The Washington herald., 1920-11-10
WOMAN
IN IRISH PLEA
Intelligence Must Overcome
Sentiment, Says Mrs.
Pethick-Lawrence.

Intelligence must prevail over
sentimentalism IL world disarma-
ment and an end of war are to be
realized, according to Mrs. Pethick-
Lawrence, celebrated British suf-
fragist and worker for world peace.
who presented ethical, moral and
economic arguments against war
before an enthusiastic audience In
Belasco Theater yesterday afternoon.
Asserting that nothing had been
gained by any people In the recent
war and that the next war would
mean the annihilation of civilization
Mrs Pethick-Lawrence made an i'm
passioned plea to an audience In
which her own sex predominated. to
use the power gained by the vote in
offsetting The alleged attempts or
militarists and munition interests to
bring about another war.
Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence declared
that she wanted 1t clearly under
stood that she did not advocate pas
sivity Of submission. but l main
tain" she asserted with vigor, that
moral victories may be won by civil
resistance far more effectively than
by murder and reprisal.
would Free Objeetors.
A plea for the liberation of con-
scientious objectors now in Federal
prisons was also made by Mrs.
Pethick-Lawrence.w who read a letter
she had just received from Ben
Salmon. conscientious objector.
who declared that he had been rail-
roaded to a Federal asylum for the
insane here he had been on a hunger
strike for more than 100 days
The meeting was probably. the
most - remarkable gathering of
women ever held in Washington and
Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence held her
audience spellbound for more than
an hour as she presented a graphic
word picture of the ruin and desc
lation that had visited every country
in Europe as an aftermath of the
late conflict. "Twenty-three wars
are now raging" she declared. "and
already our scientists are devising
such diabolical implements of de-
struction for the next orld conflict
as will blot civilization from the
face Of the earth"
Aboiitionist's Daughter Presides.
Mrs. Henry Willard of New York,
chairman OF the woman's Peace
Society and daughter of William
Lloyd Garrison, the famous aboli-
zionist, presiden at the meeting. Miss
Alice Paul, chairman of the National
Woman's party and other prominent
suffragist workers occupied boxes,
while in the audience were many
other prominent Washington women.
Miss Elinor Byrns, vice chairman
of the Woman's Peace Society. spoke
briefly, emphasizing the necessity
of the realization by the enfran-
chised women of America that they
themselves were the government and
that they should not permit the
government to coerce them into do
ing something collectively which as
individuals. they held to be morally
wrong.
Tells of British Election.
Mrs. Pethick-Lawrence opened her
address with an account of the sup
port given her by British veterans
of the world war in her recent cam
paign for a seat in Parliament from
a new division in the city of Man
chester in which she lost to her
Liberal opponent by few votes.
1T was the men who had witnessed
the diabolism of war who gave me
the greatest support" she declared.
.1 have vet to talk to a man who
has been in the late war who has
anything good to- say of war as a
means of settling disputes" she
added
The Englishman went to war
with the promise of winning de-
mocracy for the world" Mrs. Peth-
ick Lawrence declared. He fought
and with his brother allies left from
100000 to 10.00o,o 900 of young lives
on the battlefelds of Europe. He
came home. and what did he find"
she asked: greater democracy; bet
ter living conditions? No, indeed;
on the contrary, he found less de-
mocracy, higher prices, a shortage
of housing. wretchedness and mis-
cry everywhere. And when he look
ed across TO that unfortunate small
country which has just given the
world one Of the most sublime ex-
amples OF the nobility Of civil re-
sistance that the world has ever
known. he found the same tanks
and other engines Of destruction
that he had employed against the
Germans beeing employed by his
own government to crush democ-
racy In Ireland"
Compares Irish With Belgi.ns.
Quoting from editorials In sew
eral British publications., Mrs.
Petthick Lawrence said that "the
treatment of Ireland by the English
government was comparable to the
martyrdom suffered by Belgium un-
der the heel of the Prussians."
Asserting that this years english
budget for armament was five
times what 1t had been in 1913. and
citing figures to show that the
United States was spending ss per
cent OF its annual budget to pay
for ''past wars and wars TO come