fawcett and catt were preparing to send a deputation from the alliance to the peace conference to ask for a declaration for woman suffrage when the national woman suffrage association of france, through its president, mme. de witt-schlumberger, took the initiative and called for the national associations of the allied countries to send representatives to paris to bring pressure on it. they were cordially received by the members of the conference and a pronouncement in favor of the political equality of women and eligibility to the secretariat was placed in the constitution of the league of nations, which attracted the attention of the world.