The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-02-14
American Women Appeal to Women
of Germany.

Inc following remarkable appeal
to the women of Germany has been
drafted by a group Of California
women. Mrs. Upton Sinclair, wife
Of the well known socialist novelist
and writer, Pasadena, Calf, is in
charge of the work of gathering sig
natures for this eloquent document.
Those desiring to help in this good
work should address her. When suffi-
cient signatures is secured this appeal
will be forwarded to Germany. The
appeal follows:
We, the undersigned, women of
America, confronting the deepest
trial which can occur in the lives of
women, stretch out our hands to you,
women of Germany. For three years
it has been your fate to see your best
loved, your husbands, and sweet
hearts, your sons and brothers march
forth to battle; for three years we
have looked on, pitying, but helpless
We have heard the thunder of the
dreadful guns across the seas; our
thoughts waking and asleep have
been haunted by images of mutila-
ton, torture and death. And. now,
your fate in Germany has come to
US in America; we find our country
at war with yours.
We have owed much to you, women
of Germany. You have sent us mil
lions of your best citizens; your lit
erature, your music, your science and
philosophy have meant much to US.
We never dreamed that we might
send those whom we love best to war
| with those whom you love best. Why
| must all wOmen's hearts be wrung,
and the blood of their husbands and
sweethearts, their sons and brothers
be poured out?
The cause of this war, the share of
the blame which may be appOrtioned
| to the various factors is a question
about which we could hardly be ex-
pected to agree. The question is
now how to Danish from the world the
curse of war; and as the strife has
confined, one truth has become more
and more clear to US, until now it
| shines like a search light over the
rulers who provoke and declare wars.
| It is ruling castles and privileged clas-
ses who wage and profit by wars. It
| is not the masses of the people, who
! pay with their blood and tears, still
| less is it the women, who bear mems
bodies with anguish and must see
| them shattered, destroyed, given up
| to corruption.
How can anyone dispute this truth
that it was the rulers, the govern
ments who began this war? Or that
equally evident truth, that these same
rulers are powerless to end it, and
| that the task must fall upon the peo-
pie involved, the paying, suffering
people. Women of Germany, we look
| about the world, desiring an end to
the slaughter of your race and ours.
and what do we see. In one of the
great empires, to which share of the
responsibility must be assigned, the
rulers have fallen and the people
| have prevailed; the people ardently
desiring peace, are casting about as
we are seeking the way. The people
| of other countries possess a large
| share of self government and are
hourly acquiring more. In Germany
and her allies alone the power of
war and peace remains still in the
hands of those whose faith cannot
be trusted by the peoples of demo
! cratic lands. Our president has said
and in saying it he voices our own
| immovable conviction-that with this
government of Germany, this ruling
| caste of your nation there can be no
security and therefore no peace. It
may be that this idea seems startling
| to you, that you find difficulty in I'M
Outstanding it !; but it seems to be the
idea of the whole civilized world to-
day; at least we can bear testimony
that it is the idea of one great demo
cratic nation; whose. people bear you
no i'll will. Surely, therefore, it
| would be a part of wisdom for you
to ponder this idea, to endeavor to
realize what it means and how ii
comes to be; how your government,
your ruling caste appears to other
peoples as a forever menacing force
all the more dangerous because it is
1 I'LL fhn
of science in the service of its selfish
ends.
Bitterly as we hate war, we viii
face it to nations in which the people
rule and the voice of the people is II
truth the voice of God.
We American women admit oul
share of a guilty past. We too have
been absorbed in our narrow WON
ans interests, our petty round OF
home duties; we have not paid heeC
enough to the events of the world out
side. It7never occurred to US that {
quarrel of rulers in the Balkan state!
might be the cause of our loved one:
crossing the seas to battle. But nov
we have had our lesson, our eye:
are opened; We realize that the wOrfC
is one, and that the oppression of any
race of men is a defiance to God, al
invitation to hi&punishment. So nov
we are ready to play our part; we art
watching this war and we shall b.
watching the peace which follows it
We say to you, women of Germany
! that when you stretch out your hand
across the seas to US you will no
encounter mere emptiness.
We shall not presume to suggest t.
you the means whereby your awaken
ing should manifest itself. That i
a matter of the uttermost extremity Il
order to put down this autocratic fore
We will wage war for democracy
for Justice upon the EARTH but no
for a single hour will we war in tn
service OF injustice in any form. Gu
president has set this forth in his let
& ter to the pope; that there shall b
no help from America for any pro
gram of indemnities, the dismembe1
ment of empires or the establishment
of selfish and exclusive economi
! leagues.
We invite you, we implore you t
examine these words, to realize VIVA
they mean to you, women of Gel
many. Our President is not an an
{ tocratic ruler, who speaks upon HI
& own authority, and whose Whim ma