[Illustration: “I say, do suggest something new. This is becoming too
boring.”]
“The Peace Woman”
In this humorous yet pathetic cartoon--humorous because of its truth
to the type, and pathetic because of the futility of the effort
depicted--with unfailing skill the artist shows the folly of the cry
“Peace! Peace!” when there is none. In the forefront is a type of woman
publicist who can never be happy unless the limelight secured by vocal
effort and the advocacy of a “crazy” cause is focussed upon her. She
calls “Peace!” that the world may hear, not attend. Behind her stands
that other type of detached “peace woman,” who has, judging from her
placid yet grieved expression, apparently scarcely realised that the
War is too serious and has its genesis in causes too deep-rooted to be
quelled by her or her kind. One can imagine her saying: “A war! How
terrible! It must be stopped.”
The soldier, who is wise enough to prefer armour-plate even to a shield
provided by substantially built peace women clad in white, looks on
amused. The thinking world as a whole so looks on at “Arks” launched by
American millionaire motor manufacturers, and at Pacifist Conferences
held whilst the decision as to whether civilisation or savagery shall
triumph, and might be greater than right, yet hangs in the balance.
There must be no thought of peace otherwise than as the ultimate reward
of gallant men fighting in a just cause, and until with it can come
permanent security from the “Iron Fist” of Prussian Militarism and
aggression, and the precepts of Bernhardi and his kind are shown to
be false. Those who talk of peace in the midst of “frightfulness,” of
piracy, of reckless carnage and colossal sacrifices of human life which
are the fruits of an attempt to save by military glory a crapulous
dynasty, however good their intention, lack both mental and moral
perspective.