LAW, HOT WAR

Evening Star, Issue 19274, 12 June 1926, Page 20

LAW, HOT WAR

On the 19t.h of this month there frill take place an event almost unique ip British history. Women of all organisations and of various religions and political colors are combining on that day to go on a peace pilgrimage from North, South, East, and West of England, preaching as they go that the only hope of the world is the reign of right rather than might. A few out here will remember the great procession of 1913, then in support of women’s franchise, and how amazingly successful it was. There is every indication that this one will arouse even more enthusiasm in the country, for by this method thousands of_ country people are brought together in a manner impossible in an ordinary meeting. The departure from each town or village is tho occasion for a great send-off with banners and bands, and frith tho blessing of Co-operative and Temperance Societies, Trade Unions, local M.P.e, clergy, and the mayor and corporation. Sympathisers give hospitality for one or two nights, or for meals and rest. Here is a quotation from the suffrage pilgrimage of 1913, which shows how these enormous processiosn are organised: “ Cheddar was reached in time for lunch, and at 2.30 a meeting was held in a natural amphitheatre about halfway up tho famous Cheddar Gorge, Being Saturday, there were many visitors in. The pilgrims collected nearly £8 in five days. . , , We were a very merry party at the tea provided by tho Stoke Society, after which a meeting was held, and then we formed up, and with a band marched on into Hanley, where at a meeting in the marketplace there wore 10,000 people.” Fathers, mothers, children, and even babies, with luggage or food packed in the pram, are urged to march along, even if only for one _ mile. Some of the societies co-operating in this great adventure are the British Women’s Temperance Association, the League of Nations Union, National Council of Women, Industrial Women’s Organisation, Women’s Labor Party, Y.W.C.A., as well as many others. The routes marked out are from—(l) Edinburgh to London via Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, York, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton, Bedford; (2) Carlisle to London via Appleby, Manchester, Stoke, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Warwick, Oxford; (3> Swansea to London via Cardiff. Newport, Bristol, Bath, Swindon, and Heading; (41 Penzance to London via Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton, Glastonbury, Salisbury, Andover, Basingstoke, and' Guildford; (5) Cromer to London via Norwich, Cambridge, and Hertford; (6) Liverpool and Chester join a main branch at Stoke. What about letting your children work these journeys out in their atlases ? Now what is the aim of this tremendous demonstration on the part of women? Let me quote their own words: “The pilgrimages of old wept |p pay homage to the boaep of fh®. dead'

saints; ours is a nobler adventiire~to make the dead bones of apathy and ignorance live. Saints and heroes me wanted to-day, too, but theirs may not be a cloistered virtue 5 it is theirs to carrv a new message to the common people,’ for it is not upon the rich and powerful, but upon these - ordinary work-a-day ones that the world depends for its salvation, if they decide tiey want a thing they can get it. Let us then be with these pilgrims in spirit on that great day when he people demand “Law, not war the road to peace by arbitration, security, and disarmament. Cables of sympathy with the movement will no doubt be welcome to the pilgrimage secretary, 55 Gower street, London.