PEACE MONTH

White Ribbon, Volume 21, Issue 4, 1 May 1949, Page 1

PEACE MONTH

Speaking at Hangchow, at the opening of the Y.W.C.A. VVorld Council meeting in October, 1947, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek said the following words: " We can only have a better world if we ourselves are willing to do something to bring it about. “ 1 realize that in all social effort there is inevitable disillusionment. We dream higher than we build. We look for immediate and dazzling successes, and when they don’t come we often grew discouraged in our tasks. Hut one of the greatest fallacies’ in the world »s the belief in too easy surcess. Often lilt’s greatest successes come to us first in the shadows of apparent failure . . . We must not be blinded by temporary successes, or discouraged by immediate failures. Jf.we know that we are right, we must go forward, undismayed by the cost or the sacrifice.” And Mrs. Cecil Heath, World Secretary of the W.C.T.U., at the World Convention held at Astlmry Park last year, concluded her memorable addresthus: "We hive taken a pledge oi total abstinence because wc believe that by doing so we arc making a real contribution towards a better world. Our bodies are stronger, minds clearer, our work of a higher grade, whether physical or mental work . . . We must have yeace, but to get peace, we must have war. We must declare war on want, on slums, on

Building a Better World

licensed drink shops or clubs, on brothels, on the piling up of armaments. We must spend our money, our ingenuity, our scientific genius, lift energy and beauty of young life, the sagacity of our adult life on just these things, and a magnificent victory will one day he ours—ours, peoples of big and little nations, peoples of a great sovereignty, the Kingdom of God upon ear^i. “Light looked down and beheld Darkness; ‘Thither will I go’ said Light. Peace looked down and beheld War; ‘Thither will I go' said Peace. Love looked down and beheld Hatred; ‘Thither will 1 go’ said Love. So came Light, and shone; So came Peace and gave rest; So came Love, and brought Life, And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us.”

“ Peace and Arbitration Department work is directed towards the promotion of world peace and goodwill. One meeting a year is usually held in each Union for the discussion of international peace.” —Extract from Statement of Work and Aims of the W C.T.U. prepared by Mrs. Hiett.