,,universal ,,peace--,,from ,a          
,,woman',s ,,standpoint4                
,,by ,,baroness ,,bertha ,,von          
,s,,ttner4      ,i have been requested  
to write a contribution to these pages  
with the  above title4 ,the subject of  
,universal ,peace occupies my thoughts  
and  actions so completely1 and the     
opportunity of addressing myself to a   
circle of ,american readers is so       
welcome to me1 that ,i was most willing 
to comply with the wish of the ,editor1 
although ,i should certainly have       
chosen another title4 ,for although it  
is self-evident that everything  that a 
woman writes must be written from a     
woman's standpoint1 it does  not agree  
with my principles to treat the problem 
of peace and war  exclusively1 or even  
principally1 in its relations to the    
feelings and  lives of women4 ,such     
relations certainly exist1 and it will  
be of great  service to the progress of 
the peace movement if women1 as such1   
will  oppose the institution hateful to 

mothers1 and if women's associations    
7as daily occurs more often7 will place 
the questions of peace and  arbitration 
on the order of the day at their        
meetings4 ,but ,i believe  that more and
 more women1 who reflect upon this      
important subject1 will  leave the      
specifically feminine standpoint1 to    
judge of this1 so  eminently the        
universal concern of humanity1 from a   
more general point  of view4 ,it is only
 too natural that women should hate war1
 which robs  them of the support and the
 joys of their existence1 and for that  
very  reason until to-day this hatred   
has done nothing towards the struggle   
against war2 on the contrary1 only such 
women as could triumph over  their      
natural feelings of abhorrence1 who1    
putting aside their own  grief1 could   
incite to war1 or even themselves       
perform warlike deeds1  only such women 
were brought into prominence by history2
 only these were  praised1 because1     
overcoming their egoism1 they had       

performed their duty  by performing     
brave deeds of sacrifice4    ,women who 
cry1 8,war must cease because we suffer 
from it1 because we  may lose our       
dearest by it10 these1 so long as war   
was looked upon as  natural and         
serviceable to the fatherland1 certainly
 stood morally lower  than those who    
said3 8,what matters our misery1 the    
common weal comes  first20 or those who 
bade their sons3 8,return home          
victorious or dead40    ,any opposition 
arising from particular interests1      
whether it be the  interest of rank1    
class or sex1 is deficient in ethical   
causes1 and has  therefore also no      
ethical efficacy4 ,the great influence  
that women are  beginning to exert      
to-day on questions of social progress1 
arises from  the fact that they have    
stepped out from their limited sphere of
 sex1  and have learned to judge these  
questions in their importance to        
universal humanity4 ,the woman who was  
capable of becoming an enthusiast  for  

war and joyfully sacrificing to it the  
supporter of her home and her  beloved  
sons1 certainly stood higher than she   
who was wanting in such  powers of      
sacrifice2 but on a far higher level    
stands the woman who  opposes war1 not  
because it threatens her home1 but      
because she has  comprehended that it is
 an evil for the whole human race4 ,not 
because  they are daughters1 wives1 and 
mothers1 do modern women wish to        
undermine the institution called war1   
but they do it because they are  the    
rational moiety of a humanity that is   
becoming rational1 and  comprehend that 
war represents a check to the           
development of culture1  and that from  
every standpoint--the moral and the     
economical1 the  religious and the      
philosophical--it is harmful and to be  
condemned4 ,the  ,new ,woman alone will 
work successfully for the abolition of  
war4 ,the  woman of yesterday1 in spite 
of isolated complaints and warnings1 did
  the contrary3 she incited silently or 

aloud to war--silently1 by the          
admiration which she cherished for      
heroism1 and the pleasure which she     
found in uniforms2 aloud1 by direct     
encouragement to fight4    ,the         
following episode has been related to   
me4 ,it was before the ,polish          
insurrection1 in the year #ahfc4 ,in the
 house of an aristocratic lady the  lite
 of ,warsaw society were invited to     
dinner4 ,after the meal1 in the         
smoking-room1 the gentlemen were talking
 over the political situation4  ,the    
leaders of the subsequent insurrection  
were among those present4 ,the  question
 was seriously discussed1 whether it was
 possible to enter upon  a movement of  
insurrection with any prospect of       
success4 ,the conclusion  was arrived at
 that under the existing circumstances  
such a movement  would be hopeless1 and 
would only result in bloody massacre and
  increased severity instead of         
deliverance1 all agreeing that the plans
  for a rising must be given up1 at     

