The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-07
The President Sends Especial Message
to Women

In the November Woman's Home Com
panion President Taft writes what might
be called special message to women on
/ the arbitration treaties which, as every
body knows, are aimed at the destruc-
tion Of war, but are objected to in certain
| particulars by the Senate What the
Senates objection means, and how wom-
en- can help to overcome it, are set forth
in an able editorial preceding the pres
dents article. A portion OF the editori-
al follows:
Suppose two men enter into con-
tract by which they mutually promise
that. in case of any serious disagree
ment, they shall take the issue to a court
instead Of fighting it out between them
selves, and to abide by the decision OF
that court.
THAT is exactly the nature of the
presidents arbitration treaties
"But the Senate, or rather the major
ity of the foreign relations committee Of
that body, wishes to reserve the privi-
lege OF deciding whether the disagree
ment is arbitrable after the disagreement
has arisen.
ITO the lay mind, this is obviously
vitiating to the spirit Of the proposed
treaties.
ITO use the presidents words: If the
treaties are to do all the good we hope,
they ought to bind us firmly when we do
not wish to be bound. They ought to
compel us to arbitrate when we would
rather not submit the question to an inn
partial tribunal An agreement which
leaves the parties to arbitrate when it
suits them is a pact that is written in
water, and might as well not have been
made
eThis, then, is the meaning of the
presidents message to the readers of the
Woman's Home Companion.
"You, the most intelligent body of
women of the United States, if YOU will
stand together in this thing, can WELD
more power than any legislative body in
the world.
You can stop the horrors and blood.
shed OF war, not only in this country,
but in every country.
You can divert the millions upon mil
lions of dollars now being spent annually
for destructive and defensive work to
such legitimate constructive effort as the
"NfAAE ~ psfhit7s lAS pitfbHllOH VI us
ease, and the conservation and national
development Of our resources. and there.
by contribute to the general welfare and
happiness.
You can prevent the Senate from
carrying out its apparent purpose of re-
moving from the treaties the binding
quality without which they lose much of
their efficacy and usefulness.
Now is the time to act Every wonl-
an who reads this page should write to
one or both of the senators representing
her state in Congress, and urge that the
treaties be ratified. Every individual.
every club, every church, every newspa-
per, every magazine. should use all pos
sible means to induce the Senate to sub
NIT to public opinion, which in this case
Is unquestionably with the president.
@The ratification of these treaties
means not only that President Taft goes
down into history as great and far
seeing statesman, and that the United
States Of America, the youngest of the
great nations, becomes the leader in the
triumphant progress toward universal
peace, but that husbands. sons and
brothers will never again be torn from
their homes to suffer or die amid the
horrors of war"