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The Commoner
MARCH, 1915
19
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School Children Submit Petition for Peace in Europe
If - " I ; - -
Scone at the State Department, Washington, February, WJWl? l"
Byyan Receives Plea of 350,000
(From the Washington Evening Star,
eoruary za, j.uio.j
A protest by children against the
wanton slaughter of humans in the
effort to uphold national dignities, a
protest against the deprivation to the
children of Europe of their fathers
and guardians, was laid in the hands
of Secretary Bryan of the state de
partment this norning by twelve lit
tle girls of the Washington public
schools, all dressed in white. It was
a two-and-a-half-mile protest from
350,000 children of the United States,
scattered over forty-five states,
against the continuance of the Eu
ropean conflict and a plea to the
l-UCU UtiiiUH Ox LxltJ jJUYVOAD "
to declare an armistice, to submit
their troubles involved in the .present
war, and all future troubles to the
Hague.
Secretary Bryan in his office in the
state department, where peace and
arbitration treaties have been nego
tiated, where the seals have been, af
fixed binding the United States to
submit to investigation any interna
tional dispute in-which it shall be in
volved, received the petitions, which
Mmo ivy -.-.ii.-. t -..-.-.-,.,, 1 Vin.icnnrl
names each, and deposited them on
the desk where peace treaties have
been signed and where many more
May be signed.
PRESENTS PETITION AND PLEA
After the party had been ushered
into the office of the premier and had
been introduced by Miss Kate Dev
ereux Blake of New York City, orig
inator of the movement, Miss Ruth
W ICebler of the Johnson public
school of Washington, D. C, stepped
forward with one of the petition rolls
nicely tied with broad white ribbon.
She was the first to lay the petition
in the hands of Secretary Bryan, and
as she did so t-ie said:
"Mr. Secretary, we, the children of
the national capital, present to you
these petitions from the children of
our United States in which we ask
for peace in Europe and we pray with
more energy to have war kept from
this nation."
Miss Blake, at the conclusion of
Miss Kebler's remarks, asked the sec
retary if he would not go to the front
of the building to have pictures taken
af the peace party.
"No," he said. Then came a pause
while the party stood wondering the
cause. . ,f
"I desire to say someimue j"
WEARS SPECIAL BADGE
"I wore dow-. this morning a peace
badge, which, as you see," he said,
Minting to a white dove design af
fixed to the lapel of his coat, "is the
Sove of peac, with outstretched
Wl"f am very glad to receive petitions
fnr neace here from any one. How
Pver I think that they can come from
no nortion of the population with
was then that x u burdens 0f
Tt:jxx
..Tho w0!?o, the burdens of war,
the,1ngtr rfSuia have something to
and.lUn,a aeermination of those
""'"SEES COMING OP PEACE
a nf th nvnaont. fitrife. God does
uu u Y v "---, Kllf llo
not enaoie us to iooh. uuuuu, uu
does enable us to aeciao uuubuuud
.. .. .1 .,.. -nmmnn ntlfl
does enable us to. decide questions u . 3 -. ; -----
na thnv arise and you women auu ijuiiub hi mu ivupo ..w., --
cn..rn K-aonelour '??t'mSg
i ,4AA vnnr tnnra for neace."
Following the ceremonies in the
secretary of state's private office.
Secretary Bryan went with the wo
men and children to the steps of the
bJUding, where they were filmed for
the movies. As the picture was be
ing taken, Ambassador Naon of the
Argentine republic, one of the diplo
mats who assisted in settling the re
cent differences between the United
States and Mexico, came up, and Miss
Blake insisted upon him getting into
the picture as a representative of an
other ) jutral nation.
The petitions were then taken to
the big state reception room, where
they were piled high on the tables, to
become a part of the official archives
of the state department.
A copy of the petition is to be sent
to the diplomatic representatives in
this city of the nations at war, and
they are to be informed, and are, in
turn expected to inform their gov
ernments, of tho receipt of the peti
tion an J the fact there is on file at
the American state department a pe
tition two and a half miles long bear
ing the rames of 350,000 school
children 1 f the United States, begging
"on belialf of the helpless children of
Europe and Asia, who are being de
prived of their fathers and their ed
ucation, and are b ing irreparably de
graded by the hideous conditions cre
ated by the war," that the strife be
ended. , rwnmv
THOSE 1IN ItltU x'.tt.iv x x
Miss Ruth W. Kebler, Miss Margaret
W. Tracey and Miss Esther Edgerton,
. v. TiiTiQn wnlinnl; Miss
iTizabetn H. SYfenk, Miss Theodate
P. Wilson, Miss Josephine L. FInkle,
Miss Elsie R. Finkle, Miss Sophia
Walman and Miss Ruth E. Thomas,
school, and Miss Mary J. Pardee, pu
pil at the Powell school.
Others in tho party were Miss Kato
Devereux Blakj, Mrs. L. F. Kebler,
Mrs. Franklin Wilson, Mrs. Kate Wal
ler Barrett, Mrs. William Kent, Mrs.
Robert M. La Follette, Miss Ethel
Smith, Miss Jeanette Rankin, Mrs.
Churchill and Arthur Deerin Call,
executive director of tho American
Peaco society.
WISDOM
Doth not wisdom cry? and under
standing put forth her voice? She
standeth in the top of high places,
by the way in the places of the paths.
She crieth at the gates, at the entry
of the city, at the coming in of tho
doors: Unto you, O men, I call; and
my voice is to the sons of man. O
ye simple, understand wisdom: and,
ye fools, be ye of an understanding
heart. Hear; for I will speak of ex
cellent things; and the opening of
my lips shall be right things. For
my mouth shall speak truth; and
wickedness is an abomination to my
lips. Receive my instruction, and
not silver; and knowledge rather
than choice gold. For wisdom is bet
ter than rubies; and all the things
that may be desired are not to be
compared to it. I, wisdom, dwell
with prudence. By me kings reign,
and princes decree justice. By me
princes rule, and nobles, even all the
. j.t. At.li TMMiott rwl
TiiUbxti UN xrxxy axuvj. JUUges ox me cuim. -" --
,,.- ,nTOirr .famirAn carried the honor are with me; yea, durable
nPtltions to tho state department and riches and righteousness. My fruit
Presented them to Secretary Bryan: is better than gold, yea, than fine
prteuii.u ,,-, fjttoa MnrcrfirAt. o-nlrl Proverbs vlii.. 1:19.
gold. Proverbs viii., 1:19.
Poverty may pinch an honest man,
but it never lands him in jail. Ex.
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