The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-09-04
WOMEN DEMAND
WARS SHALL END
Peace League Means More to
Them Than Il Can Mean
to Men. 81
DR.. SHAW'S STIRRING PLEA.
10y the Late Or. Anna Howard Shaw. J

10y tne Late Ut. anna howard SnsW1
Seven million one hundred thousand
men who had laid down their lives In
the great war. Think of ~ Seven
million. one hundred thousand young
men had died on the field OF battle
What does that mean 70 the women
of the worldg II means that seven
million one hundred thousand women
walked day by day with their faces
toward an open grave hat they might
give life TO son. II means that
seven million one hundred thousand
little children lay In The arms OF
mother whose love had made them
face even the terrors Of death that
they might become the mothers OF
men.
Ii means that year after year these
women had put up their lives into the
lives Of their sons until they had rear
ed them TO be men For what2 IN
the hope that these sons OF theirs could
give TO the world the things for which
women dream, the things for which
women hope and pray and long. These
were the things that the women had
In their hearts when they gave birth
10 their sons.
But who can estimate the value OF
seven million one hundred thousand
dead sons Of the women OF the wordt
Who can estimate the price which the
women have paid for this war what
II has cost them, not only In the death
of their sons, because that Is phase
Of our war TO which we look.
The Courage Of Women.
We hear our orators tell us Of the
courage of our men How they went
across the sea. Very few Of them re
member 10 tell us OF the courage OF
our women, who also went across the
sea Of the women who died nursing
the sick and wounded; the women
who died In the hospitals where the
terrible bombs came and drove them
almost 10 madness. They tell us
nothing of the forty thousand English
women who went TO work back of the
trenches In France.
They tell us nothing OF the thou
sands upon thousands upon thousands
OF women who not only toiied ana
worked and shaved In order that the
war might be successful, but we do
not hear Of the thousands OF women,
not alone in Armenia, not alone in
Montenegro. not alone In Serbia, but
In Flanders, In Belgium, In Rumania,
In Russia thousands OF women
who lie In graves today, murdered,
SO horribly murdered that men dare
not speak of IL.
And vet we women are asked what
we know about the League OF Ma
lions: asked what we can understand
about League Of Nations, Oh men
the horrible deaths; the horrible lives
OF thousands upon thousands OF wo-
men today in all these nations, who
must live, and who must look In the
faces OF children upwelcomed, unde-
slrea-of little childreD-and know
that these are the result OF war.
And then ask women why they
should be interested in league OF
peacef
Women Suffer Most From War
II there is any body Of citizens In
the world who ought 10 be Interested
In league TO ultimately bring to the
world peace IL is the mothers Of men,
and the women who suffered as only
women ran suffer IN tiie war and Ia
devastated countries.
And we call upon them, We women
OF the world call upon the men who
have been fighting all these battles OF
he years, the men who have LED
armies, and led armies close TO their
deaths
We are now calling upon the men
Of the world 10 in some way or an
other find a passage out Of the sea 81
death. We are asking them 10 form
league which viii bring hope TO The
women of the future IF women are
TO bear sons only that they may die,
II women may not have hope
and aspirations for their children.
II women may not dream the dreams
that have IN them the hope Of the
highest civilizations. The highest moral
and spiritual life of the people~-if wo-
men may not have these IN their
hearts as the mothers ~ nien, then
women win cease 70 desire 10 be the
mothers Of men. And Why should
they noll Why should they notf