least for the moment4 ,nothing was to   
be said to the ladies of this resolve on
 returning to the drawing-room1  for it 
would certainly incur their disapproval4
 ,one of the gentlemen1  however1 was   
faithless to this resolution4 ,he let   
the secret out4 8,what6  not possible60 
cried the women in chorus4 8,that can   
only be a jest--no  ,pole is capable of 
such cowardice6 ,who could propose      
anything so  disgraceful80 8,of course  
it was only a jest10 agreed the others1 
who  would have found the contempt of   
the women intolerable1 and on the       
following day the revolution1 which     
resulted so unfortunately for  ,poland1 
was set in motion by the same men who   
had resolved among  themselves not to   
attempt a rising1 but who could not     
endure to  displease their wives4       
,one may presuppose that among the many 
motives which in the future will  work  
against militarism and war1 the         
following powerful motive will be       
found3 the change in women's favor4     

,when once a higher reward of love is   
granted to men for the heroic deeds of  
peace than for those of war1 when  they 
know that they will only earn the       
admiration of the best women by  working
 for the new ideals of justice2 and1 on 
the contrary1 will arouse  the          
abhorrence of noble women by supporting 
the system of force1 then  one of the   
strongest motives which now drive young 
men into the  profession of arms will be
 overcome4 ,the true and most important 
connection between the woman's question 
and the peace question is this3  the    
realization of the ideals of peace      
presupposes that the whole of  humanity 
should rise to a higher level than that 
upon which it now  stands in an         
overwhelming majority4 ,in order that   
the element of force  and oppression1   
which governs the history of society in 
the past and in  the present1 should    
yield to the element of right and       
freedom1 a higher  type of man must be  
evolved4 ,we are now witnessing this    

evolution4 ,it  is1 however1 not        
apparent only in one sphere1 but in many
 at the same  time1 and especially      
strongly in the sphere of the women's   
movement4 ,to  the attainment of the    
ideal towards which modern endeavors are
 moving1  the unimpeded development is  
necessary of all mental germs in the    
whole  human race4 ,none of the gifts   
shared by all may be suppressed by      
reason  of supposed unsuitability to the
 race1 or class1 or even sex2 and the   
virtues1 the larger diffusion of which  
is to characterize the new type1  must  
be no longer divided into two halves2   
gentleness and moderation on  the       
feminine1 courage and intellectual power
 on the masculine1 side4    ,no2 every  
person will have to exhibit these       
virtues1 no matter to which  sex one may
 belong4 ,just as at the present day    
there are many common  qualities1       
without which neither woman nor man can 
lay claim to esteem1  such as honesty1  
cleanliness1 diligence1 love of truth1  

sense of duty1  in the same manner does 
the new ideal of perfection exact all   
human  virtues from all human beings at 
the same time4 ,with the removal of     
other privileges those of crime must    
also cease1 and man shall no longer     
pride himself on his excesses4 ,courage1
 that model virtue1 first of the  lion1 
then of the savage1 then of the hero1   
lastly of the soldier always  ready for 
battle1 must lose its halo1 and must not
 be practised only by  men to the point 
of contempt of life1 but will be        
required in hours of  danger1 in life's 
difficult situations in a like measure  
from the  perfectly human woman4 ,the   
human race will not be left alone to the
 care  of woman1 but every perfect human
 being must disdain to be a slave to    
the pleasure of the senses without love 
or in treacherous disloyalty4  ,thus it 
will happen by the falling of the       
fetters which one sex has  borne so     
long1 that not it alone1 but also the   
other will rise to a  higher human      

