CAMBRIDGE AND WOMEN COMPROMISE DEFEATED. TITULAR DEGREES ONLY.

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. CAMBRIDGE, Thursday. The fight on the admission of women to the University culminated to-day, when members of the Senate again voted on a question which has been before them since 1897, when the Senate was asked to grant degrees to women and overwhelmingly rejected the proposals. Polling opened at nine o’clock and closed at 8.30 p.m. The voting was as follows:

GRACE I. (In favour of admitting women to limited membership of the University.) Against 908. For 694. Majority against 214. GRACE II. (In favour of conferring titular degrees on women by diploma.) For 1,012. Against 370. Majority for 642.

Since the passing of the Sex Disqualification Removal Act of 1919 and the concession of privileges by Oxford, the members of the women’s colleges at Cambridge have shown great persistency in their demands, and it is doubtful whether any of the previous tests of strength have brought forth so many flysheets or so much correspondence in the Press. Had it been left to the undergraduate members of the University, the future members of the Senate, to decide, there would have been no doubt as to the result. Since the war the vastly-increased numbers of male students who have been anxious to obtain University degrees, particularly in the sciences, have found great difficulty owing to the overcrowded state of the laboratories, in prosecuting their studies except under decidedly adverse conditions, and on each and every occasion when they have had an opportunity of expressing their opinion they have done so with no uncertain voice. For instance, on Tuesday last, at a debate at the Union Society, they defeated by more than a twoto-one vote a motion expressing the belief that Grace II., which was to offer women titular degrees, did not sufficiently meet the aspirations of the students at the women’s colleges.

Following the defeat by the Senate ten months ago of a Grace which would have granted full status to the women, the supporters of the latter drew up another Grace (Grace I.), called the “Compromise,” which was the principal issue before the Senate to-day. If carried it would allow women members of the University to be elected to professorships, to compete for University prizes, give them places on Syndicates and Boards of Studies, but exclude them from becoming members of the Senate, the electoral roll, and from seats on the Council of the Senate. It would at the same time place a limit on the number of women in the University.

During the forenoon an undergraduate “rag” was organised, and a procession paraded the central part of the town, causing considerable amusement. The procession was headed by two pipers, followed by a female proctor, who was leading two bullpups. Next came a number of undergraduettes, then a man in chains labelled “Mere Man.”

Rain was falling steadily when the poll opened at nine o’clock, and the proceedings during the first hour were not particularly animated, but later, when the non-resident members of the Senate began to arrive, more interest was evinced. Official announcement was made during the voting, but it was understood that after the first hour the supporters of Grace I. led by five votes. The next session was from 11.30 to one. Shortly after, it was rumoured that the opponents of Grace I. held a lead of over a hundred, which, it is supposed, they improved upon between three and four o’clock.