Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-15
WOMEN FOR PEACE
Meeting Held Yesterday Endorses the
Cars Proposition.
GRADUAL DISARMINGI OF NATIONS
Resolutions to Be Forwarded to
Committee at Berlin.
THE SEVERAL ADDRESSES

Al ExS
An audience composed principally of rep
resentatives of the various organizations of
women In the District of Columbia as
sembied yesterday afternoon at the First
Congregational Church, in response to an
invitation from the American branch of the
International women's peace committee, to
consider resolutions in favor of the aims
for which the cars peace conference has
been convened
Mrs. Clinton Smith, president of the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union of the
District of Columbia, presided. With her
on the platform were Mrs. Alexander Kent,
president Of the Federated Clubs of the
District of Columbia; Mrs Mary Church
Terrell, president of the National Council
of Colored Women; Miss Janet Richards of
the Congress Of Mothers; Mrs. Belva A.
Lockwood of the Washington College of
Law; Mrs. Judith Ellen Foster and Mrs.
Kate Waller Barrett
The principal addresses were made by
Mrs Kent and Mrs. Lockwood. The former
in part said:
In every town, village and hamlet large
enough and possessed of sufficient life to
sustain a woman's club throughout this
grand United States of ours. and through
out all the countries represented in the IN
ternational Peace Union, they will today
and tomorrow hold mass meetings of
women.
ITO prepare the public mind for this
great demonstration, wherever it has been
found advisable, pastors were asked to
preach sermons on the cars conference
this Sunday morning. The press has also,
with it's usual courtesy. taken an interest
and published many articles pertaining to
this vital question which we all have at
heart.
The text Of these resolutions, beauu-
fully iiiuminated and engrossed on pa aT..
ment, will be sent Immediately by Mrs
Sewan to the central bureau of the interna-
tional committee at Berlin.
The international committee desires that
identical in all meetings held in any one
country. The central committee, now sit
ting at Berlin, will remove to The Hague
May 16, and will already have arranged the
resolutions which will have been sent IN
flom the different countries in order for
presentation at the conference.
Cab1egram to Ambassador White.
Tomorrow morning a cablegram will be
sent to Mr.. A. D. White, the United States
amba ssador at Berlin, informing him OF
what has been done in the interest of the
conference by the women of America. The
object in sending the cablegram is to en-
able the central committee, which will be
in session at The Hague May 10, TO
make a. sum total for every country OF
the number of women convened in meetings
to express their Interest in gradual disar-
mament and in International arbitration.
The time has been SO short 1t has been
impossible to reach one-tenth of the women
in the District of Columbia who are inter-
ested in and would like to give their
voice and vote for the cars proposition for
peace, arbitration and gradual disarma-
ment.
1T is very suggestive that so many wo-
men all over our land and all over the
world are In council over this ail-absorbing
subject. Our government did not see fit
to appoint woman 10 represent our coun-
try at this great meeting, although it was
invited to do so, and one of the ablest Wo-
men In the District named for the po
sition. Nevertheless, we will be heard at
The Hague.
"rhis proposition of the emperor comes
in very opportunity. Fifteen months ago
we might have treated the subject rather
lightly. If we mothers have any voice or in
fiuence let us use it now In time of peace
let us prepare for perpetual peace"
Mrs. Lockwood's Address.
Miss Fisher read the cars manifesto,
after which Mrs. Lockwood spoke on The
Proposition of Nicholas II of Russia"
Among other things she said:
II am sure the prayers and best wishes
Of all right-thinking people for the ultimate
success of this conference should be put
forth. AS individuals we too often forget
that We each have subtle influence which
tends to make or unmake nations-to puri-
fly or corrupt society, which in the aggre-
gate makes up the sum total of human life.
We band ourselves together in societies be-
cause many persons are stronger than one,
and the w. c. T. T., the Federation of Wo-
mems Clubs and the Council Of Women
have taught US that harmony and unity in
diversity gives q potent strength that may,
Il welded wisely, sway this great nation of
ours into paths of right and justice, when
the title of neutral and peace-loving, which
We have borne SO long, will be restored to
us; and we will recognize with one accord
the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood
of man.
But this reform to be genuine and per-
manent must begin in our homes. We must
teach our children to be kind and peace
loving, impress upon them the sanctty of
human Hfe and set them ourselves the ex-
ample of kindness and helpfulness to each
other, and of charitable thoughts, thinking
no evil. Many children are born thieves
burglars, incendiaries and murderers. be-
cause their uneducated mothers have not
restrained their appetites and passions, and
have thus given birth to criminals instead
of peaceful, law-abiding citizens.
I'VE owe a duty first to ourselves to
make the most of our opportunities posi-
BILE, and next to society to see that our IN
fiuence upon it is pure and uplifting The
policy of a country is taken from its indi-
vidual membership, and is cultured or saw
age in the proportion that it's citizens are
cultivated or brutal But war is. and al
ways has been, brutal. Its very success is
brutality, and 1t settles nothing except the
question of brute force. 1t Is to be honed
that this conference at The Hague viii
open the way for It's Punishment. not only
by so-called Christian and civilized nations