Suffragettes

Saturday, November 2nd., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

In Town yesterday I found myself on the fringes of a suffragette "outrage". Strolling along Regent Street, gathering ideas, paying no particular attention to my surroundings. Suddenly I became aware of a woman ten or fifteen yards away, standing quite still at the edge of the pavement which was moderately crowded with shoppers; pale, meagre sort of woman, wisps of light hair emerging from a small dark hat; dark clothes, rather dowdy and not well-to-do. What caught my attention most was the look on her face, a half-smile or more nearly a half-snarl. Then she opened her bag, took something from it, and hurled it through the adjacent shop window. Just like that. As if the sound of breaking glass were a signal, which I suppose it was, along the street (ahead of and behind me) there were similar sounds of shattering and shouts of "Votes for Women". All done so quickly that I just stood there, mouth agape no doubt. Their job done the women disappeared individually into the crowds, to avoid being seized by the police I expect. Disciplined and effective. I am full of admiration for these women who risk imprisonment and social sanction. Would I have the courage to act in an important cause I believed in? I doubt it.

This was my first experience of suffragettes in action and reflecting on it later on the train I was reinforced in my view that miltant acts are justified and necessary. In fact I consider that more will be needed before progress is made. I cannot see the present parliament extending the franchise. What is really needed is a martyr. This might be a woman who dies whilst being "force-fed" (an absolutely barbaric practice), but better would be a public death in the course of a militant act. Of course I regret that anyone should die, but I doubt that anything less will bring this matter to a climax. No doubt there will be much chuntering about suffragette action inconveniencing ordinary people going about their business; ordinary people who see no further than the end of their noses and accept the status quo. They probably vote (if they are men) Tory. Enough said!