The 1923 Women’s Memorial to America contains a ‘Peace Declaration’ across its centre spread, beautifully illuminated in Indian Ink and calligraphy by Cecily West and produced thrugh the Cardiff School of Arts and Crafts.
The Women’s Peace Declaration recounts the historic ties between Wales and America – and appeals from the women of one proud nation to another, to “hand down to the generations which come after us, the proud heritage of a warless world.” Many of the references in the text were specific to peace building efforts of the early 1920s as the League of Nations was becoming established, and these references are linked from the text reproduced below.
The Welsh language version of the declaration, which was produced in booklet form and distributed to households Wales-wide over the course of the campaign, is also reproduced below. Interestingly, it is not a direct translation, but reflects the spirit and inspiration of its words within Welsh cultural context.
(Temple of Peace Archives)
“We, women of Wales, are proud to recall that there is between our little principality and the great country of the United States of America, a close historical tie in the quest for world peace.
It was an American citizen, Elihu Burritt, who inspired our fellow countryman Henry Richard to organise a series of international peace congresses in the middle years of the 19th century.
According to the plan of Elihu Burritt, the first Peace Conference was to have been held in Paris in the summer of 1848. So anxious was he about the task of international reconciliation that he proceeded alone to Paris in order to make the preliminary arrangements. He failed in Paris.
Then accompanied by Henry Richard, he went to Brussels, and a memorable conference was held here in September 1848, attended by 200 delegates from America and Great Britain. This, the work of building the ‘Temple of Peace’ was begun, through the united efforts of the American from Connecticut and the Welshman from Tregaron.
When, 66 years later, in 1914, the temple of peace was as it seemed to us shattered to its foundations, America was always in our thought; and it is no exaggeration to say that the thrill of joy was felt in many of our homes when the United States of America decided to enter the World War and make common sacrifice with us.
It is the recollection of the comradeship between an American citizen and a son of Wales in the course of peace, together with the knowledge of our joint sacrifice in the agony of war, that emboldens us to address to you this appeal.
We are not actuated by any political motives. We speak simply as the women of Wales – the daughters of a nation whose glory it has been to cherish no hatred towards any land or people, and whose desire is for the coming on earth of the reign of fellowship and goodwill.
We long for the day when the affairs of Nations shall be subject no longer to the verdict of the sword. And we feel that the dawn of the peace which shall endure would be hastened were it possible for America to take her place in the Council of the league of nations.
How that is to be done we do not know; but we do know that upon the two great peoples who did so much to decide the fortune of the war, rests largely the burden of winning that lasting peace without which all that is dear to us must perish.
We rejoice in the measure of cooperation which has already been achieved by America and Britain with other nations at Washington in the limitation of naval armaments, and at Geneva in the humanitarian measures to put an end to the detestable traffic in women and children; and also in the maturing of plans for combating the trade in opium and other noxious drugs.
And we hail with delight the movement now on foot to secure for America, with her noble traditions, direct participation in the functions of the Permanent Court of International Justice.
The future is big with hope if we as the women of this generation do our part. To us has come an opportunity as real as the responsibility is grave.
We would, therefore, appeal to you, women of the United States of America; “with malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right,”
to aid in the effort to hand down to the generations which come after us, the proud heritage of a warless world.”
Welsh Text
Yr Apêl
“Hyfrydwch mawr i ni, Ferched Cymru, yw cofio i’r gorffennol weld ein Tywysogaeth fechan ni yn cerdded fraich ym mraich â gwlad fawr Unol Daleithiau’r America mewn ymchwil daer am Heddwch i Fyd Cyfan
Elihu Burritt, dinesydd Americanaidd, a roddes ysbrydiaeth i’n cydwladwr, Henry Richard, i drefnu cyfres o Gynadleddau Heddwch rhwng gwlad a gwlad, ym mlynyddoedd canol y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg.
