The Washington times., 1915-02-23
Bv FLORENCE E. YODER.


wv ITH the presentation OF
NH/ the Childrcns Peace Pc
w tition to Secretary of
State Bryan today. when
scroll signed with the names or
a5o. 900 American school children "no
want peace, will be sent on its way
to the sovereigns Of the warring ma
tions. history. as usual repeats IL
self. The second Children's Crusade
Is on.
Tne little children guided by Kate
Devereux Blake. suffragist and prin-
cipal of Public School. No. S. IN New
York. have been collecting signatures
since September, and although the
LIST is nv no means complete with
names still coming in, 1t was thought
advisable to present the monster Pc
tition without further delay.
Secretary Bryan was formally pre-
sented with the document today ny
a committee and twelve washington
girls.
Seven hundred and thirteen years
ago. in 1912 the little children OF
Europe. hoping to accomplish through
strength Of spirit what the Crusaders
had rallied to accomplish tnrousn
physical strength alone, SET OUT iruma tha
all of the countries 10 rescue the
Holy Scpulchre.
Strength of Weakness.
The story of their failure, OF their
cruel sacrifice, is one Of the blots on
tie pages Of European history.
They wandered about dying by the
roadside. perishing in the SHOWS ana
adding to the horror Of war ten
thousand fold. or the German chll-
dren 20,00) are said to have reached
Genoa. but cs the countless hundreds
who died unknown. save by tneir
parents, history has made no RECORD,
That was the way OF appearing
with the strength of weakness IN
1ns and the signal futility of 1t an
Is an index Of the civilization in that
century. &c
The sending of the signatures, as
a legal representation OF tne ,;n,h @
dren themselves is the twentieth
century method, but whether or not
civilization has made any strides
since III. remains to. be seen.
The petition which secretatH,
Bryan will be given TO-DAY snn'
Miss Blake, Ito submit TO .,;e az ;s
bassadors of the warning nations IS
Two miles long, and although tne
Man originated with me, and the
work was done entirely through my
| efforts, the cooperation or the 1ortS-
four States represented, the natloh-
| al sentiment expressed through me
| Nero existence of such docnnchl.
| should be the arguments OF greatest
| weight for its serious CONSIDERATION
Free and Full Action.
Miss Blake. when asked whether
| or not the children really knew
| what they were doing. laughed
| heartily.
There are dozens of stories l
could tell you to prove that they
do" she answered, but one will suf'
flee. In rural school in the West
the whole school body signed with
the single exception of a hoy. Wher
asked why he did not. he stolidiy
said; They goi into II themselves
| let them get out II that isn't doinl
| iust what he thought, ! don't know
| what free action is'
"ln other schools, the matter wa
| given shrious consideration and II
| no place was the petition signed un
| ill the children knew its full import
| In many of the Western schools lie
bates were held and "A decision wa
reached in that manner"
The story of how Miss lilak
thought of the plan Is typical of tn
manner IN which most persons re
| ceived tho news of the war.
II had been doing suffrage cam
paign work in the West" she said