tremely doubtful. The ideal of women in Germany is
the lowest in Europe. Infantile mortality is very high, immorality is
widespread, and, in consequence, venereal disease is rampant. Notice,
too, the miserable and niggardly pittance that is being paid to the
wives and families of German soldiers, while nothing whatever is being
paid to unmarried wives and their children. True security for women and
children is for women to have control over their own destiny. And so it
is a duty, a supreme duty, of women, first of all as human beings and as
lovers of their country, to co-operate with men in this terrible crisis
in which we find ourselves.

If all were trained to contribute something to the community, both in
time of peace and in time of war, how much better it would be.

What bitterness there was in the hearts of many women when they saw work
and business going on as usual, carried on by men who ought to be in the
fighting line. There were thousands upon thousands of women willing,
even if they were not trained, to do that work and release men, and we
have urged the authorities to take into account the great reserve force
of the nation, the women who are or might be quite capable to step into
the shoes of the men when they were called up to fight.

The Board of Trade issued its appeal to women just before Easter to
register their names as willing to do national service in any capacity
during the course of the war. I want to tell you tonight that I am very
proud of the women of the country. When the first recruiting appeals
were made to men, the hoardings were covered with placards and appeals
and they were making efforts by recruiting bands, in places of
pleasure--everywhere in the columns of the newspapers there were
recruiting appeals to men. Then the time came when the Board of Trade
wished to know to what extent it could depend upon the services of the
women of the country, and what was done in the case of women? There were
no posters for us; there were no recruiting meetings for us; there were
no appeals from great names to us; no attractive pictures, "Your King
and Country Want You"--nothing of that kind. And yet, in spite of that,
in one week 34,000 women sent in their names as volunteers for a
national service. [Loud applause.]

And now, something about this talk of peace, and the terms of peace.
Well, I consider it very sinister and very dangerous. Very dangerous,
indeed, because nothing heartens the Kaiser