Bwriad Elihu Burritt oedd cynnal y Gynhadledd Heddwch gyntaf ym Mharis yn ystod haf 1848, a chymaint oedd ei bryder am yr achos da fel yr aeth i Baris wrtho’i hunan i baratoi’r maes. Wedi methu ohono ym Mharis, aeth Henry Richard ac yntau i Frussels, lle y cynhaliwyd Cynhadledd gofiadwy Medi, 1848, ag ynddi ddau gant o gynrychiolwyr o’r America ac o Brydain Fawr. Felly y cychwynwyd y gwaith o adeiladu Teml Heddwch drwy gyd-ymdrech Cymro o Dregaron ac Americanwr o Gonnecticut.
Yn 1914, chwe blynedd a thriugain yn ddiweddarach, a Theml Heddwch yn crynnu i’w seiliau, edrychem yn ddibaid i gyfeiriad America, a phan benderfynodd hithau uno yn y frwydr fawr a chydaberthu â ninnau dros ddynoliaeth, nid gormod dweyd i’n calonnau ddychlamu gan lawenydd. Atgof o’r cydymchwil rhwng dinesydd Americanaidd a gŵr o Gymro, ynghyd â’r cyd-ddioddef yn ingoedd y gâd sydd yn ein cymell i osod yr apêl yma ger eich bron.
Nid amcanion gwleidyddol sydd wrth wraidd ein hymdrech. Siarad yr ydym fel Merched Cymru – plant i genedl na fynn gadw dig tuag at na gwlad na phobl, eithr sydd â’i dyhead am ddyfod dydd cydweithrediad ac ewyllys da. Hiraethwn am y bore pan na throir at y cleddyf am ddedfryd yn helyntion y cenhedloedd; a gosodwn ar gof a chadw ein cred ddiysgog pe safai yr America eto, yn ei hamser da ei hunan, ysgwydd yn ysgwydd â Phrydain, y buasai ei dylanwad yn ddidroi-yn-dol. Os llenwir y gadair wag yng Nghyngor y Cenhedloedd gan America, credwn yr arbedir y byd am byth rhag tywallt gwaed rhwng cenedl a chenedl.
Nid oes gennym weledigaeth glir ond gwyddom mai’r ddwy genedl a wnaeth gymaint i ennill y Rhyfel a all hefyd ennill yr Heddwch – yr Heddwch a fedr yn unig gadw popeth sydd yn annwyl i ni rhag mynd i ddifancoll. Ymhyfrydwn yn y mesur o gydweithio a fu eisoes rhwng Prydain â’r America yng Nghynhadledd Washington, er cyfyngu môr-arfau, yn y trefniadau dyngarol yn Geneva, pan ymdrechwyd rhoi terfyn ar warth y marchnata mewn menywod a phlant, ac yn yr ymdrech i ymladd y fasnach mewn opium a chyffyr peryglus eraill. A llonder i’n hysbryd yw’r cyffro sydd yn y gwersyll i fynnu i’r America, a’i thraddodiadau ardderchog, lais pendant yng ngweithrediadau Llys Cyfiawnder Cydwladol.
Mae’r dyfodol yn llawn gobaith os y gwnawn ni, ferched y genhedlaeth hon, ein rhan. I ni y rhoddwyd cyfle ac y mae y cyfle yn gyfrifoldeb. Galwyd arnom i roddi o’n hanwyliaid ac ni feiddiwn eu bradychu hwy trwy wrthod gorffen y gwaith a ddechreuasant. “Heb ddig at ungwr,” yn ol geiriau anfarwol yr Arlywydd Lincoln, “gan garu pawb, yn gadarn yn y gwirionedd, fel y rhoddo Duw i ni weld y gwirionedd,” apeliwn atoch, Ferched Unol Daleithiau’r America, yn eich amser da eich hunain, ac ar hyd y llwybrau o fo oreu gennych, i’n cynorthwyo yn ein hymdrech i drosglwyddo i’r oesau a ddêl fyd di-ryfel yn dreftadaeth dragywydd.“