four !lights ''Then he showed four lights when he wished them to set full sail and follow in his wake."

From "First Voyage 'Rolllld the World by Magellaa."

..

MAY 19, 1917 AN ADVENTURE IN INTERNATIONALISM VoL. I 'No.9

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Victor Hugo Was a Pacifist Too "The nations begin to understand that the magnitude of a crime can not

lessen its wickedness; that if ~t be criminal . to -kill one man, the killing of numbers cannot be regarded in the light of extenuation; that if it be shameful to steal, it cannot be glorious to lead an invading army.

"Let us proclaim these absolute truths, let us dishonOJ.i the name of war!" VICTOR HUGO

I

A CALL TO ARMS Wanted-Women Insurgent, those who will lead, not

follow, Not imitators of men, but standing steadfast as women, Waging a war to halt the mad blood-letting of nations, · Challenging empires to pause ere they empty the veins

of the people.

·wanted-Humane Women, not those reverting to brute-type,

Forging shrapnel and shells to shatter the heart-beats of woman,

But women, heroic in mind, refusing to sanction evil Even when evil is sanctioned both by the Church and

the State.

Wante<I-P.atriot Women, whose pulses leap not at trade-wars, '

Launched by the profiteers-purveyors of love that is flag-bound,

Women whose voices rise as National barriers crumble Shaping a new World State whose boundaries know

no horizon.

Wanted-Creative Women, mould~rs of generations, Guarding from bastard hands their master-work of the

ages, Even as sculptors shield their pain-wrought dreams of

marble-Sitting in Council Halls, true guardian of the hearth­

stone.

Wanted- Inspired Women, democracy's uplifted daughters,

Firm in the new-born faith that sovereignty rests in the people,

Women who would o' erthrow the Might of Kings and Kingdoms,

Bowing before Ideals, checked by the sceptre of Freedom.

Wanted-Reverent Women, whose God is Love, not Vengeance,

Women whose sacrifices show Christ to Pagan pulpits, Censuring fervid priests whose words ihcite to murder, Crimsoning altars of God and shaming the cloth of

Priesthood.

Wanted-Consecrate Women, united by kindred sorrows,

Marshalling Mothers to arms-the arms that the nations have emptied,

Banding to fight King Death and dogma of war-like tradition,

Battling for lasting Peace, freeing man's body and spirit.

FLORENCE GUERTIN TUTTLE J I

·Why Not A Practical War? According to the President, our quarrel is not with the

German people but with the German government. He practically says to the German people, "The Democratic water is fine. Come on in,--along with England, France, Russia and us!"

Our great and glorious red-white-and-blue war, there­fore, has two announced obje~ts,-to put the German government out of business and to help establish de­mocracy for the German people.

Very well then. Why don't we go at those two ob­jects like modern efficiency experts, acting directly and economically and eliminating all waste? Why be old­fashioned at this point? Why be cumbersome and ex­pensive when simplicity and efficiency would be so easy and cheap?

Really, all that is necessary is to call for two sets of volunteers, the first one to consist of several hundred aviators, who would flutter over Germany from end to end, instead of just over the trenches as the Allies have recently done, and shower down on the people's heads tons of leaflets giving the President' s weir speech in full, with the paragraph on democracy and our friendship for the German people, printed in bold faced black or red. This would be thumbing our national nose at the Ger­man censors who have given the people only an expur­gated edition of the President's speech. It would be gallant and brave, a big risk and lots of glory for the volunteer aviators. It would be new, exciting, direct and efficient.

The 'second set of volunteers would be called for on the q -.t. Only a hundred or so would be necessary,­loy.al, daring, skilled secret service men, who would get over into Germany in all manner of clever disguises, and who would systematically assassinate (make war on) the leaders of the German government. Ten or a dozen dead war lords would be enough to settle the matter. Old­fashioned folk will call this murder and anarchy. But why be fussy about names? The President's words have been proper and sonorous enough, and if, as he says, what we really want is to put the German government out of commission, wby don't we do it with the least possible delay, expense and loss of life?

To be sure, most of these secret service men would die, but even so, how much better than to send over the r,goo,ooo soldiers that the President's plan calls for, and risk the loss of one out of every four, which seems to be the war average? Then think of the fine monuments we _ could afterwards erect to these brave few ! Defending the Pass of Therm.opylre, Horatius at the Bridge, and all the other tales of individual heroism would pale into insignificance, and world history would contain a bran new thrill.

Then there is the economy of this plan. What a labor saver! It would be to old-time war what the fifty-furrow

- triple-tractor is to the one-blade, two-horse, two-man plow.

It would finish things up so neatly and quickly that the seven billion dollar loan could all go to rehabilita~ing the devasted countries instead of to further destruction. Our army could be set to work raising the food for the world and ourselves. Our good ladies could quit rolling bandages and take to industry and politics. We coul.d have a rummage sale of our battleships and our war sup­plies. And the President would have leisure to wrap a wet towel round his head, and proceed to work out the details of his plan for a League of Nations, big and little.

