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PREJUDICE and REASON
some Australian Women's responses to war


 
From 1909 to now, including
two women, two organisations, two journals during WWI
 


FRONT PAGE - Index

11-13  PREQUEL
 
11.  Two Women, Two Organisations
13.  Our Herstory Before WWI


17-18  INTRODUCTION PART 1

WOMEN SUPPORTING WWI
18.  The British Empire on Trial


19-20  THE AUSTRALIAN
WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE

19.  AWNL - Federal Platform
20.  Do Not Seek Place or Power


21-22  AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S
NATIONALLEAGE 1914

21.  The Empire on Its Trial

23-28  AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 1915
23.  World Domination
23.  The British Empire on Trial
24.  Patriotic Meetings
26.  Fight or Work Campaign
26.  Patriotic Resolutions
27.  What the AWNL has Done
27.  Enemy Within the Camp
28.  Christmas of Faith and Hope


29-39  AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 1916
29.  Appalled Tades Hall Council
30.  Appeal to the Women
30.  The Striker and the Shirker
31.  I Didn’t Raise My Musket
32.  The Prime Minister in England
32.  Australia’s Honour at Stake
33.  Strikes are Rife in Australia
33.  Empire Day Demonstrationl
34.  Petition for Conscription
35.  22,000 Signatures Five Days
36.  Australia or Germany
36.  League Appeal to Women
38.  Defend the Empire’s Trade
39. Woman’s Influence


40-43  AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 1917
40.  War Savings Patritic Scheme
41.  The War Drum of Unionism
41.  Australia Finances Two Wars
42.  Suggestive Thoughts on Thrift
43.  1917 Petition for Conscription


44-50  AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 1918
44.  A Magnificent Demonstration
45.  Women’s Vote Responsible?
45.  Falling Birth Rate – Nat. Peril
46.  Disloyal Utterances
46.  Parents’ Consent
46.  A War-Time Election
47.  The Red Flag
48.  Trade Vigilance Committee
48.  The Power Behind the Throne
49.  The Armistice – and After


51-54  AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 1919
51.  Thankfulness to God
51.  Madness that is Bolshevism
52.  Those Who Will Never Return
52.  Peace Terms - Versailles

55-56  INTRODUCTION PART 2 - WOMEN OPPOSING WWI
56.   War is Women’s Business

57  PART 2: THE WOMEN’S
POLITICAL ASSOCIATION

57.  Vida Goldstein

58-68  WOMEN’S POLITICAL
ASSOCIATION 1914

58. The Woman Voter
59. A Ministry of Peace
60. Settling Intrenational Disputes
61. Women Will Stand Together
61. Women of the World Unite!
62. Shall the Mothers Rejoice?
63. Women, Bethink Yourselves
64.  Fighting for Civil Liberty
65. Women of the World are One
66. An Outrage on Civilisation
66. White Australia Policy Done
66.  A Scheme Help Unemployed
67.  War and the People’s Bread
68.  Christmas Message All


69-89  WOMEN’S POLITICAL
ASSOCIATION 1915

69.  No Secret Imperial Policy
69.  W.P.A. Women’s Bureau
70.  Women Seeking Work
70.  Proposals for Work
71.  The Unemployment Bureau
71.  Women’s Farm
72.  A Farm Has Been Taken
72.  Labour Bureau New Office
73.  Women’s Conference Hague
74.  A Free Press
75.  Women’s Labour Bureau
75.  Attempt to Annihilate Bureau
76.  Defence of Their Own Rights
76.  Cost of Living Deputation
77.  Parliamentary Rebuff
78.  Members Frightened of Us?
79.  Deputation Minister Defence
79.  Form a Women’s Peace Army
82.  Congress of Women - Hague
83.  Mothers Fight
84.  Necessitous Women
85.  WPA Requests Prime Minister
86.  Asiatic Deprived of Work
86.  Tabloid Philosophy - Patriotism
87.  Venereal Disease
87.  I Didn’t Raise My Son Soldier
88.  Peace Mandate
89.  Our Bureau at Christmas Time
89.  Women Continue to Sing It


