On This Day, 7 March 1918

Birmingham Mail

Thursday 7 March 1918

BIRMINGHAM’S DREADNOUGHT

STIRRING SPEECH BY MRS. PANKHURST

WOMEN TO SAVE THE COUNTRY

The crowd had grown considerably by one o’clock, and on the platform there was quite array of speakers. Mrs. Pankhurst, in a passionate address, appealed for practical patriotism. The bad news to-day should make us, she insisted, more determined and more loyal than ever before. There should be only one thought in the people’s minds to-day, and that was the national welfare. With the experience of Russia and Roumania before our eyes it would be utter nonsense to give a moment’s consideration to the policy of the Pacifists, who talked of peace negotiation. “I am a practical woman,” said the famous women’s suffrage leader. “It has been my business to ask for money to carry on popular movements, but I have never before asked people to invest money in a good paying investment. My idea has always been pay for what you want, give all you can, and don’t expect anything in return except – and the word except is very important – the safety of your country and the success of your cause. My appeal to-day is not the rich investors, but to the general body of citizens, and, believing that example is better than precept, I have myself resolved to take share in Birmingham’s Dreadnought.” Mrs. Pankhurst said she was to-day realising the faith she had always had in her own sex, and particularly in working women. It was the women England who would save our country, and this regard she could not forget the noble work that was being done by the working women of Birmingham in the munition factories. The women, both of Birmingham and Coventry, were saying those male shirkers in the factories who had captured the A.S.E. and were trying to prevent the comb out of men eligible for the Army, “Let them strike; let them down tools. We will on with their work and turn out the materials. The women are going save the country because the best men are the front. Many have been killed or are too old fight.” Mrs. Pankburst appealed to our politicians to put an end at once to all personal considerations and petty quarrels about Lord Jellicoe or anyone else. What had been going on lately made many thoughtful women think that men were only like grown up children and, like Nero, were fiddling whilst Rome was burning.

From the “Dreadnought” the Lord Mayor, who was supported by the members of the War Savings Committee, made another appeal this afternoon to city manufacturers and tradesmen to look into their financial affairs to see if they could not spare any surplus capital for investment in national securities. The only question now was: Have the people Birmingham any more money that they can spare for this purpose? It should be remembered that in these days of crises no man can live for himself. He must, if need be, be prepared to make sacrifices.