PREJUDICE and REASON
some Australian Women's responses to war
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 51 to 54 Women Supporting WW1 PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 1919
AWNL - Thankfulness to God
The Woman 1 January 1919:
The Executive of the Australian Women’s National League, at this their first meeting since 11th November – the ever-to-be remembered day on which the hostilities ceased in the Great War – desire to place on record their deep thankfulness to God.
Exit 1918. Enter 1919. Year of Peace.
- Greatest Epoch in History.
- Downfall of the Brutal Hun.
- Restoration of Liberty and Power of Right.
- Great History-making Events are Happening with amazing rapidity …
- Australian women must – and will – make Australian returned soldiers their first care …
- Women Teachers’ long patient struggle for justice is at last rewarded. No body of workers more deserving of recognition than are these fine women, and no women rejoice at their long desired, if only partial, success more than the A.W.N. League.
AWNL - Loss of Those Who Will Never Return
The Woman 1 February 1919:
The Central Office-bearers, Members of the Council, and Executive desire to send to all members of the Australian Women’s National League greetings and their best wishes for the coming year, and trust that happiness and prosperity may be theirs. To those of our members who are mourning the loss of those who will never return - we can only say, “God’s will be done”; and know that though there are sad hearts amongst us, those hearts are proud, too - proud that the dear ones died a noble death and laid down their lives fearlessly in a righteous cause, and their names will stand forever as a silent and eloquent testimony of Australia’s vindication of national honor and defence of Right and Justice.Although Peace is not yet assured, still we may believe that in a few months’ time all will be well - although we realise that it will be a long time before the re-adjustment of the machinery of nations can be successfully accomplished.
The year that has passed has not been without its trials for us all - but the League has held on its way unflinchingly, and will face the future in the same brave spirit as in the past ...There will always be something for us to do and to learn. Women must be more and more concerned in their country’s welfare, and to render our influence effective we must do our utmost to send to Parliament men who best guard Australia’s interests. The men who have fought for her on the battle-field will come forward and fight for her in the political arena - and all things being equal it is good that they should do so.
May the blessing of Peace be with us soon - and prosperity, health and happiness be with our members in 1919.On behalf of the “Central”, Eva Hughes, President.
January 23rd, 1919
AWNL - The Madness that is Bolshevism
The Woman 1 February 1919:
Within the last few weeks there has been launched in Australia a movement which is destined to involve this country in a struggle of which no one can foresee the end. It is an off-shoot of the red ruin that has made a shambles of Russia, and so far as can be judged, has been held in check in Germany at the muzzle of a machine gun …
Here, as in other countries, there has always been a considerable number of people envious of the lot of their neighbours, and yet without the industry, the perseverance, or the thrift to obtain the same advantages for themselves. Their ruling passion is for comfort without effort, for a harvest without the necessity of working for it … In consequence we have the movement which is to end in “revolutionary action”.There is a class struggle, we are told, in society. The working classes produce all wealth. The working class must have access to the means of production in order to live. There can be no peace so long as want and hunger are found among millions of working people.
Was there ever more twaddle written to the square inch of manifesto than in the declaration of aims of the promoters of the One Big Union … (this refers to the International Workers of the World, Geraldine)
The aims of the union have been openly declared. We are left in no doubt as to what is intended. The challenge has been flung in our faces.What are we going to do about it?’
Treaty of Versailles – Allied delegates in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
AWNL - Whatever Peace Terms the Allies ... Impose - Versailles
The Woman 1 February 1919:
For weeks the leading statesmen of the Great Powers that combined to defeat Germany and her co-conspirators have been taking part in a Peace Conference in Paris …In Great Britain, in America, in France and in Australia the Conference was blamed for ignoring its main business in favour of the “chasing of rainbows”...
Sensible people felt all along, however, that the great men who sensibly guided the efforts of the Allies in the war could be trusted to pursue the proper path in the negotiations for peace.
Due allowance was made for the independent views, the fresh outlook, the idealism of the President of the United States; but there was never any doubt but that the British delegation, in company with the representatives of France, would go only so far along the road of new experiments and “rainbow chasing” as suited them, and that steadily, resolutely in front of them would be kept the necessity of imposing such peace terms as would for ever remove the nightmare of German aggression and future disturbances of the peace of the world …
The covenant has to be ratified in the countries represented by the statesmen who subscribed to it, and time alone will show how it will fare. Its acceptance by the Conference leaves the way clear for the discussion of peace terms, indeed amplifies the discussion of peace terms.Another important happening that will render the task of the Peace Conference easier is the imposition on Germany of supplementary armistice terms.
These still further reduce the power of the enemy, and, combined with the maintenance of the blockade, leave that greatly chastened nation with no reasonable alternative to the humble acceptance of whatever peace terms the Allies seek to impose.
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