New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-09
WOMEN BEAR WARS BURDEN
What They Do in the Field and at
Home and Why Their Voice
Should Be Heard.

10 the Editor VI II he Tribune.
Sir: In reply to the statement fire.
Quently made that women should not
vote because they cannot bear arms
when the nation Is at war, permit me
to submit the following facts:
Women were originally and still arc
exempted from fighting not because OF
inability, but because their function OF
4 motherhood renders them too valuable
10 the race to permit them to be vast
cd in war. When driven to last stand
the women Of the savage or seml-civ-
lized peoples light side by side with
the men OF their tribe and with equal
'crocity. But woman chief business
p f. mo.herng.' and interference with
this business means the destruction o.
the race.
I The soldier may give his life to Dc
stroy the life OF an enemy, Dut tne
mother faces death in order 10 bestow
( life. This is the higher duty.
Woman's work in war has been 70
relieve the suffering caused b. man >
rashness. Florence Nightingale ana
Clara Barton and their thousands o.
women helpers organized hospital anu
Red Cross work that have not only
mitigated the horrors OF war, but nave
relieved the suffering from plague,
earthquake, famine, flood and hfe, al
over the world, thus bringing nearer
the true brotherhood OF man.
Women bear the burden OF war.
Every gble.bodied man taken from farm
or factory leaves his work Tor the
women to 90. This is clearly shown
in European countries where even IN
times OF peace the women work IN the
fields and In the mines, and are har-
messed 20 the plough because OF the
heavy military duty demanded OF the
men. No one can doubt that i Is the
women and children who bear the real
burden Of the war IN Europe.
Mans ability 10 bear arms has no
relation ~ hi. right to vote. The punt
st. weakest, teeblest man goes unchal-
lengcd 20 .hs ballot box. \ large ma
jority OF men who appear betorc n
recruiting sergeant are rejected a.
physically unfit, yet all may vote. Jus
tee, then, demands that women should
not be disfranchised because Of weak
ness.
But the best answer is that war be-
longs to barbaric ages and conditions
and should have no consideration in
the government Of civilized nations.
The United states government spends
IS cents OF every dollar of the total
yearly budget for wars past, present
or to come. leaving but 81 cents tOr
all useful purposes. OF this useful
balance = cents goes COR improving
rivers md ha 'bors, ! cents for Depart
mcut Cf Agriculture, cents for the
Panama Canal. and bat lJ0th OF cent
Tor tie Children's Bureau, and about
the same amount for the Bureau OK
Education. Women DO not rate chill
dren as less valuable and important
than hogs and fish.
In time OF war schools are closed
md occupied as barracks or hospitals.
Women wan. their children educated.
In .Ae recent Balkan war all that Was
accomplished Was the transfer 10 three
OF the warning nations OF 1880 square
miles Of territory. less IN size than the
State OF New York, and this wa
achieved b. the sacrifice OF ioO,OOo
men, either killed or permanently DIS
abled, al cost estimated a. from
81 ,250 900 900 10 SI.500.000 900. This -
AL estimate OF nothing but actual mili.
tary expenditures. Il takes no note or
the terrific destruction ot economic
values and interference with commerce,
industry and agriculture, when WIZ
run into billions Of dollars. Nor does
Il count the frightful increase ~ the
military expenditures Of AL the grea..
powers OF Europe in order TO maintain
an armed neutrality. Nor does it count
the cost ii the loss OF the labor OF the
young men OF France, Tor whom the
three years of military service was re,
established. And all this waste and
destruction merely ~ prepare Tor the