The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-09-05
Woman ! and war

control, we will never carelessly
| throw them in to fill up the gaps in
human relationships made by inter-
national ambitions and greeds. The
thought would never come to us as
women; in mems bodies; set
tle'~the thing SOL Arbitration and
compensation would as naturally oc-
cur to her as cheaper and simpler
I'methods Of bridging the gaps in ma
tional relationships, as to the sculptor
1t would occur to throw in anything
rather than statuary, though, he
might be driven to that at last!
|, This is one Of those phases of hu-
man life, not very numerous, but very
important, toward which the man as
man. and the woman as woman, on
the mere ground of their different
sexual function with regard to repro
duction, stand, and must stand, at a
somewhat different angle. The ply
steal creation Of human life, which,
in as far as, the male is concerned
consists in few moments of physi-
cal pleasure, to the female must al
ways signify months of pressure and
and physical endurance, crowned
with danger to- life. To the male,
the giving Of life is a laugh; to the
female, blood, anguish and sometimes
death. Here We touch one of the
few, yet important, differences be-
tween man and woman as such.
The 10000 men prematurely slain
on: field of battle, mean, to the
women of their race, 10000 human
creatures to be borne within them for
months. giverf birth to in anguish,
fed from their breasts and reared
with toll, If the numbers Of the tribe
and the strength of the nation are to
be .maintained.a In nations continu-
ally at war, incessant and unbroken
child bearing rs by war imposed on
all women If the state Is to survive;
and whenever war occurs, if numbers
are to be maintained, there must be
an increased childbearing and rear
ing: This throws upon woman as
woman a. war tax, compared with
which all, that the male expends in
military preparations is comparative
ly light. ="
The relations of the female toward
the production Of human life influ-
ence undoubtedly even her relation
toward animal and all life. 1T is 4
fine. day, let US 60 out and kill some
.thing!'.' cries the typical male Of GER
tain races, instin ctively; there il a
living thing, it will die If it is not
cared for. ''*says the average woman,
almost equally instinctively. It is
true that the woman will sacrifice as
merciless y, as cruelty, the life of a
hated rival or an enemy as any
males but she always knows what she
Is, doing, and the value Of the life she
takess. There is no light-hearted.
careless equipment in the sacrifice Of
life to the. normal woman; her in
:stinct, Instructed by experience, steps
In to: prey ente It.. She always knows
VIII ataIifet :cpsts and that it is more
easy to:dsstroy. than create it.
But for the vast bulk of humanity
probably for generations to come, the
instiftctiye fant agonism Of the human
cMldbearers. to s"reckless destruction
ef: that which she has at so much
cost :preduceds will probably be nee
essary to educate the race to any
" clear. copception"of the bestiality and
insa nifty: of war.
War*'wi,f pass when intellec+ ual
culture and activity have made pos
sible to the Female an equal share in
the control and government of
modern life 1t. will probably not pass
Ia away much sooner: it's extinction. will
mot be delayed much longer.
:: 1T Isl ESPECIALLY in the domain Of
|FWar!! sthat~swe, =the bearers of mems
/ bodies. who supply it's most valuabl
munitions. who mot amid the clamor
and ardor of battle, but singly, and
alone,< with a three-in- the-morning
courage; shed our blood and face
death that the battlefield might have
its: food, a food more precious to US
than our hearts blood; it is we es-
pecially. who. in the domain of war,
have our word to say, a word no man
can say for us. 1t is our intention to
enter into the domain of war and to
labor there till in the course of gen.
'.erations We hays, ,extih guished it.
~