dignity4 ,exactly the contrary will take
 place of what is  dreaded by the       
opponents of the emancipation of women3 
the woman will  not assume gross        
masculine defects1 the man will not sink
 into womanish  effeminacy1 but both    
united1 among them the best1 the        
strongest1 and the  most intelligent1   
will form models of a nobler race4      
,it is unimaginable that a more highly  
developed cultured humanity1 in  which  
both sexes have equal rights in the     
decisions of society1 should  uphold the
 institutions of war4 ,a certain amount 
of compassion1 of  sensitive abhorrence 
of all that is hard and cruel1 in a     
word--of noble  humanity1 must exist in 
the cultured community4 ,men console    
themselves  with the thought that these 
qualities1 so necessary to the existence
 and  dignity of society1 are furnished 
by the feminine sex1 and maintain  their
 right to hardness and roughness1 a     
right which is most freely  active in   
war4 ,but when the woman rises to an    

equal level1 must she also  become a    
soldier1 and shall she lay aside those  
virtues which are not  compatible with  
the profession of arms8 ,shall all      
gentleness vanish out  of the world8    
,that is impossible4 ,therefore the     
woman must renounce  equal rights4 ,this
 she will never do2 it is much simpler  
for the man to  renounce the profession 
of arms4    ,the complete hideousness of
 unrestrained gross conduct1 which      
passes as  permissible and occasionally 
as quite delightful in the masculine    
sex1  such as drinking1 brawling and    
excess--the complete hideousness of this
  conduct is plainly visible when one   
imagines a woman given to such          
behavior4 ,on the other hand1 many      
weaknesses of character are counted as  
contemptible in men1 and excusable1 if  
not charming1 in women--as  cowardice1  
weakness of will1 and thoughtlessness4  
,now1 when woman lays  aside these      
8lovely0 faults1 when she shows energy  
and self-confidence1  some certainly    

praise her for her masculine character1 
but others at  once give utterance to   
the fear that1 with the laying aside of 
the  feminine defects1 the feminine     
virtues will also fall into abeyance4   
,but  that is not the case3 both sexes  
must lay aside those faults which       
disgrace1 and practise those virtues    
which ennoble1 humanity4    ,and now1   
after protesting against my views being 
supposed to arise from  a specifically  
feminine standpoint1 ,i will say what ,i
 think about  universal peace2 but      
first1 ,i should like to give a picture 
of universal  war1 as ,i see it#a from  
the war of the future1 so long          
prophesied and  so splendidly prepared4 
,footnote #a3      ,see my              
8,maschinenzeitalter40 ,,iii4 ,auflage4 
,pierson's ,verlag4    ,a war in which  
all the great military ,states of       
,europe took part would  surpass all    
horrors that have hitherto taken place1 
in the same degree  as the present      
weapons of destruction and those still  

to be invented  surpass the club with   
which ,cain may have slain his brother4 
,in such a  war an amount of murder and 
destruction and savagery would be       
contained1  such as was not in a hundred
 battles of ancient times4 ,the progress
 that  has been made has not only       
increased the power of destruction a    
thousandfold1 but also that which is to 
be destroyed has become a  thousand     
times more valuable1 and therefore the  
injury would be  proportionately        
greater4    ,the accelerated1           
incalculable improvement and increase1  
the technical  development that has     
grown to colossal dimensions1 which     
leads to such  fabulous results when    
directed to the increase of property and
  happiness1 to what equally gigantic   
results of misery must these not  lead1 
when applied to the principle of the    
destruction of property1  happiness1 and
 life3 millions of combatants rush upon 
one another1 and  the fighting begins at
 ever greater distances4 ,instead of the

 spear1  that only flew a short         
distance1 instead of the later bullet   
that hit  the enemy at a few hundred    
paces1 the death-bringing bombs now     
whistle  through space at a distance of 
miles2 long before the two combatants   
can  see each other the vanguard covers 
the field4 ,but when and how will the   
decision take place8 8,until one or the 
other side is so weakened that it  gives
 up the fight40 ,that was in former     
times the answer to this  question4 ,now
 both sides rage with equal force4 ,the 
weakening keeps  equal pace4 ,hundreds  
of thousands are fallen1 but new        
hundreds of  thousands advance1 and the 
decision is not a step nearer4 ,a       
vanquished1  flying army8 ,that exists  
no more1 for no longer are mere armies  
sent  forth1 but whole nations4 ,they   
fight with each other for the sake of a 
strip of land2 but meanwhile the entire 
land is devastated1 depopulated  and    
ravaged on either side4 ,all crops are  
trodden under foot1 all labor           

