11. The appointment by our Government of a commission of men and women,
with an adequate appropriation, to promote international peace.”
In the meantime women of other countries had not remained idle. =Dr.
Aletta H. Jacobs=, President of the Dutch National Society for Woman
Suffrage, directed a letter to the most prominent women societies of
various nations, saying that it was of the greatest importance to bring
those women, representing the women societies of the world, together in
an =international meeting in a neutral country=, to show “that in =these
dreadful times, in which so much hate has been spread among the
different nations, the women at least retained their solidarity and that
they were able to maintain mutual friendship=.” At the same time she
suggested to hold this International Congress in Holland, and offered to
make the necessary arrangements.
While many women welcomed this first effort to renew international
relations it was only natural that, especially in belligerent countries,
a fierce criticism should be directed against this daring move. This
criticism came even from some of the women’s organizations. “It was to
be impossible to hold the Congress! No one would attend! Even if the
Congress were held the nationalities would quarrel amongst themselves!”
But those who had undertaken the work were not deterred by this
criticism, but encouraged by many enthusiastic responses. The
announcement that Miss Jane Addams had accepted the invitation to
preside at the Congress gave courage to all who were working for it. And
so the memorable “=International Congress of Women for Permanent Peace=”
came to pass. It was held at the Hague from April 28 to May 1, 1915, and
attended by 1136 delegates and a large number of visitors. The countries
represented were Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great
Britain, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United
States of America.
In her address of Welcome, Dr. Aletta H. Jacobs, the President of the
Executive Committee, said: “In arranging this International Congress we
have naturally had to put aside all thoughts of a festive reception, we
have simply endeavored to receive you in such a way that you may feel
assured of our sympathy, our mutual sisterly feelings, our goodwill to
link the nations together again in the bonds of fellowship and trustful
co-operation.
“With mourning in our hearts we stand united here. We grieve for the
many brave young men, who have lost their lives in barbaric fratricide
before even attaining their full manhood; we mourn with the poor mothers
bereft of their sons; with thousands and thousands of young widows and
fatherless children; we will not endure in this Twentieth Century
civilization, that governments shall longer tolerate brute force as the
only method of solving their international disputes. The culture of
centuries standing and the progress of science must no longer be
recklessly employed to perfect the implements of modern warfare. The
accumulated knowledge, handed down to us through the ages, must no
longer be used to kill and to destroy and to annihilate the products of
centuries of toil.
“Our cry of protest must be heard at last. Too long already has the
mother-heart of woman suffered in silence. O, I know and feel most
strongly, that it is impossible that a world-fire, such as has been
blazing forth for the last nine months, can be extinguished, until the
last bit of inflamable material has been reduced to ashes, but I also
feel most strongly that we must raise our voices now, if the new era of
civilization that will arise from these ashes is to rest upon a more
substantial basis, a basis on which the women with their inherent
conserving and pacific qualities shall have the opportunity to assist
men in conducting the world’s affairs.
“We women judge war differently from men. Men consider in the first
place its economic results. What it costs in money, its loss or its gain
to national commerce and industries, the extension of power and so
forth. But what is material loss to us women, in comparison to the
number of fathers, brothers, husbands and sons who march out to war
never to return. We women consider above all the damage to the race
resulting from war, and the grief, the pain and misery it entails. We
know only too well that whatever may be gained by a war, it is not worth
the bloodshed and the tears, the cruel sufferings, the wasted lives, the
agony and despair it has caused.
“Important as are the economic interests of a country, the interests of
the race are more vital. And, since by virtue of our womanhood, these
interests are to us of greater sanctity and value, women must have a
voice in the governments of all countries.
“Not until women can bring direct influence to bear upon Governments,
not until in the parliaments the voice of the women is heard mingling
with that of the men, shall we have the power to prevent recurrence of
such catastrophes.
“The Governments of the world, based on the insight of the half of
humanity, have failed to find a right solution of how to settle
international disputes. We therefore feel it more and more strongly,
that it is the duty, the sacred duty of every woman, to stand up now and
claim her share with men in the government of the world. Only when women
are in the parliaments of all nations, only when women have a political
voice and vote, will they have the power effectively to demand that
international disputes shall be solved as they ought to be, by a court
of arbitration or conciliation. Therefore on a programme of the
conditions whereby wars in future may be avoided, the question of woman
suffrage should not be lacking, on the contrary, it should have the
foremost place.
“May this Congress be the dawn of a better world, a world in which each
realizes that it is good to serve one’s own country, but that above the
interests of one’s Country stand the interests of humanity, by serving
which a still higher duty is fulfilled.”—
The business sessions, presided over by Miss Jane Addams, led to the
adoption of the following resolutions: