THE PEACE CRUSADE IN OLDHAM - NEWSPAPER LETTERS

OLDHAM CHRONICLE
9th August 1917 (Thursday)
THE PEACE MEETING

Sir, I do not know if you will permit one who was in a special sense an eye-witness of Monday night's rag to express an opinion on the matter, but if so I should like to say that I believe the high-spirited lads who maltreated the peace meeting promoters were misled and purposely mis-informed as to the object of the meeting. The promoters, who have held a fair number of meetings for the same object, think that it is possible by the course of action they advocate, to get the German people to disown their militarist autocracy, make restitution for outrages, evacuate conquered territory, and set up a democracy to help preserve the peace of Europe. They think, rightly or wrongly, that this could be done more effectively by responding to the, perhaps in part, insincere peace feelers of the German autocracy with an unmistakable statement of definite proposals excluding any intention of annexation, tyrannical conditions or economic boycott after the war. They think the German people would respond to this by taking the revolutionary steps stated above. I do not think the N.Z.F.A. men understood this as the object of the meeting, and of course in making so brief a statement one lays the matter open to easy criticism. With the exception of the cowardly and very brutal attack on Mr. Winterbottom, which one would like to attribute to intoxication on the part of the perpetrators, I question whether there was any intention to seriously injure the pacifists, and as I am one of the victims perhaps I am in a position to judge, especially as I was helped into what was a very welcome refuge by one of the N.Z.F.A. men. I think their action was an abominable outrage on freedom, but I think this ought to be stated.
Yours,
S.M.S.