New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-13
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: May ask space in your columns for
short answer to the letter you printed on
December from Miss Gaylord, addressed to
Mrs Winthrop Lane. Of TIC Woman Peace
Party?
In the first place, ! should like to clear up
her Interpretation Of the main aims Of the
Woman's Peace Party We are not as
ody immediate pacifsts," that IS, We are not
asking for an immediate ending Of the Euro
pean war. az she seems TO think We are
asking. ID for a conference Of nations, not
governments, to discuss terms Of peace. In
each Of the warning nations, including Ger
many. there is vast body OF moderate opIn-
ion which can find no expression, owing 20
press censorship, defence Of the realm acts
etc. We feel that this opinion, If It found
legitimate outlet, ould inevitably make Tor
better mutual understanding, and would help
toward creatih. more stable peace tnan
could be devised by diplomats. Each nation
now can know only such news or such inter
nrctation of the news as their government
chooses to permit. This is especially true
of Germany. II the Allies wish to push her
70 the farthest limit Of aggressive action
they have only to let her know, as Lloyd
George says, that they intend crushing her'
This is the "knock-out' policy which he
actually advocates The Paris Conference
nroposed trade war after the war; as FUR
thor punishment for Germany. Nothing
could have greater effect in strengthening
tho German belief that the Allies intend, and
have always intended, the destruction OF the
German nation. Through such means they
are infinitely strengthening the German war
party. ,,,.-, :,;.o-
While this is the effect of Allied militar-
ism abroad, its effect at home IS equsNy ue
plorable. Freedom of speech IS suppressed
70 = degree never before known, IN England
at all events; the loosening OF famlIy ties
has brought an era of unprecedented JuVe-
nile crime; labor has lost its right TO sIrlHe'
and women and children are forced 10 worn
under conditions where protest Is uISre-
oordod (see the reports Of Sidney and Bea-
trice Webb in The New Statesman - me
consequence of the midest criticism OF the
government, even in letters addressed 70
friends in America, is arrest or threat OF
arrest In other words, German mIiitarlsm
i, finding its new home in the Allied coun-
,rios and in this sense Germany has con-
ouered England The Woman's Peace Party
feels that the longer this goes on the greater
hold militarism will get on the minds OF the
noople. the frmer will be the grip OF an
arbitrary government, and the more dlfhcul'
will become a future adjustment AFTER 'ne
var We therefore hope and shall continue
IN work for a conference OF nations, without
armistice. to serve as court before which
All opinion. belligerent or neutral, private or
official. can be freely and publicly expressed
50 that each nation may know what the others
are thinking. Intelligent people are more
and more coming TO the conclusion that TINS
war cannot be stopped by force. 1t can only
no ended by discussion, by an exchange OF
IDEAS. This is one of the main difficulties
of war: that it prevents discussion, and the
Woman's Peace Party advocates the sum-
moning of an unofficial international confer
once because official conferences have be-
come for the time being, impossible.
l2) The other point Miss Gaylord objects