“ RUSSIA. It would be difficult to relate the story of woman suffrage in Russia. In the villages and among the peasants women had long voted at the local elections either as proxies of the husband or by right of owning property, and among the nobility and wealthy classes they could vote through male proxies. There was little national suffrage even among men and the Revolution after the Russo-Japanese war was a struggle for representation. In March, 1905, a Russian Union of Defenders of Women's Rights was started in Moscow and spread among different classes throughout Russia. ”

“ In the autumn the president of the Woman's Alliance Union, Miss Annie Furuhjelm, returned from the inspiration of the great International Council of Women in Berlin and the forming of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance. With the political oppression now existing the women were feeling a strong desire to share in the responsibility for the fate of the country. Under the auspices of the Union the first public meeting for woman suffrage was held in Helsingfors on November 7, attended by more than a thousand women of all classes and all parties. ”

“ The last twenty years are like an Adventure of a Thousand Nights for suffragists. What was sown and seemed lost has sprouted and brought the greatest victories around the world. May women now be able to do at least a little of the good that the workers for the suffrage have dreamt that it would bring to the nations. ”

“ There were suffrage societies in 87 cities and towns composed of all classes. The women were badly treated by all political parties and excluded from their meetings, the Radicals and Social Democrats being their strongest opponents. The struggle continued with sometimes a favorable and sometimes an unfavorable Government and always the contest by men for their own universal suffrage. In 1913, through the remarkable efforts of Rosika Schwimmer, the International Suffrage Alliance held its congress in Budapest with delegates from all over the world. ”

“ Stritt wrote to the International Suffrage News: "We German women have at present no reason to rejoice over the progress of our cause but we have followed with all the greater joy the unexpected success of our sisters in other countries." ”

“ The Cabinet in 1919 proposed a bill which would give a vote to all women over 23 years old and it was placed on the program of the Republican party. There are eight or ten suffrage societies in different cities united in a Supreme Feminist Council, which holds congresses and has presented to the Parliament petitions signed by thousands of women asking for complete political and legal, equality. It is an auxiliary of the International Alliance. There have been attempts to organize for woman suffrage in Portugal. ”

“ MEXICO. The constitution made for Mexico after the last revolution gave the suffrage to all citizens without distinction of sex and women have voted in Yucatan but the elections through- out the country have not been settled enough for them to exercise their right. There are suffrage societies among the different classes of women and the wage-earners are especially insistent on having a voice in the Government. The President is quoted as having said that the time when women will vote is near at hand. ”

“ In the midst of the war King Albert and Queen Elizabeth had expressed themselves in favor of the enfran- chisement of women but when he opened the first Parliament after it was over he recommended only equal, universal suffrage for men. ”

“ As a result many Municipal Councils adopted resolutions calling on the Depu- ties to pass a woman suffrage bill. In 1912 the Chamber was discussing a bill to extend the vote to illiterate men and one was introduced to give it to women, which was defeated through the influence of Premier Giolitti, but the balloting showed that it was not a party question. His government was continued in power by a large vote at the next election. The King in opening Parliament promised a bill to give civil rights to women. ”

“ In the second revolution in 1917 women took practically the same part as men and in the Provisional Government which was the result there was no question as to their equal rights in suffrage and office holding. ”

“ In February, 1909, the Government's bill embodying universal suf- frage for men finally passed both Chambers and it included eligibility to the municipal offices for the women who could vote for them, which the suffrage association had worked for. The next April the first woman suffrage bill was passed by the Second Chamber. In 1910 37 women were chosen for the councils in 34 towns, which partly elect the First Chamber. ”

“ Although throughout the more than four years of war the women worked eagerly for the suffrage through their organizations, demanding it in public meetings and petitioning legislative bodies, they did not get it by their own efforts but by the Revolution in November, 1918, at the end of the war. ”