suspended1 all hearths desolated2 one   
cry of pain from frontier to  frontier1 
and still no decision4 ,every village a 
heap of ashes1 every  field a burial    
ground1 and yet the fight still rages2  
under the waves of  the sea shoot the   
torpedo boats1 to sink mighty           
steamships2 in the  clouds rise armed   
and manned air-balloons against another 
aronautic  force1 and from the height of
 a thousand feet mutilated warriors     
shower  down in bleeding fragments2     
mines are sprung and bridges are hurled 
into  the waves with their loads of men1
 horses and carriages2 powder  magazines
 fly into the air2 long lines of trains 
run off the rails2  hospitals blaze2 and
 still it is not decided4 ,army1        
reserve1 militia--the  aged1 children1  
women--one after the other is           
slaughtered2 what still  lives becomes  
the prey of famine1 of the infallible   
pestilence1 and the  war is over4 ,but  
it is not decided4 ,the tremendous      
magnitude of the  impending war--a      

magnitude which may be determined with  
mathematical  certainty by reason of the
 present ever-increasing number of      
combatants  and technique of weapons1   
might instil a certain admiration and   
satisfaction1 if the love of and rage   
for fighting had increased in           
proportion to its means2 if the value of
 human life had sunk in the  esteem of  
the individual in the same degree as in 
the calculations of  material by the    
administrators of armies2 if finally the
 gain of war  had increased as much as  
the inevitable losses4 ,but the reverse 
of all  this is the case4 ,hatred and   
love of fighting give place to          
civilization1 growing gentler and       
constantly spreading2 the value of  life
 rises with the embellishments and      
alleviations afforded by daily          
advancing progress2 and lastly1 as      
regards the advantages of the final     
victory1 a strip of land or a heap of   
fortress stones1 or the absolutely      
illusory 8,fame0--these things1         

powerless to enrich or to make happy1   
sink  in an ever greater disparity to   
those sacrifices1 increasing to the     
uttermost1 which they render necessary4 
,so much for the approaching 7or1 it is 
to be hoped1 not approaching7  war4 ,as 
regards universal peace1 which may now  
not be so remote--for at  the present   
time a conference is assembled in this  
name1 called together  by the most      
powerful military ruler in the          
world--people are by no means  clear as 
to its foundations and aims4 ,most      
persons believe that members  of ,peace 
,societies imagine under the name of    
universal peace a condition  of general 
harmony1 a world without fighting or    
divisions1 with  undisputed frontiers   
settled for all time1 and inhabited by  
angelic  beings1 overflowing with       
gentleness and love4 ,it is an old      
custom of the  enemies of any movement  
to represent it in a false light1 to    
attribute  absurdities to it which it   
has never asserted1 and then to attack  

them  with cheap sarcasm and obvious    
refutations4 ,so also here4 ,the friends
 of  peace do not desire to found their 
kingdom on impossibilities1 nor on      
conditions that might perhaps prevail   
thousands of years hence1 but on  the   
living present and living humanity4 ,the
 avoidance of all disputes is  not      
demanded--for that is impossible--but   
that the disputes should be  settled    
henceforward by arbitration instead of  
by force1 as was hitherto  the case4    
,this level of culture has already been 
attained by the  individuals of         
organized states3 that it should be     
attained also by the  states themselves 
in their relations to each other1 is the
 aim and  object of the whole peace     
movement4 ,thereby one right would      
certainly be  lost--a right which1      
although it bears the proud name of     
sovereignty1 is  in truth a great wrong2
 the right of one state to attack       
another4 ,but if  ten persons agree     
among themselves to desist from mutual  

attack1 each  exchanges one-tenth of his
 lost chance of plunder for nine-tenths 
of  assured safety4 ,immutability of    
existing frontiers and social           
arrangements is demanded as little as   
the avoidance of disputes4 ,for  this1  
too1 would be contrary to nature4       
,obstinacy1 bearing the proud  title of 
,conservatism1 which opposes all natural
 alterations and  displacements1 is     
itself the cause of all forcible revolt4
 ,just as in  private life1 the         
individual's possessions are protected  
from robbery by  a civilized            
commonwealth1 but the possessor is not  
guaranteed for all  time1 and the poor  
are not prevented from gaining          
possessions4 ,rich and  poor families   
grow or die out1 increase or decrease in
 fortune2 new  groups are formed1 drawn 
together by natural selection2 a growing
  population must overflow the          
frontiers2 forms of state belonging to a
  lower level of culture must be        
supplanted by the civilization of those 

