Called over the Balkan War and threatening world war, the international conference held in Basel, Switzerland during November, 1912 was the last congress of the Second International before the cataclysm of August, 1914. Meta L. Stern (Hebe), who did so much to inaugurate International Women’s Day, reports on women at the congress and the speech of Clara Zetkin.

‘The Socialist Peace Congress’ by Meta L. Stern from Progressive Woman. Vol. 6 No. 67. January, 1913.

CANNONS were booming, death and destruction, misery and disease were rampant in the Balkan lands, where men were murdering one another according to the methods of legalized murder, called war. The great, political powers of Europe, military states with great armies and navies at their command, were meanwhile engaged in a diplomatic contest, planning how to divide the victor’s spoils between the victor and themselves. On the battlefield and in the chambers of diplomacy we be- held the same ancient brutal right of might-the right that governs the actions of ferocious animals, the right that reigned supreme among our primordial ancestors, ages before the dawn of civilization. At the same time a most extraordinary gathering of men and women met at Basle, in beautiful Switzerland. They came from many lands and many climes; they spoke many languages and represented many different countries and nations. But they all stood for the highest social ideal of modern civilization; they all voiced the mighty, world-wide protest of the intelligent, enlightened working class against the horrors and the barbarism of war. In an ancient cathedral this peace congress of Socialists convened. The “servant of God” who preached in this particular cathedral had been loath to open the portals of the “house of God” to the Socialist apostles of peace. But his congregation, wiser and more righteous than their spiritual guide, recognized that if Christianity means anything, it means obedience to the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” and fulfillment of the benediction, “Peace on earth.” So they opened the portals wide and welcomed the Socialists in their midst.

These Socialists, who came from Germany and France, from England and the Scandinavian countries, from Italy and from Russia–what message did they convey to the world through the medium of their congress? The message that the workers of the world are tired of being maimed and crippled and slaughtered for the power, wealth and glory of their political and industrial masters; the message that the workers of the world have no grievance against one another, but are comrades and brothers at heart, and are determined to join hands around the earth and declare against war.

Among the delegates to this peace congress were fourteen Socialist women. As elected representatives of the working class, these women condemned war on the same grounds as their working class brothers. But as women, they voiced the cry of all womanhood against the needless slaughter of those we love. For every man, maimed, crippled or killed in war has been some woman’s darling son, some other woman’s husband or sweetheart. For every murdered man there is at least one broken-hearted woman. As women, then, the fourteen women delegates to the Socialist Peace Congress conveyed this message to the world: The women of the world are weary of paying the price of war. They are weary of sacrificing their husbands and fathers, their brothers and sons for the power, wealth and glory of the masters. They refuse to continue to be silent and helpless while men murder one another, leaving them widowed and their little children orphaned. Therefore, the women of the world are joining hands around the earth with the workers of the world in the name of humanity.

Among the Socialist women delegates was Clara Zetkin of Germany, who, in her capacity as international secretary, represented the Socialist women of all lands. The Socialist women of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Norway, Finland, Russia, France and England indorsed Comrade Zetkin as their official representative. The Socialist women of America could not send their official indorsement because the congress convened at such short notice that there was no time for correspondence; but Clara Zetkin, nevertheless, was sure of the hearty co-operation and approval of her sister comrades on this side of the Atlantic. The following is a condensed extract of the speech delivered at the congress by Comrade Zetkin in the name of Socialist women:

“We have always regarded it as our honor and our privilege to stand united with you men in your labors and struggles for the ideals of international Socialism. But never have we joined hands with you more joyfully than at the present moment, when you are leading the proletariat of the world in a holy crusade against war. We are with you, heart and soul, just because we are women, because we are mothers. Throughout the ages it has been our destiny to bear and care for new human life. This task has been our burden, but also our happiness. The eternal motherliness within us is roused to revolt against the wanton destruction of human life as practiced by war. Have not all these lives that are being sacrificed once been sheltered beneath some mother’s heart, born and reared by some mother’s anguish, love and hope? When we look beneath the surface of political events we recognize capitalism as the main cause of modern warfare. Warfare is only an extension of the murder practiced on the worker by capitalism even in times of peace. It is the extreme exploitation practiced on the masses by the possessing classes.

“In opposing war as women and as mothers, we do not only think of the torn and bleeding bodies of our loved ones; we also think of their murdered souls. For the ideal of brotherly love that we implant in our children’s souls as one of the fairest fruits of civilization is sullied and trampled upon by the very existence of warfare.

“As women and as mothers, we are firmly united with you in your war against war. Indeed, you cannot be successful without the women. In the souls of our children, trained to hate human murder and to uphold human brotherhood, trained to feel themselves an integral, indissoluble part of the international proletariat, we are winning the future for you and are leading you to ultimate victory.”

Our European comrades have decided to hold gigantic demonstrations against war, particularly against the possibility of a general European conflict over the Balkan situation, in all countries, especially in all large industrial centers. Socialist women will take a prominent part in these demonstrations and will thereby render a true service to civilization.

The Socialist Woman was a monthly magazine edited by Josephine Conger-Kaneko from 1907 with this aim: “The Socialist Woman exists for the sole purpose of bringing women into touch with the Socialist idea. We intend to make this paper a forum for the discussion of problems that lie closest to women’s lives, from the Socialist standpoint”. In 1908, Conger-Kaneko and her husband Japanese socialist Kiichi Kaneko moved to Girard, Kansas home of Appeal to Reason, which would print Socialist Woman. In 1909 it was renamed The Progressive Woman, and The Coming Nation in 1913. Its contributors included Socialist Party activist Kate Richards O’Hare, Alice Stone Blackwell, Eugene V. Debs, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, and others. A treat of the journal was the For Kiddies in Socialist Homes column by Elizabeth Vincent.The Progressive Woman lasted until 1916.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/socialist-woman/130100-progressivewoman-v6w67.pdf