Connecticut western news., 1918-11-28
OPPOSED TO WOMEN
ON PEACE COMMISSION
Claims That Head of Suffrage
Party is a Paci-
fist

The women voters anti-s1ffrage
party, cooperating with established
parties against radicalism former
ly the New York association opposed
to woman suffrage) has sent The
following appeal to the president
Hon. Woodrow Wilson, President
of the United States;
Referring to women's demand for
representation on the Peace { ON
mission, we beg to protest against
such appointments. In general we
contend that men, having fought
and conducted the war, should con-
troll the Peace terms.
In particular, we ask you to scru-
tinize this demand. Admitting that
such representation would be with
out precedent Mrs. Gait justifes her
demand: Women. have performed
the actual war service, as we'll en-
the battle line as in the war indus
tries" We challenge this assertion,
the casualty lists refute it. The text
Of the published document in which
the president of the International
Woman Suffrage Alliance appeals to
al IIdIlOI1eI1
to make this demand appears to US
pacifist in tone. It is doubtful
whether this agitation is to the in
terost of the United St2:2s and her
Allies, or of Germany. May we re-
mind you that the suffrage leader
who sponsors this demand although
now member of the Women's Com
mittee Of the Council Of National De-
tense, was as late as\ March 1917,
Honorary Vice Chairman of the
Women's Peace Party which ham,
pered Preparedness. She presided
as Chairman at the organization
meeting of the N. Y. Branch of that
party (Feb. 4th, 1879 and from
the chair coupled protests against
the atrocities of the Greek and Bull
garian armies with attacks on all
armies including our own. There is
on record her announcement in the
official organ OF the suffrage party
april IA, 1910; 81 am myself a
pacifist, now and forever" @
We fear this demand is the result
of the peace appeal by German in
terests to American women recently
reported from Sweden, and to have
beensinspired by the meeting of Ge1-
man and Hungarian feminists held
on September 18th in the hall of the
Budapest Parliament Building at
which Frau Swimmer, former peace
propaganda in the United States
and suffrage co-worker with Mrs.
Gait, was one of the speakers. May
we also remind you of the former
utilization of Mrs. Gait with this
Austrian socialist (since under SIS
picion of being German agent CO.
operating with VonBernstorf) who,
working through dupes and German
sympathizers, was active in the Uni
ted States in 1914 and 1915, finally
organizing and leading the For
Peace Expedition.
You will recall that Mrs. Gait,
President of the international Wom-
an Suffrage Alliance, accorded to
Frau Swimmer, it's Secretary, the
highest official recognition by &C
companying her on September Is,
1914, to present to you and Co Secre-
tary of State Bryan, her so-called
petition from women in in warning
countries, urging mediation by the
United States to end the war. Sub
sequently Mrs. Gait and Frau
Swimmer repeatedly appeared to-
gether on public platform for paci-
fism and woman suffrage. In view
of the avowed pacifist sympathies of
the promoters of this agitation for
women representation, and the char
acter of the response it is evoking,
we question if the United States
can in fairness to it's Allies intro
duce this element at the Peace Table.
We are warned from abroad that
the German Drive is at it's height.
The Peace Table is it's opportunity.
We beg you to safeguard the Peace
Table. We beg this in fairness to
our Allies. We submit that the Uni
ted States, not having entered into
full alliance with her fellow belli-
gerents or signed the Pact of Lon
don, is peculiarly the objective of
the German Peace Drive as shown
by DR.. Soils dispatches to Wash
ington, and that therefore her posi-
ton at the peace table is singularly
delicate, and only to be entrusted to
delegates whose loyalty to the Yves
tern Allies is beyond question. We
beg this in fairness to the Majority
of women.
We beg it in order that our own
men who have fuoght and agonized
on land and sea shall not have
suffered in vain, and that the result
of their terrible labors shall not be
lost.
Very respectfully,
Women voters Anti Suffrage
Party"