culturally superior4 ,elasticity is the 
only quality which ensures  peaceful    
duration or painless and imperceptible  
transition from one form  to another4   
,the world should remember this1 now    
that it has learned the  law of         
evolution1 and knows that all life and  
development is the work of  adaptation4 
,but to contemplate peace and war from a
 general standpoint is what             
philosophers and politicians have done  
from the earliest times4 ,to work  out  
plans and propositions1 by which the    
ruling state of war may be  replaced by 
the establishment of international      
justice1 is a labor which  has been     
carried on systematically for the last  
ten years by the various  groups of the 
,league of ,peace1 and the              
inter-parliamentary union4 ,an  entire  
literature already exists on this       
subject1 and by consulting ,dr4  ,evan  
,darby's 8,international ,tribunal0#b   
and ,dr4 ,benjamin ,trueblood's  lately 
published work1 8,the ,federation of the

 ,world10#c a complete  knowledge of the
 ideal and practical aims may be gained1
 as also of the  results already        
acquired4    ,footnote #b3      ,london 
,peace ,society1 #dg ,new ,broad        
,street4    ,footnote #c3      ,boston  
and ,new ,york1 ,houghton1 ,mifflin     
,co41 #ahii4    ,but now1 at the present
 moment1 when the work of peace is      
placed in the  hands of an              
inter-governmental conference at the    
,hague1 furnished with  powers to       
realize the resolutions passed1 it is no
 longer fitting to  draw up theories of 
the abstract idea of universal peace3   
now everyone  sympathizing with the     
great cause1 and especially such as are 
in  immediate proximity to the          
conference1 are compelled to concentrate
 all  their interest upon it4 ,and1     
therefore1 ,i will close these lines    
with a  few thoughts1 which1 quite apart
 from the 8woman's standpoint10 might   
bear the title3 8,universal ,peace and  
the ,conference at the ,hague40    ,it  

appears to me that in the criticism and 
discussion of this unique  phenomenon1  
this unprecedented historical event1 the
 importance of the  fact that such a    
,conference is sitting is too much      
forgotten4 ,one either  loses oneself in
 the question3 8,what will be           
discussed80 and subjects  every item of 
the programme to a minute technical     
criticism1 or one  enquires3 8,what will
 be the result80 and indulges in more or
 less  hopeful1 or more or less         
sceptical1 conjectures and prophecies4  
,one  forgets to contemplate the        
overwhelming fact that such a           
,conference has  been called together by
 an autocrat in our ultra-military      
times1 and in  which every ,state takes 
part4    ,apart from all that will be   
achieved by speeches1 propositions and  
resolutions1 the significance and the   
effect of the event itself must be  of  
the greatest influence1 and the first   
official ,peace ,conference  appears    
like a miracle in the history of the    

world4    ,among the many arguments     
brought against peace movements on the  
part of  sceptics1 the most powerful    
used to be3 8,what is the use of private
  exertions80 ,rulers will never agree  
to restrict militarism1 which is the    
support of the throne1 or to abolish    
war1 which is the raison d'tre  of      
militarism4 ,autocratic ,russia itself  
presented the most serious  menace of   
war4 8,suppose you attempt10 was the    
scornful remark1 8to get  the ,tsar upon
 the list of your societies2 then you   
might speak60 ,now1  the ,tsar stands at
 the head of all peace movements1 but   
the opponents  set aside the            
circumstance that the most obvious of   
their ten ordinary  arguments has been  
refuted1 and1 undismayed1 employ the    
nine remaining  ones against the ,tsar  
himself4    ,people do not only forget  
to observe the magnitude of such an     
event as  the meeting of an             
inter-governmental ,conference2 they    
also forget1 in  speaking of the        

