The Republican journal., 1919-02-06
A Great Petition.

women, by German soldiery and theil
Allies, have aroused strong feeling among
French women, who have framed petit
ton which has been signed by more than
1000, 600 French women.
At meeting in Plymouth church,
Brooklyn, N. Y, the matter was pre-
scented, and a Committee for Protection
of Women Under International Law
was formed, with Mrs. VIM. c. Beecher,
chairman, daughter-in-law of Henry
Ward Beecher." Plans are under way to
secure signatures of 1000, 900 American
women. At the meeting in December of the
| National W. C. T. U. Executive, it was
voted to cooperate. Committees are
| at work, securing names of Catholic
| women and of Jewish women, names
from churches, missionary societies,
! women's clubs, factories, etc. Mrs. Ella
o, Poole, Nat. w. c. T. U. Vice Presi-
dent at-large asks in an article in the
Union Signal that each woman will in
teTest herself to get signatures in her
nelghborhood. Among the many crimes
of the war, no greater offenses have been
done then, by military orders, taking
women away from their home, assaulting
them and committing against them all
sorts of sexual crimes. 1t is known that
some of these women were kept in Ger
m n hoo nd u,ha he Ill, i
the screams of these victims could be
heard. That every officer so guilty should
be punished, and innocent women so
carried away should be treated as wound
ed IN war, is simply justice in this TWEEN
tleth century. Resolutions adopted by
local w. c. T. US should be sent to
Mrs. Frances P. Parks, 1880 Chicago Ave,
Evanston, H. All others to Mrs VIM.
c. Beecher, Eagle Building, Brooklyn,
NY
Resolutions for adoption by local w. C.
T. US and other societies:
Whereas, There is overwhelming evil
dence that in the present war the armies
OF the Central European powers and their
Allies have been permitted and encour-
aged to commit, and officers and men en-
masse actually and persistently commit
ted every form of sexual offense against
the women of every country they have
entered.
Whereas, Such otfenses are crimes under
the laws of war as we'll as under the laws
of peace, as we'll under the common law
OF nations as under the municipal law of
every nation which is even specifically
civilized, and under The Hague Conyen-
tons, and
whereas, such crimes are monstrous
insult to the dignity of womanhood, and
strike al the heart of socie y, the home.
Their commission by the Germans and
their allies was deliberate, wholesale, and
authorized. Silence, at this time, means
that the violation, enslavement and COM
pulsory rum OF women and girls will be-
come established by force of precedent as
a permitted custom of war, and that pre-
cedent must be destroyed.
EFAnd lnasmuch, as more than million
french women have unitedly appealed to
the women of all countries to ion them
IN denouncing this Infamous and sinister
attack on the common life of humanity
thru its womankind;
Therefore, we, women of the United
States, hereby
l. Associate ourselves with the women
OF France in their protest and appeal
z. Demand the trial before an interna-
tlonal tribunal, and punishment, on con-
Vlctlon, of every officer, soldier, or civil
ian of any of the said Central Powers or
any of their Allies who shall be accused,
whether as principal or accomplce, of
any sexual offense against woman in
the course of the war.
3. Declare our own deliberate feeling,
Judgment and position to be that all wom-
en- so injured by dispicable enemy ought
to be treated and regarded, not as shamed,
but as wounded in war. We lmplore our
Allies to confer that status on them, both
officially and in the public mind.
Furthermore, we direct our committee
IN charge of these resolutions, to deliver
them, duly authenticated, to each of the
governments, Gncluding our own allied
against any or all of the said Central
Powers and their Allies in the present
war, and to each of the societies asso-
clated in the appeal of the French wom-
en-, and to arrange, so far as possible, for
their publication in every allied country.
Adopted. ..... Representing. ...
People .... 1919
Signature of chairman.
County. .... City 80. State
Attested by notary
MTIICn