New-York tribune., 1918-11-19
Proposal for Women ON
Peace Delegation Applaud
ed at Hotel McAlpin
They Claim Place
Won by War Service
Mrs. Gait Calls 1t MAN
Made War;" Imposed on
Governments

lions called by the National American
Woman Suffrage Association to con
s;aer the desirability of sending womer
a.,soates to the peace conference il
v,rone was opened at the Hotel Me
Amin last evening by Miss Mary Gar
-ett Hay. who introduced Mrs. Carrie
CHAPMAN Gait, the first speaker.
Mrs. Gait began by reading the reso
luton under discussion, namely, that:
"Whereas, The great war just end
ed has been a partnership of all the
neople of every belligerent country,
composing two vast armies, one in
the trenches and one of civilians
wbo have formed a second line of de-
fence to supply the needs of the
lighters, thus making it possible for
them to fight, and
"Whereas, The war could not have
been carried to victorious con-
clusion without the aid Of women in
civilian activities, as is shown by the
testimony of men of high authority
in every belligerent land, and
"Whereas, All truly civilized, in
telligent people now wish to make
final end Of war and so TO reorganize
the forces of civilizar1on as to make
future war impossible, and
"Whereas, Women compose a nalf
of society, with very special and pc
culiar interests to be conserved and
protected, all too IRE IL, ntly over
looked by men; therefore, be it
! n
dent of the United States to give
women adequate representation on
the United States delegation to the
select women whose broad experience
tent to defend and support every
ment of liberty for all the peoples Of
the world, and especially upon the
proper protection of women and of
children IN peace and in war. We
urge him to select women who may
be relied on to uphold free repre-
sentative institutions, based upon the
will of all the people in every land
in which independence is established,
in order that democratic institutions
may make an end to war"
Applause for Mrs. Gait
Immediately following the reading o1
the resolution, which the many womer
and few men of the audience greeted
with enthusiastic applause, Mrs. Cat
stated her reasons for urging thai
women be represented at the peace con
ference.
1T is not only desirable" she main
tained, at is inherently necessary thai
the personnel of the peace commits
sion shall include women.
There have been wars before this
but never a war which has been Sc
much in partnership between men anc
women all the world around. Womer
have not in this war, as in former
vars, served merely as inspirers o.
men, but have performed the actua
var service, as we'll on the battlelins
as in the war industries.
Men have paid the price of this
war. And women have paid it. And al
ways there has been in the conscious
ress Of women the realization tina
they have had to pay without eve.
having had voice in the making o.
the governments that make and unmak'
var. Always there has been the reall
zation that this war has been in al
rs ferocity and atrocity man-mad'
var, imposed or accepted by mermaid
gcvernments.
"The deep-lying fundamental outrage
10 the woman nature, because of thu
,srrible destruction of human life, ha!
ssn augmented by the outrage to he
asnan nature in having been deniet
eIiset representation in government
Lat command her allegiance.
1t is an historic fact that tn
agreements worked out from the nego
iIstions that have closed every forme
European war have been fertilizinl
agents for the seeds of the next wal
Inc world has talked long and might
lly Of this war, during four years o
heroic anguish, as war to end wal
II will and can be that only as tn
conserving and constructive element
oi life and civilization are allowed du
pace IN the forthcoming peace scheme
zen are not without recognition Q
nose elements, but they are element
mat speak more insistently throug
women.
Women at the Conference
We believe that these considers
lions should and will weigh with tn
governments to be resented in tn
peace conference and that women rer
Iesentatives of each will be empowere
SIT IN that conference. We urge a.
a4aonal women's organizations to Jol
"i.n US in the effort to secure that enc
~ is part Of the plan that wome
;ahoidates who may be proposed sha
&c women who can be relied on to uE
hoid free representative institution
oased upon the will Of all the peopl'
every land in which independer
sa'onony is established. II will ais
urged that nations which are sign.
Ishes TO the final peace agreemen'
.aan enter into a compact TO furtht
representative institutions in the
Tl countries, these institutions M
oe based upon the will of PRIV
ssa fe~, but upon the universal WI
me people, men and women alike
NJ Catt was followed by Mrs. Perc
~ rennybacker, special representatlS
sss ne War Camp Community Servo
frye9 ~ former president Of the Ccner'
,saaeration Of Women's Clubs. Sh
sissae see the point that women's che
ftm 70 representation in the. plar
81, rsconstruction was their havin
ss'pls from the efectg OF the war
eSgseially in the invaded countries.
III women are banished from thu
re - Conference" Mrs. Pennyback'
- then Belgium and France me
zen be banished."
WIS. y. Louis Glade, chief OF II
s;,gmen.e Division Of the Overseas Diy
fso fsn of fnc Y. VI. G. A., asked u
saasr s1a'1sr question, ARE women people
~ shswered IL hergelf by remindir
IN. 9aaience that even General Perg
ix nag asked that women be station'
saisTyesy camp and wherever there We
''toisrs and sailors.
Battalion OF Life"