“Why,--in this way.--All men--except the few in every country who hope to benefit by war--want peace. Peace and happiness are the natural and healthy states of life. War is unnatural and unhealthy. It is a lapse. Women crave peace still more, for they are the greatest sufferers by war. Let them unite all over the world----” “Women don’t unite,” snapped Vic. “Even for such a trifling thing as the Vote they have shown that they can unite. But when this war is over--it has got to be fought out, I quite see that.--But it will leave the heart of womanhood all over the world so sore and bruised that, unless I am mistaken in my sex, the women will be ready to do greater things than we have ever dreamed of to prevent a recurrence of such doings.... I can imagine a World-Wide Women’s League for Peace;--membership, every right-thinking woman in the whole world----” “Phew!” whistled Vic. “How’d you get ’em?” “Easily, I think. That is a detail. I’ll deal with it presently. Such an organisation, pledged to prevent war, would be all-powerful. And, if it could do this greatest thing of all, it would naturally have its say in all the minor matters which, through men’s mishandling and easily-roused passions, so often lead to war.” “You’re a suffragette, Alma,” said Vic. “I detest them and all their ways, as you very well know. But the greater necessarily includes the less. Let women ensure peace, and they will be accorded their rightful voice in all the smaller matters. Be sure of that.” “And how would they go to work to ensure peace?” asked Mrs Dare. “Perhaps my vague ideas will seem rather crazy to you. But they are something like this. Imagine the women of the world pledged to keep the peace at risk even of their lives. Two nations verge on war. To the women that means loss in every way--chiefly in the lives that are dearer to them than their own. Very well,--then let them stop it by risking their own lives. It is the smaller risk after all. After exhausting every other means of averting the war, let the women of each such nation rise in their millions and if necessary take their stand between the contending armies and defy their men to fight.” “Through my heart first!” said Vic.