New Britain herald., 1915-08-20
No Predisposition for Peace Among
Women of Warning Nations of Europe
Mrs Reginald Wright Kau ffman, After Investigation
Says Weaker Sex of Beligerents Believes Her Coun-
try Must See Fight Through to Conclusive Finish


They may tell of one and then all
other nation, or groups OF theill' ~
ing for wars cessation; the peace
propagandists here may SPEAK o. "stA
WEAKNESS, but there is no preoi0po'
ton for peace, says an ooserVah' -
eller just returned from sCou'ii.s
expedition to Europe. ana sue 20
Ruth Kaufman, Reginald .Wrlght
Kauffmar's wife, and herself writer
of no mean parts.
There is no predisposition Tor
peace" Mrs. Kaufman again empna-
sized. II have talked to women IN all
conditions of life. But no one de-
sires peace. No one wants to thlnh
Of peace Of this Mrs Kaufman IS
sure because while she went 10 Eu-
, rope early in June in order to see 10
the proper conduct of some of her al
! fairs she took advantage of this OPP
portunity to interview everybody TO
whom she could talk on war condl-
tions-even the charwomen.
Not LukeWarm i'll PaWoman's work.
Most Americans feel quite sure that
the majority of French women are
loyal to their country and loyal to
their. countrys policy. In this they
are quite correct. But we American
women have the idea that English
women are either lukewarm in their
patriotism or rigidly international, de-
pending upon the individual point of
view. But that is" distinctly wrong,
for the English woman is as single
minded as is the French woman-and
as doubtless is the German woman
in her belief that her country must
see the fight through to a conclusive
finish.
Everything, every thought, every
emotion is subordinated to the
thought of national glory. All prin
ciples have yielded to and become
transmogrified into a yearning for ma
tional victory.
War babies? There is no in
crease in illegitimacy. The old evil
is called by a fascinating new name.
But I heard an English woman say
If I only thought all my babies would
be boys [ would go on having them,
as many as I could in her desire
to help her land.
You may call that a. Spartan senti-
ment, coming from a woman who
spends her days in machine factory,
her leisure working for the wounded
and the majority of her hours nurs-
ing her children.
''Then, too, there is another Spar
tan sentiment, or at least the express
sion of it might indicate a like origin
in the hearts of the many, many wo.
men who haze given utterance to it.
One hears every day and everywhere
in England the assertion that they
would rather see their husbands dead
than know they we're taken prisoners
French Prisoners Hate German Bread
Perhaps it is because they fear
that the prisoners are i'll used. There
is some fear that the prisoners are
being starved. Certainly the French
prisoners hate the sort of bread that
the Germans serve them, and write
home plaintively for French bread.
And it may be that to these women
has come home the poignant dis
honor that, attaches to the man who
comes home without his spear"
Mrs. Kaufman is very young and
charming, with an un-American cast
of features, her high cheek bones and
deep-set eyes proclaiming her SEEM
ingly to be from Northern Europe.
And her. intense sensitive face broke
into smiles as she recalled an Incl
dent whose point was her appearance.
'You@are boche?" asked that part
of a French regiment which was
crammed into her compartment, on
It's way to the front.
No.. she said,: 1T am an Amer
lcan," and great enthusiasm and ur~
gent offers of assistance were forth
coming in, place of the earlier rather
terrifying scowls and side chances.
Travel in Europe is not entirely SIM
! pie or unfraught with dangers at
present" she observed quickly.
But the interior of France is one
vast hospital. Every house, every
hall, and even the public squares out
In the open, serve as resting places
Ior the wounded. But, strangely,
the best of all are the American am
balances. They are conducted with
the greatest degree Of efficiency.
T. One hears stories here and there
OF the nurses who. have to attend
even to the major operations. But it
is never" in sthe American hospitals
that that occurs for they are careful
enough to see to it that all the dress
ing of wounds is done by doctors, and
not nurses. In these hospitals, too
there is dentistry. The poor fellows
need that badly enough, for their
teeth are in wretched condition. All
the most severe cases are sent to the
American hospitals. That is real,
a practical tribute of the highest
sort"
And then, as always with women,
back to her peculiar problems.
But as far as suffrage is concerned
or any OF the other issues which have
aeitated the modern woman, they are
all forgotten. Labor laws, equal
rights, separation and commingling
of the spheres masculine and feminine
| are seemingly dreams of the Never
Never Land. The only thing that