New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-06
To the Editor Of The Tribune.


Sir: Tho Woman's Peace Party OF New
York City has recently sent broadcast cir
cuar letter for the purpose Of Inducing
women TO Join their ranks to work for imme-
date peace in Europe and to bring about the
repeal of the state bill for military training
In our schools am incloslng copy OF my
answer. HARRIET GAYLORD.
New York, Nov. o. 1915.
A Plea for Peace
Dear Miss Gaylord:
am writing TO you because | feel sure
that two years OF war have left you weary OF
battles and eager for ssnor world. As an
educator, holding in your hands the future
Of the world, We are especially eager TO have
you join as in working toward tho ideal o.
IAN organized living together among ma
tons"
May tell you word OF our plans for the
year, The first task before Us is TO spread
information about the so-called Hensley par
agraphs OF the new navy act. Here is real
hope for constructive war preventionl These
paragraphs call upon the President TO Invite
all the great governments of the world to
send representatives TO conference for the
purpose Of planning an international Court
Of Arbitration and to consider the question
Of disarmament.
This Is not a resolution drawn up by an
obscure group of idealists-it is part Of the
law of the United States, passed by Congress
and signed by the President! If enough Of
us insist upon action, we'll get it.
Another thing before US is to urge insis-
tently that the physical education Of children
be entirely in the hands Of the Department
Of Education and quite free from military
faint. Still another piece OF work is to help
repeal the new state law which. in defiance
Of American traditions, gives the Governor
the power to conscript even in time of peace
Another-but send in your name on the in
closed membership blank if you care to be
kept in touch with our plans and activities.
MARGARET LANE,
Executive Secretary.
Womans Peace Party of New York City,
Nov %, 1916.
Dear Miss Lane:
have your letter inviting me to join the
Woman's Peace Party of New York City. No
one could be more deeply weary of the evils
of war, more "eager for saner world" more
ready 70 educate children toward can organ
lied living together among nations" than
am. but am profoundly at variance with your
SQOTI-alRUltu dppllNdllOn VI SucSt uSsAhcio 10
to playing the game of the Prussian military
imperialists.
II seems to be easy for those whose hearts
are not torn and bleeding from personal sor-
rows brought about by this war 10 ally them
selves blithely with William Randolph
Hearst and other pro-Germans in facile talk
of the enforced and meddlesome peace which
the Prussan war party, having seen its plans
60 eurif raductiOn Of EurOpa
now so ardently desires. Those of US who
have suffered great losses, to whom the world
can never be quite the same again, but who
are willing to go on suffering in the desire to
work toward a great and lasting peace, know
how wickedly wrong you are
| say know, for it is matter of brain and
common sense, even more than a matter Of
suffering and sorrow. For eight years at
least before this war l heard just such talk
as yours when visiting England. Lord Hal
dane and his peace party played the Prussian
game as earnestly and as viciously imme-
date pacifsts are playing it here and now
Did YOU by any chance notice dispatch from
Macmillan Harden this week in which he
stated frankly that one of the reasons why
Germany was pleased with Wilson's reeec
ton was because Hughes might have put
their "arch enemy Roosevelt" to work to
build up a strong army? Germany wants
US. like England, to sleep on in the SNUG I'M
preparedness you advocate, that our army
may be even more pitifully small than hers
when our time comes to interpose mems
breasts TO monster guns.
Europe is war mad, admit, but there are
two brands of madness there-that of the
mad dog who menaces "lfe, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness so far as democratic
ideals and democratic nations are concerned,
and the madness Of all the neighbors whose
children lie torn, bleeding and dead, and who
are still threatened by that mad dog. We also
are neighbors, but we have chosen to hide
around the corner and not to help. We were
even told at the beginning to be neutral in
thought between the mad dog and those who
sought to destroy the menace We have pro-
tested because we were not allowed TO feed
that mad dog and prolong its life. We have
struggled aid TO him. We have threatened
and nagged at those who have pitched in