New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-14
THE WOMAN'S PEACE PARTY'S AIM
To Bring About Great and Lasting Peace
and End Prussianism

10 the EulLOr OF Inc lElDuHe.
Sir: | have read with interest the letter
in your columns from Miss Harriet Gaylord
in reply to the invitation of the Woman's
Peace Party to cooperate in working for a
neutral conference and for the repeal Of the
CONSUMPTION and military training acts.
While protesting that no one could be
yearier of the evils of war than herself, or
moro eager for a saner world, your cor
respondent denounces as vicious, pettily
provincial and wckedly wrong the PROPOSE
ton that all the great governments of the
world should "send representatives to a
conference for the purpose of planning an
international Court of Arbitration and to
consider the question of disarmament"
Her objections to this programme appear
to be, first, that we are conducting our
peace campaign In the United States rather
than In Germany, Russia or Japan, and, sec
ond, that the type of peace that we seek to
bring about is enforced and meddlesome"
rather than "great and lasting" and is,
therefore, playing the game of the Prus-
sian military imperialists."
Although Miss Gaylord frankly acknowl-
edges herself as partisan, we have too much
faith in her sincere hatred OF war TO be-
lieve that she entirely repudiates the beati-
tude concerning the peacemakers or to sup
pose her arraignmsnt merely the indigna-
ton Of the lighter at tho cessation Of hos
tilties before he has "done up the other
fellow" AS member Of the Woman's
Peace Party, therefore, allow me to suggest
that. It is precisely TO bring about the
variety OF peace che so ardently desires that
the proposition Of the neutral conference Is
directed.
If the Allies should crush Germany, or
Germany the Allies, the ensuing peace would
Of necessity be enforced" and any internal
changes worked by the victors upon the
vanquished, such, for example, as chang
ing them to democracies," might TO the
latter, at any rate, appear "meddlesome" as
we'll. A great and lasting" peace such as
both wish must bequeath no Alsace-Lor-
raine legacy to the Europe Of tomorrow.
Great Britain has declared that she Is
lighting only until such peace shall be
obtained, Germany gives US the same as
surance. If either Of these nations is insln-
cere there Is but one way of establishing
the charge, and that Is by making a direct
offer OF the Just terms which she maintains
TO be her aim. The war code of honor, how
ever, forbids either side 10 offer these terms
until the other acknowledges defeat. The
result is deadlock, while both Teutons and
Allies urge mutual slaughter in practically
Identical terms-a fight for European free
dom, the rights OF small nations and last
ing peace.
II lies with the neutral nations who alone
can discuss peace without compromise of
honor, TO formulate into definite PROPOSE
+fopa La Caneraii.iaa nj Grew and Of Roth
mann-Hollweg, and 70 pave the way 70 a
settlement which may indeed be great and
lasting"
In reply 20 the suggestion regarding pac-
fist activities IN Germany, Russia and
Japan, ws regret that circumstances Of
geography, language and censorship prevent
Us from vigorous efforts in those directions
at present, though we would welcome any
assistance that your correspondent may give.
Pacifsm, however, may, like charity, begin
at home, and the Prussian militarism, which
she rightly mathematics, is already cross
ing the Atlantic. !, too, come in contact
with the schoolboys whose fathers "bled here
ia the search for liberty they could not
find in the monarches o, Europe" Our own
fathers did not disappoint them, but gave
them with unstinted hand freedom Of con-
science and Of person. Shall we now turn
end offer them instead the CONSUMPTION OF
Russia and the military training Of Ger
many7 Miss Gaylord's illustration from
disease is sptly taken. 1t is indeed unwise
20 ignore the pneumonia and thus kill the
patient; is it not equally inefficient 70
ignore the contagon Of Prussiansm and kill
only tho afflicted Prussian? 9
JESSIE WALLACE HUGHAN.
Brooklyn. Dec. 10. 1915.