WOMEN'S ANTI-GERMAN LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2776, 20 May 1916, Page 11

WOMEN'S ANTI-GERMAN LEAGUE

GENERAL' MEETING,

— : '! . A general meeting of 'the Women's ji Anti-Goruiau' league was held in the New | Century Hall last evening. There, was a jr good attendance of •' members, and. in tho f absence of the president, Lady Stout, the ({.•meeting was presided over by Miss Associated with Jicr upon, tho jilatform were; Madams Jjoeul've, Jliss lieatrice Day, Hk. M' Vicar, and Mrs. .31oore (lion, secretary). '' in opening .the meeting, Miss Holmes .e# id tnat continual proois were being girbn'-by citizens that our -anti-war problimis'would receive'great and anxious attention on their part. It Was a very ihait-d matter for the English to believe ■.thij.t other nations coidd dislike them, and to that inability they had failed to. .realise; that as- a nation they had be- : rcom e'- intolerable 'to' their great rival, tho Gori nail people. l r or many years German boyj and Germon men had crossed over to iiihiglaiid; and had gradually, ousted the'., English-born from positions of all • kinds., and she earnestly hoped that tho mistakes of the past would not bo repeat-, eil in the future. She hoped that work and i rages would always bo there for our' own people before anyone else, aud that ■we wqnkl buy from France, from Belgium, froui -jail our Allies, and not from Germany;/ Some years ago this country hud -passed!) a Bill-refusing l admittance 'to undesirable aliens. In view of the terrible icalevol ence of Germany, why should not the pro visions of this Act bo extended to. Germans: 1 Why should they enjoy the electoral' ■ privileges which should be .re-;, served' Tor our own people? The Anti;; ■German-; League was a very-necessary, or--ganisat-idn if wc. were to'fight, against-so:- . subtle aa d so. intelligent a foe as the Ger.' man iia:tton. • - -'-'V Mrs. iilioore, honorary secretary, gave-a -resume >sjf the activities of the league' since its ,;'lnception in January, a matter, .of somo five months ago. The member-' ship now a umbered 1500, ( and was steadily increasing, whilo branches had'been formed in vaiilvns' other districts, including Auckjand, iHuwlve's Bay., ctn. Meetings had been Jb<eld in various districts, and a very iarfjje number of pamphlets had been sent (lilt. The league, (Koordim; to Mrs. Moored, had been the means of additional Germans having been interned, aud of greater c'nre being exercised in regard to allowing (B crniun and Austrian soldiers being sent oavay .with tho troops. .Petitions had b«ii sent in and deputation? organised to >v;ait, upon tho Prime Minister, the Hon..James Allen, and Sir Joseph ■Ward'in regaid to this particular object of the league. V. Miss Beatrie s Day (honorary treasurer) was called upoiy. to read the balance-sheet of the league. Preliminary to 'doing, so, Miss Day drew!, attention to the league's rooms in Hannah's Buildings, and to what. . was being done : 'there. The balance-sheet recorded subscii'ptions and donations amouiiting to <ESIO 155.'6(1., the sale of pamphlets bringing this amount up to sf"2ll 3s. Bd. . Th 6 expenses totalled .£123 15s. 'Jd., and the.y had a balance in tho bank of .£SO ®s. lid'., and ia hand ,£G 18s. Mr. Lowry had.lwndod ill to the. league it cheque for. .£lO U'or travelling expenses ivhen Madame Bomii'vc and she had been lecturing, in Hawlse's 'Bay, and 'this, had also paid for travel! ing expenses wlien in Palnierston North., Tliey were also ablo to hand in <£1 to the league's fund. To Mr. ytruthers, who- Was allowing tho reag'uo free lighting }as well as money de r ducted from rent th.ey were very grateful, and to Mr. Payne, II P., for much assistance. ■ . Apologies were give In otft at the meeting fromi Mrs. Lowry, w.h(> was unable to bo present, but' wlio exposed the liopo that a resolution would be brought forward to tho effect that Parliament should bo asked to disfranchise all Ger mans and Aastriaus in New Zealand, and i'.li'it they should bo disarmed: Madame Boeufve wasi'.the next speaker. She proceeded to disi'Mss the Grierson case, and said that in; the interests of this country she was irea to repeat what , she had already done, iso tliat any Ger-,-man or pro-German woWd be prevented from leaving with our itieu. The league was very grateful to J'. Se. Payne, M.l J „ and Mr. Wilford, M.P., for their great assistance. It was part dt the platform of the league to remember*, those who had assisted its operations, and 1 , she hoped that when tlio time came meirubers would remember what had been dc lio for it. She thought that many 'men '.in. Wellington were afraid of the Huns in 1 , our midst, or else that 'they had many fe'iends among them.- - Mrs. M'Vicar also spokcv, spid paid tribute to the work Hint h.wl been done 'by Madame Boeufve and Mis a Day for the league. ' .. Tho resolution was propos™ by. Jurs. : Girdestonc, and seconded by '.Mrs. Moore, that Parliament bo asked 1o -disfranchise all • Austrians and Germans inn New Zealand, and also disarm them. (The motion was carried. unanimously. i. During tho evening songs «ipro contributed by Miss.Gawlor, Mrs, P'narce, Mrs.: M'Vicar, Jlrs. Gawlor, Mrs. tij'sller, ami recitations by Miss Jliss Beatrice Day,-and 51 rs. Trim. Tlie Missea Turner contributed a string cjupli'tct.