Connecticut western news., 1917-03-15
Letters From the People.
INCREASING WAR TENSION.

lNChEAolNN W f1u I LLtHo1ONs Editor of The News:
 Says a we'll known writer. For those women who have sons of fighting age we must feel sympathy so deep it is painful I believe the influence of women, if nothing else, will always prevent this country from going toa military basis.'' This quotation we will follow with another taken from an article in National Suffrage News: "Until the United States becomes in. volved in war we will not by thought or promise heighten the tension. These quotations are good and sound.
 We wish the war-at any price fever that so many women seem tying to create by their volunteer to help and their Red Cross activities, might stop. We know women are averse to war; then why create what is called ''war psychology in advance of the event ?' r. Now the latest craze we note, is to drag in young girls, so we have some in the cities, the girl scouts. We hope and pray in the name of all reason and common sense that this city and big town craze won't strike little Canaan. Personally, we think it is wicked to fill young peoples minds with thoughts of~war. What has come over so many women? The Woman's Peace party of New York dropped the name of Mrs. Carrie, Chapman Colt, National Suf. frage president, from the roster of officers because sine pledged 800, ,000 women to aid in the event of war :? This action of the Peace party has been praised by some of America's most noted men and wo nen. Why should women pledge themselves to help men ill their hideous butchery of each other The sight of the big red crosses in every window tear the hearts of mothers. They are like horrible blot ches of blood, and ones sensibilities are offended, for what does tkat awful cross stand for? War, blood, and the butchery of sons of mothers. It stands back of murder and unspeakable suffer ing and mangling of human bodies that mothers have borne! Do we hear some one say (some one who isn't go- ing to lose any sons. perhaps) "Oh, but what would become of the poor wounded soldiers without the Red Cross society and it's army of nurses ?" We'll, they do great and splendid work, but they also back up war; don't forget that.
 If all the world of women refused to lift hand or foot to help men to de- vastate the earth with their brutal war, it would help to discourage war. Now all too many women seem anxious to do everything they can to encourage men to mu1der each other.
 About three or four years ago we heard nothing but condemnation of the militant suffragists of England. It was thought best not to let any one even read Mrs. Pankhursts' magnificent address given in Hartford at a suffrage meeting in our town because she was so militant! Yet it was this same militant woman, and her militant army of sutfragetts who wheeled England's s womanhood into line and turned the tide of the national distress for help in doing mans work, into one of blessed relief. Nightly glad were tue men of England to get that help. Now we women of America-not all however, seem to want to emulate the militant women of Europe, but for pity's sake don't drag in the girls, boys and little children, and we want to say right here, that the patriotism of today is something so diluted with other na. tional ingredients, (we won't name them) that the less said about it the | better.
 We trust The News will publish this article for while it's views may not be that of all, they are most certainly the views of many, especially of mothers. We women should fight against war, not in every way possible make 1t easy for men to butcher each other. Let us women not help to increase the war tension by Haunting war activities, or preparations for war before the public. At least let us wait till war is de- clared.
 B. H. of, Woman's Peace Party.