Oldham Historical Research Group

'THE GREAT WAR', 'THE WAR TO END WAR', 'WORLD WAR 1'
'What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
- Only the monstrous anger of the guns.'
from 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' by Wilfred Owen

1914 - 1918

THE PEACE CRUSADE - PEACE IN OLDHAM? LETTERS, REPORTS & EDITORIAL COMMENT REPORTS & EDITORIAL COMMENT
Tuesday 7th AUGUST 1917 OLDHAM STANDARD THE PEACEITES Complete Rout in Oldham Meeting Abandoned WHITE FEATHER CREW TAKE REFUGE IN TOWN HALL I.L.P. ROOMS LOOTED. Read full Report ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TUESDAY 7th AUGUST 1917 OLDHAM STANDARD MEN WHO ARE TRAITORS "Sir Archibald Williamson, M.P. for Moray and Nairn, addressing a public meeting ... " DENUNCIATION OF PEACE-MONGERS "A vigorous denunciation of peace-mongers was made at ..." INTERN THEM ALL "It is only playing the game of our enemies, if people will cause panic and rioting," said ..." Read full Report ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SATURDAY 11th AUGUST 1917 OLDHAM STANDARD "DISAPPOINTED CROWD AT PARK GATE" "The peacemongers of Oldham, who so ostentatiously advertised a week's mission in the borough, had such a tremendous drubbing on the first night that the remainder of the programme was unceremoniously cancelled ..." Read full Report ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SATURDAY 11th AUGUST 1917 OLDHAM STANDARD THE PACIFIST CRANKS " We have little sympathy with the pacifist cranks who were physically impressed with the opinions of their fellow men at the proceedings in Oldham on Monday ..." Read full Report ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~	Advance Notice in the Labour Leader SATURDAY 11th AUGUST 1917 OLDHAM CHRONICLE PEACE BY NEGOTIATION "Why peace talk at this moment is mere sowing of wind is plain to the understanding of any man or woman except those who are opposed to all war and ..." Read full Report ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SATURDAY 11th AUGUST 1917 OLDHAM CHRONICLE PACIFIST MOBBED AT OLDHAM COLONIALS HEAD THE ATTACK " Oldham people, men and women, with a strong contingent of men from the battery of New Zealand Artillery at Chadderton Camp, joined on Monday night in the mobbing of a few hapless missionaries of peace, who ... " Read full Report ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SATURDAY 11th AUGUST 1917 OLDHAM CHRONICLE PEACE MISSION STOPPED "When everyone is longing for the joy-bells to ring on the proclamation of peace it is strange, unless the circumstances be considered, to hear that a peace mission for Oldham was barred and the few advocates of peace who had intended to begin the mission were mobbed and ill-treated ..." Read full Report ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LETTERS TO THE NEWSPAPERS
OLDHAM CHRONICLE 7th August 1917 (Tuesday) OTHER MEETINGS ABANDONED "Last evening Mr. Hill stated that the meetings would be abandoned and that he would telegraph to the speakers, Miss Margaret Ashton, of Manchester, and Mr. R.C. Wallhead (candidate for Coventry), not to come... " Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 8th August 1917 (Wednesday) THE PEACE MEETING " Sir, Will you please publish this protest against the disgraceful proceedings ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 8th August 1917 (Wednesday) THE PEACE MEETING " Sir, I notice a letter in your paper from 'E.Q.' protesting against ... " Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 8th August 1917 (Wednesday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, I write this missive as evidence of my disapproval of the artocious manner in which the peace meeting was received ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING " Sir, I see the fame of the Oldham peace meeting has spread a long way,.." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, - Could you allow us through the medium of your paper to express our opinion on the attack made by ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, In last night's paper you published a letter signed 'Kaiser Wilhelm'. Before I had called myself ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, The organised plot which prevented the 'Peace Meeting' on Monday night effected such a disgraceful scene ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, I noticed with surprise the letter from E.Q. Had he fought for England's freedom for ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, Since war broke out the I.L.P. has been furiously assailed and slandered by the Jingo Press. Apparently the worst crime of the party was its refusal to abjure its principles and renounce ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~	OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, Coming events are casting their shadows before..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, I would like to know the difference between German kultur and British hooliganism. I understand that our boys had ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, I read with shame and disgust of the riot at the I.L.P. meeting. Have we really ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 9th August 1917 (Thursday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, Your report of the attack on the promoters of the peace meeting on Monday evening and the consequent disgraceful riotous proceeding was ... " Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 10th August 1917 (Friday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, I am really disgusted to think there are people in Oldham who can write such letters as have appeared in your paper on this subject. They must have no-one belonging to them fighting or they would not sympathise with ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 10th August 1917 (Friday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, Those of your correspondents who sympathise with the peace party are very profuse in their professions of love for humanity, but..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 10th August 1917 (Friday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, I read the article by 'Adrian' in last Saturday's Weekly Chronicle with some interest and surprise. He says, 'Let no one fear to talk of peace ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 10th August 1917 (Friday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, I wish to offer a protest against the disgraceful conduct of the N.Z.F.A. on Monday last. The scene in Union Street was of a most degrading ... " Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OLDHAM CHRONICLE 10th August 1917 (Friday) THE PEACE MEETING "Sir, Why all this hub-bub because a few peace cranks and conscientious objectors got the ragging they rightly deserved? If they ..." Read Letter in full ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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