“THE POWER OF WOMAN. HOOD”

White Ribbon, Volume 19, Issue 6, 1 July 1947, Page 4

“THE POWER OF WOMAN. HOOD”

Address given by the Rev J. I'. Jack, Rahnerstim North. Mr. Jack said that the war was "riot really over, as die world was still passing through unprecedented trials and tribulations. The war of 1914-18, waged in the cause of liberty, had been a colossal failure. The supj>osed peace ended in l'tJ9 with the bugle'* ringing out “War with Herman).” The world’s centre of defence had been the *-mall island of Britain. It had ueen “The thin red line.'' Frances Willard had been the thin white line. She bad organised the world s womanhood, r.ot for injuring and slaving, but for doing good. She had made an organised defence against the cause, not the effect. The cause of war was sin—an old-fashioned word today.

but all it connoted was alive and powerful as ever. The loss of the Sabbath was threatened; material things were Incoming more and more prominent, the spiritual receding more and more into the background. Strong drink was slaying its thousands. Multitudes of men, women and little children were dying of starvation while the food they should have eaten was l»eing used to make grog These evils have to be destroyed # if the world was to be the land of milk and honey the Creator intended, and man

v\a> to live in the image of God, and not as the brute beast. Here came in die work of woman. She was the “power behind the throne.” History made mention of the hero and the reformer, hut there was no word of the woman in the background who created his ideals.

Womanhood owed much u Jesus (lirist. In Roman times wornnu under the thumb of man, and was her husband's property. Members of the family were reckoned only on the father’s side.

In Aryan times, the wife was under the absolute control of her husband, and could be sold, beaten or killed, but, in

spite of this, was his companion in labour, and occasionally, in times of stress, blossomed out as a prophetess. In India, woman was considered a thing of infidelity, extravagance, envy, impurity. In China, it was much the 'anic; she was the man’s l»east of buiden. Jesus bad changed all this, and, therefore, woman would do much for Him. They had been the last at His cross and the first at His tomb. The salvation of the world, the shaker s aid, depended on women. They could it if they lived up to the ideals of Frances Willard. If they w’ould band together and assert themselves, they could stop wars. If they would proclaim. This shall not be. My sons shall not I* used as cannon fodder,” there would he a new world, and women would be there to greet it. Mrs. Hodder expressed thanks for the inspiring and challenging address. She ''aid our motto was “For God, Home and Humanity,” and if this w r ere lived up to sincerely and fully, it would help in the bringing in of the new world of which he had spoken. She hoped all women would accept the challenge. ~C. JAMIESON.