subjects under discussion1 to open their
 eyes to the  importance of them4 ,they 
know what the point in question is1 but 
they do  not realize it4 ,like a person 
ignorant of music before a symphony of  
,beethoven1 like a three-year-old child 
before a picture by ,raphael1 so  do    
people stand before the chronicle of the
 ,conference4 ,they hear and  see1 but  
the awe of comprehension does not thrill
 through them4  8,universal ,peace60    
,how few can comprehend the harmony and 
the glory that  lie in these words4 ,how
 few reflect1 while discussing the      
problems lying  before the ,conference1 
what is really at stake3 the happiness  
or ruin  of themselves and their        
children6 ,for1 that the rgime of       
international justice would shower an   
undreamed-of abundance of moral  and    
material benefits upon the civilized    
world1 and on the other hand1  that     
continued military equipments and the   
eventual employment of the  increasingly
 deadly weapons of war must lead to ruin

 and annihilation1  can be denied by    
none4 ,thus it is nothing less than our 
highest  happiness or deepest misery    
which is being discussed in the ,huis   
ten  ,bosch4 ,but the world looks on as 
though it were a question of customs    
duties or weights and measures2 many    
boast of 8being indifferent to the      
matter40 ,they think thus to prove their
 superiority1 and only show that  they  
do not understand4 ,not only without but
 within the ,conference is  there an    
uncomprehending majority4 ,among the    
delegates1 as well as among  the        
,governments that sent them1 most are as
 indifferent1 in some cases  as hostile1
 as unintelligent1 generally speaking1  
as the ordinary public  towards the idea
 of universal peace4 ,but that matters  
nothing3 the fact  remains that an      
international parliament is now         
assembled in the name of  this idea2 the
 spirit abiding in the idea1 and        
inspiring the originator  as well as a  
number of the delegates1 will exert its 

power upon the  indifferent1 the        
hostile1 and the uncomprehending1 and   
will penetrate  the world4    ,the true 
significance of the ,conference is      
contained in the following  words1      
addressed by the ,president1 von ,staal1
 to the delegates at the  opening of the
 first sitting3      8,to seek the most 
effective means of ensuring to all      
nations the    benefits of a real and   
lasting peace1 that is the chief aim of 
our    deliberations according to the   
text of the circular of ,august #bd4    
8,the name #8,peace ,conference1' which 
the instinct of the nations1            
anticipating the resolution of the      
,governments1 has given to our          
,assembly1 this name well describes the 
principal object of our labors2    the  
,peace ,conference must not be faithless
 to the mission laid upon    it2 it must
 bring forth a tangible result from     
these deliberations1    which is awaited
 in confidence by all mankind40    ,all 
mankind8 ,not yet4 ,a great portion of  

it1 that which still holds fast  to the 
thousand-year-old institution of war1 be
 it through personal  interest or the   
power of imparted prejudice1 hopes that 
the ,conference  will produce no result 
which may endanger war2 a still greater 
portion1  the dull masses1 expect       
nothing at all4 ,but those who really   
have  confidence in the progress of     
culture1 who1 in agreement with the     
originator of the ,conference and his   
faithful fellow-workers1 are  convinced 
of the necessity of the present ruinous 
system giving place to  another1 these  
latter will note these words of the     
,president of the  ,conference2 and in  
case of disappointment1 in case the     
,conference were  faithless to its      
mission1 would raise the demand for     
fulfilment so  loudly and continuously  
that at length all mankind would be     
carried away  by it4    ,but such       
disappointment will not take place4     
,that may be boldly said  beforehand4   
,the proposals already put before the   

,assembly vouch for the  earnestness and
 sincerity of the work which has been   
begun4 ,they are a  proof that the      
following sentence from ,staal's speech 
is no mere phrase1  but the expression  
of noble resolve3      8,diplomacy1     
following a universal law1 is no longer 
an art in which    personal skill plays 
the principal part1 but is striving to  
become a    science1 which must possess 
fixed rules for the settlement of       
international conflicts4 ,that is to-day
 the ideal aim that it must    bear in  
view1 and great progress will           
indubitably be made1 if    diplomacy    
succeeds in laying down some of these   
rules at this    ,conference4 ,we shall 
also particularly endeavor to codify the
 practice    of arbitration and         
mediation4 ,these ideas form1 so to     
speak1 the    essence of our task1 the  
chief aim of our exertions2 #8to prevent
    conflicts by peaceful means4'0      
,these words faithfully echo the        
instructions given by the ,tsar to his  