Why not? Well, that is simple, too. Because big business, and

alas, a good deal of little business also, doesn't want speed or efficiency applied to wars for democracy. No short cuts allowed. Democracy is grand to shout for, and to fight for, but dangerous to win. Privilege doesn't propose to be defrauded of its "patriotic" profitable pro­gram for benefitting mankind.

MARY WARE DENNETT.

·~.

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All Ready to fight for Liberty . I

A Radical International Moveme t Which Thrives in Spite of War. When the stone aac:l concrete walls

of Liege Fortress crumpled under the first fire of thebig guns of the war, various more human things seemed to be smashed with them. Irish Home Rule was shelved, the militant suf­fragettes subsided, political parties were practically wiped out. The utter moral collapse of the German Socialist Party stood ·out as one of the promi­nent features of the general destruc­tion, and with it apparently went the whole radical labor movement.

There remains, however, one very big and important wing of the radical labor movement, Consumers' Co-ope­ration, the membership of whose affili­ated organizations was some ten mil­lions heads of families before hostilities began.

Unlike that of the Socialists, the In­ternational Co-operative Alliance re­mains unimpaired by the world cata­clysm. It has grown in membership and in income, steadily in England, Germany, Austria, Holland, but most marked has been the growth of the movement in Russia. It is not of so much interest to dwell on numbers, however, as to indicate the interna­tional solidarity of this great Co­operative Movement.

Each month the or~an of the Al­liance, supported financially by British, French, Germans, Hungarians and Austrians alike, appears regularly,

with contributiQ.J S from leaders in cill those countries.

"There must n ver be another war!" is the trend of ~~11 the articles pub­lished. "We mu It develop our move­ment until it sha U be so strong as to be able to check a re-occurrence of this madness," writes one German.

"~t is not the erman people we are fighting," exclai , s a British co-oper­ator, "we are ghting the German Junkers."

"You leave us ·done with our Junk .. ers," replies a pr ;>minent German co­operator, "and s e what we shall do with them after the war."

So much ·for ,e mental bal;mce of the heads of the trganization.

In the October number of the "Bul­letm" appeared a '1. appeal by the Ex­ecutive Committe 1 of the International, addressed to 'ritish co-operators, asking for funds ~th which to assist Germans and A !Strians stranded in

_. England. This made so s fong an impression in

Ge.rmany that, so ~ after, the German stores began rai g a fund to assist distressed British rs in Germany.

The following cident is typical of the effects, even on soldiers, of Co­operation's Intent ~tiona! attitude.

The town had s ffered a heavy bom­bardment, the Fr ch had retired and many of the ci · population had fol-

lowed them. But the manager of the local co-operative store, together with his clerks, determined to remain be­hind and do ~hat they could to pro­tect the society's property.

When the German soldiers entered the town they began looting, and the 1.nanager of the Co-operative expected that surely his store would presently suffer the same fate. And, in fact, shortly the store was crowded with German soldiers, all demanding goods.

But to the intense surprise of the manager -and his clerks, they grinned at him very good naturedly, offered full payment for what they took and sometimes even refused change, while several insisted on shaking hands with him.

For some hours the store did a very profitable business, though the man­ager, not understanding German, re­mained deeply puzzled as to why his store was being shewn such special consideration. Later on, when he went outside, the puzzle unraveled itself.

Looking up above the doorway he found that over the word "Co-opera­tive" on the sign had been chalked the German equivalent: "Consumgenos­senshaft." To this was added an in­scription which one of the clerks was able to translate into, "These are co­operative comrades, boys ; don't hurt them."

AGNES D. WARBASSE.

.. Pax J a panic~ ,,

Internationalists have as much to fear from Japan in the East today, as they had from Germany in the West in 1914·

If, as Japan maintains, it was necessary, "in order to establish Peace in the Far East," to drive Germany out of China will she not logically be forced to evict England, France and Russia for the same reasons? Might this not be a prelude to a greater war between all the Orient and the Occident?

Prof. Hornbeck says, however, that: "Judged upon the basis of substantial accomplishment, successful and just administration and real contribution to the social and economic welfare of the people in China, none of the powers holding bases on llie China coast could offer bet­ter justification for its presence than could the Germans." The conclusion is obvious. Peace in the Far East does not mean, according to Japan, a state of society guaran­teeing "the free development of peoples in conditions of equality, and conformity to their own genius." It rather means the elimination of all European powers from those spheres in the Orient where their presence might in any way disturb Japan in her zeal for political expansion, and for the profiteering enterprises of her ruling class.

While the eyes of Europe and America are diverted from the East and fixed on the Great War, Japan has imposed zr demands upon China, in compensation for certain grievances. These demands are fully as onerous and unmerited as those made by the Central Powers up­on Servia. Among others are the following: r. Surrendering political control of much of China's ter­

ritory to Japan. 2. Forbidding independent control by China of her own ports and islands. 3· Com­pelling purchases from Japan ~n preference to other countries. 4· Accepting Japanese advisers from the Chinese Government rather than those of any other nation.

So far these demands have been acceded to by China . No! Let us not be fooled by the prating of a "Pax

Japanica"; it is but a shield to hide the development of a Japanese Sovereignty and a commercial exploitation of all the Far East.

Internationalists, warned by the knowledge of these facts, must be ~ore alive than ever to the need of world organization which will include the slumbering idealistic nations of the East as well as the Powers of the West and will halt the domination of the Strong over the Weak.

References: A. D. w. "Contemporary Politics in the Far East"-Hornbeck. ''Japanese Expansion and American Policies"-Abbott.. "Fall of Jsingtan-Japanese Ambition in China"-Jones. "New Far East"-Veblen.

The Pacifists Are Not Defeated War, conscription and censorship are now realities.

But realities, however overwhelming, can not defeat an ideaL They can only postpone its attainment.

We are the optimists of our century. We claim that if two individuals brought their grievances to a court of justice for settlement and afterwards went out in the street to end the dispute with pistols, such action would not prove conclusively the impractibility of a court of justice. No more does the present world con­flict demonstrate the inherent impractibility of a higher court of appeal for the nations. 1

The greatest ~xperiment of all ages from the stand­point of humanity, the experiment of the Hague, would not have failed, had it ever genuinely been tried. But the Powers preferred the longer way-the way of blood­shed and destruction. It will rest in the hands of pacifists to do real constructive work after this war. They will not use iron and steel but will heal the insanity of war with a rational point of view-and their true and only consistent goal will be international disarmament.

LEONIE KNOEDLER.

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Sheep · Labor's Internationalism "Look at you in war-what mutton you are, and . One of the. most significant and dramatic events in

how ridiculous!" the history of organized labor in America came to the "In war? How?" attention of our newspaper readers through the notice

of a hostile demonstration before the American Em-"There has never been a just one, never an honora- bassy in the Nevsky Prospect.

ble one-on the part of the instigator of the war. I Word had reached the Council of Workingmen in _ can see a million years ahead, and this rule will never Russia of the sentence of Thomas Mooney, of San ch~nge in so many as half a dozen instances. The ' Francisco, to the gallows. Mooney was a prominent loud little handful-as usual-will shout for the war. ' labor leader who was alleged to have participated in The pulpit will-warily and cautiously-object-at a conspiracy-the result of which was a bomb ex-

plosion during the Preparedness Parade last July. first; the great, big, dull bulk of the nation will rub Evidence was brough forward just one month before its sleepy eyes and try to make aut why there -should he was to be hanged to show that he wa:s convicted on be a war, and will say, earnestly and indignantly, 'It perjured testimony; that a deliberate frame-up had is unjust and qishonorable, and there is no necessity been perpetrated by the Law and Order Committee for it!' · Then the handful will shout louder. A few of the Chamber of Commerce, whose tool was Fickert,

the District Attorney. fair men on the other side will argue and reason Today the District Attorney's office and the Police against the war with speech and pen, and at first will Department o San Francisco are "on trial" before have a hearing and be applauded; but it will not last the eyes of the world for attempting to railroad labor long; those others will outshout them, and presently, leaders to the hangman in order to end unionism and the anti-war audiences will thin out and lose popu- its pacifist tendencies.

The newspapers, however, maintained their silence larity. Befor~ long you will see this curious thing: and united in suppressing the facts until the truth burst the speakers stoned from the platform, and free speech upon the world from Petrograd! ' strangled by hordes of furious men who in their secret The Brotherhood of labor transcended the bounda-hearts are still at one with those stoned speakers-as ries of Nationalism and even the conspiracy of the

Press! earlier-but do not dare to say so. And now the whole nation-pulpit and all-will take up the wa'r-cry, and shout itself hoarse, and mob any honest man, who ven­tures to open his mouth; and presently such mouths will cease to open. Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, -putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those con­science-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this pr~cess of grotesque self-deception."

MARK TWAIN. .. The Mysterious Str&nger.''

H&rper and Bros.

Labor L&ws in War Time "Ill-timed and ill-advised are the bills recently put­

through the N. Y. State Senate by the Republican leader, Elon R. Brown, empowering the Governor to relax, in war emergencies, the laws protecting labor, and permitting the Commissioner of Education practi­cally to suspend the compulsory education law in cases where the children desire to work on the farms.

"The cause of extreme pacifists who hold that all war is the direct product of private greed would be

· strengthened more by the passage of the Brown bill than by anything which the ·pacifists themselves could ever accomplish." Prof. JOHN DEWEY •

The Russian· Revolution's Peace Terms are: No indemnities, No annexations, ' Internationalization of the Dardanelles.

We await the Peace Terms of the United States.

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Published fortnightly by the Woman's Peace Party of New York City, 70 Fifth Ave., who are glad to have contents reprinted, with due acknowledg~ent.

r

Editors of this Issue:-

LEONIE KNOEDLER FLORENCE GUERTIN TUTTLE AGNES D. WARBASSE ~

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