90-115  WOMEN’S POLITICAL
ASSOCIATION 1916

90.  Soldiers Attack Mr Katz
90.  Who Loses the War?
91.  War and Rights of Citizens
92.  Mr Hughes Incites to Murder
93. Condemns Authorities
93.  WPA and the Prime Minister
97.  The Little Nations
97.  War Profits, Food Prices
97.  Not Breeding Machines
98.  The Children’s Peace Army
98.  Almost Without Bread
98.  Peace Proposals
99.  Conscription by Proclamation
100. Justice Blind in One Eye
100. Women's Farm
100. Unemployed Women
101. Letter from a Prisoner of War
101. Yarra Bank Meeting
104. Who Profits War? Mining
104. Distress Amongst Women
105. Social Evil Convention
106. Women’s National League
106. Church and Social Questions
106. Women Belligerent Countries
107. State Govt. Compels Women
107. So Mr Hughes Hopes
108. Opposing Conscription
108. Peace Army Leaflets
110. Child Labour
111. Manifesto Peace Army
112. New Premises
113. Colours
114. 6,000 Processionists
114. Persia - New Agreement
114. Secret Mission to London
115. Proclamation Annulled!
115. Women for Permanent Peace


116-122 WOMEN’S POLITICAL
ASSOCIATION 1917

116. Women’s Terms of Peace
117. WPA and Russian Revolution
118. War is Out of Date
119. Workers Never Wavered
120. Raid on Parliament
120. The Strike
121. WPA Established a Commune
122. We Lead - Conscription No!
122. Hugely Successful Meetings


123-126 WOMEN’S POLITICAL
ASSOCIATION 1918

123. Press, Pulpit Purse
124. It is with Great Regret
124. The ‘Shirker’ Class
124. Meeting Guild Hall
124. Protest against Profiteering
125. President Wilson’s Speech
125. The Dawn of Peace


127-140 WOMEN’S POLITICAL
ASSOCIATION 1919

127. WPA Peace Buttons
127. Women’s Peace Congress
127. Delegation to Europe
129. Starving Babies of Germany
130. Peace Congress Zurich
131. Rule of Force and Spoilation 
131. Old Order is Not Changed
132. Peace - Unspeakable
134. Hatred Treaty of Versailles
134. Colour Caste’s a Lie
134. Pagan Rites Ended
135. It is War, It is War
135. Congress Deep Regret
136. Zurich and Versailles
137. Old-Time Despotism
138. Order Out of Chaos
139. The World is Sick unto Death
139. Misunderstanding and Hate
140. Not Enough Return Passage
140. This Publication Ceases


141-143 INTRODUCTION to
PART 3



144-148 SEQUEL
144 Women in Black
145 Beyond the Garden Gate


149-177 APPENDICES - 1 to 9

178-180 INDEX 

 

                       

 

Pages 55 to 56 Introduction Part 2 PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE

INTRODUCTION - PART 2 - WOMEN OPPOSING WW1

It is as if the women in the Australian Women’s National League and the Women’s Political Association lived in different worlds. The way each of them saw WWI, you would think it different war.

Even when they agreed it was mainly for a different reason. They both were critical of Archbishop Mannix, but the AWNL was critical because it saw WWI as a fight for freedom and Empire whereas Dr Mannix saw as simply a trade war. (see p.45)

The Women’s Political Association (WPA) was critical because it supported a woman’s right to control whether and when she had children, but Dr Mannix was aggressively pro-natalist.’ (see p.97) (also see Mrs Hughes and Vida Goldstein Appendix 5)

War changed perceptions of the two organisations.

Before the war Vida Goldstein referred to the AWNL as ‘the anti’s’ because they seemed to be anti so much. Now the positions were reversed - the WPA was now ‘anti’ and the AWNL ‘pro’.

To confuse things further, they didn’t fit into most people’s perceptions of ‘political activists’ in other ways. They both put their position on WWI before their usual loyalties when they clashed.  

Until I compiled this book I thought the position taken by Vida Goldstein and the radical feminists who opposed WWI admirable but naïve, however I now think it can be argued that their assessment of what was going on was more realistic than the assessment made by Eva Hughes and the women of the AWNL.  

Geraldine

Women ’s Political Association - Woman Voter*

War is Women’s Business

Who faces death in order to give life to men?
WOMEN.

Who love and work to rear the sons who then are killed in battle?
WOMEN.

Who plant fields and harvest crops when all able-bodied men are called to war?
WOMEN

Who keep shops and schools and work in factories while men are in the trenches?
WOMEN

Who nurses the wounded, feeds the sick, supports the helpless, braves all danger?
WOMEN

Who see their homes destroyed by shell and fire, their little ones made destitute, their daughters outraged?
WOMEN

Who are sent adrift, alone, no food, no hope, no shelter for the unborn child?
WOMEN

Who must suffer agony for every soldier killed?
WOMEN

Who dares to say that war is not their business?

In the name of Justice and Civilisation give women a voice in Government and in the Councils that make or prevent war.

*Bruce Skates & Raelene Frances, Women & the Great War, CUP 1997

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