ambassador4 ,and already much has been  
done in the specified direction4  ,it is
 clear that other powers had come to the
 ,conference with plans  equally        
far-reaching if not more so1 and the    
subject of an  8,international          
,permanent ,tribunal of                 
,arbitration0--this wildest dream of    
the ,utopians--has already been         
discussed and even in many points       
unanimously accepted4    ,the           
propositions offered by the             
representatives of ,russia1 ,england1   
,italy and the ,united ,states are known
 through the newspapers4 ,to the        
opponents of the peace movement that    
have lately pointed out with  special   
satisfaction that ,america1 that        
stronghold of efforts for peace1  has   
lately entered military channels1 to    
these the plan sent by the  ,american   
,government must have caused remarkable 
stupefaction4 ,with these  proposals1   
with this energetic and open            
participation in the work of  peace1 the

 ,american will again fill that position
 in the history of  civilization with   
which the friends of peace in the whole 
world have  always credited him3 the    
,pioneer of peace and freedom4    ,a    
tangible result will be produced by the 
,conference1 something newly  created1  
constituted1 permanent1 that can be     
developed and expanded4 ,and  besides   
this1 a direct result1 how many indirect
 ones8 ,the whole world  must now take  
part in the question1 and the various   
branches of the  social organism1 the   
,church1 ,art1 ,literature1 the ,press1 
are drawn into  the service of          
propagandism4 ,gifted men like ,stead   
and ,bloch1 now  resident at the ,hague1
 have an opportunity of a field worthy  
of their  labors4 ,stead has prevailed  
upon a ,dutch daily paper to publish an 
article on 8,war against ,war10 which   
plays the same part towards the         
,conference as the weekly paper for the 
,english1 8,crusade of ,peace40  ,bloch 
is giving lectures1 illustrated by      

views1 offering a resum of  the great   
six-volume work in which1 supported by  
dates and facts1 he  proves that the war
 of the future is a technical           
impossibility1 an  8,utopia40 ,even if  
the general public has not comprehended 
the marvellous  significance of the     
meeting of the ,conference1 perhaps it  
will be  capable of perceiving the      
significance of positive results4 ,facts
 and  successes are always more powerful
 than the most glorious theories1       
however irrefutable4 ,and the positive  
results will be of various kinds4  ,one 
brings another with it4 ,the question of
 neutralizing the ,states1 the  question
 of the coalition of neutrals1 and      
lastly the question of  disarmament1    
although the two former are not upon the
 programme1 and the  latter seems to    
have been momentarily put aside--will   
come to the front4  ,disarmament and a  
check to military equipment1 these were 
the chief  motives of the ,tsar's       
manifesto4 ,to avert the ruin and       

misfortune  brought upon nations by     
8armed ,peace10 was mentioned as the    
object for  which remedies were to be   
found4 ,when once these                 
remedies--international  justice1       
etc4--have been found1 the object can no
 longer be evaded4 ,i  believe that the 
decision of the ,conference upon the    
question of  disarmament will offer a   
startling resolution1 or at least a     
declaration  of principle1 which will be
 binding in the future4 ,one need not   
fear to  be confounded when prophesying 
agreeable surprises4    ,truly1 ,i      
venture to assert with confidence1 the  
progress from the first  of the past    
eight ,peace ,congresses in #ahhi to the
 ,hague ,congress of #ahii  has been far
 longer and more difficult than that    
leading from this  ,conference to a     
complete attainment of its aims2 i4 e41 
to the  abolition on principle of the   
institution of war4 ,in the midst of our
  endeavors for universal peace the     
,tsar's initiative fell like a          

bombshell2 but now1 even were it in the 
near future1 the inauguration of        
lawfully guaranteed peace would appear  
to those qualified to judge no  longer  
as a surprise1 but as a fulfilment4     
,,bertha ,,von ,s,,ttner4    ,the       
,hague1 ,june1 #ahii4                   
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--------------------------------        
,,transcriber',s ,,notes       #a4      
,silently corrected obvious             
typographical errors and variations in  
spelling4   #b4 ,retained archaic1      
non-standard1 and uncertain spellings as
 printed4   #c4 ,enclosed italics font  
in underscores4