“ At that time a hundred societies of women sent delegates. It was opened by Premier Gounaris and the King and Queen were present. Woman suffrage was the leading feature and several Cabinet Ministers announced the intention of the Government to confer it. Queen Sophia decorated Madame Parron, president of the congress, and thanked her for devoting her life to the progress of Greek women. There have been the usual delays but the women will probably be enfranchised in the not distant future. ”

“ In 1907 the Parliament gave a vote to women for public boards and the right to be elected to them and the Upper House aban- doned its opposition to enfranchising married women. A strong movement was developed among women and many new sufh societies were formed. On April 20, 1908, the Parliament gave ngle women who pay taxes and to married women whose husbands are taxpayers the Municipal franchise and eligibility. This was a be^innin^ and the Suffrage Association distributed 18,000 circulars to women in Copenhagen before the elections the following March urging them to go to the polls. ”

“ Travellers in various districts of Turkey report that WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN MANY COUNTRIES 803 in some of them women are permitted to vote and hold office. Before the outbreak of the War there was some suffrage among the property owning women in the Jewish colonization of Pales- tine. After it was taken by General Allenby the Jewish Provi- sional Assembly called to arrange for a National Constituent mbly provided that women as well as men should vote for it. ”

“ The Liberals and Social Democrats put woman suffrage in their programs. At the opening of Parliament the King's speech contained a few favor- able words. Leading members conferred with the Executive Committee of the National Suffrage Association, with the result that it arranged a meeting at the Grand Hotel with many meniKMs of Parliament present, who were addressed by prominent women and seemed much impressed, but all suffrage bills were lost. 782 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE The well-organized suffragists then went actively into the cam- paign and worked to defeat their opponents. ”

“ Petersburg, welcomed by the Mayor and addressed by members of Parliament and eminent women, and was favorably received. Many women's societies were formed but worked under great difficulties. Woman suffrage bills came before the Douma and it passed one giving the Municipal franchise, after striking out eligibility, but the Czar did not sign it. A bill for adult suffrage was taken up and Professor Miliukov made a brilliant plea for enfranchising women but it was not passed and the suffrage had not been granted to women at the beginning of the war in 1914. ”

“ In 1918 a 780 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE referendum was taken, in which women voted, on making Iceland an independent State having a personal union with Denmark and the same King, which resulted favorably. ”

“ The new constitution provided that all women over 20 should have full suffrage and eligibility to all offices, national and State, on the same terms as men. For the first elections the following February the Austrian Union of Suffrage Societies and the National Coun- cil of Women worked together and it was estimated that 2,000,- ooo women voted ”

“ They had a Woman Suffrage Committee and petitioned the Diet to include women in the new electoral law of 1907 but it received word from Vienna that nothing must be done. By 191 1 a Woman Suffrage Committee was doing a good deal of active suffrage work and women's organizations were being formed in the political parties but the Social Democratic was the only one that favored equal suffrage. For a number of years the women endeavored to secure the nomination of a woman candi- date for the Bohemian Diet but were always unsuccessful. ”

“ They have obtained laws for equal pay, the opening of all positions to women and equal status in marriage. WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN MANY COUNTRIES 779 ICELAND. Iceland was a dependency of Denmark with its own Parliament, the Althing. In 1881 a bill was passed, presented by Skuli Thorvoddsen, a member and an editor, giving to widows and spinsters who were householders or maintained a family or were self-supporting, a vote for parish and town councils, district boards and vestries, at the age of 25, which became law in 1882. ”

“ The Labor Party made woman suffrage a part of their program, the Lindhagen group supported it, a number of bills were brought in but all was in vain. At a woman suffrage mass meeting in 1908 in Stockholm thousands were turned away. ”

“ Women occupy an advanced position in Argentina in education, in business and in organi/cd work. They have had during the past twenty years an excellent training through the- National Council of Women and they have < much influence in public affairs. ”

“ They received the suffrage and eligibility for the Reichstag, and for the Parlia- ments of the States and local bodies universal, equal, direct and secret and applied exactly on the same terms as to men. Women are by the constitution eligible to all State and Government offices. ”