Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/875

 THE INTERNATIONAL WOMAN SUFFRAGE ALLIANCE 859 she said, "who came, to quote the words of Mazzini, 'in the name of God and humanity,' will report to their countries the friendly reception they have met and will surely help the cause of inter- national good feeling." Several countries competed for the honor of the conference of the Alliance in 1915 and its regular convention in 1917. Mrs. May Wright Sewall, honorary president of the International Council of Women, presented an official invitation from the man- agers of the Panama Pacific Exposition to be held in San Fran- cisco in 1915, endorsed by the California Suffrage Association; the executive committee of the National Suffrage Association of Germany extended an urgent request for the conference and that of France for the congress. The answer was referred to the board, and it later accepted the invitations to Berlin and Paris. This had been the largest meeting of the Alliance. Never had the prospects seemed so favorable for accomplishing its objects; never had the fraternity among the women of the different nations seemed so close. When they parted with affectionate farewells and the bright hope of meeting two years hence in Berlin they little dreamed that it would be seven long years before they came together again ; that during this time the world would be devas- tated by the most terrible war in history and that the task must be once more commenced of developing among the women of the nations the spirit of confidence, friendship and cooperation. EIGHTH CONFERENCE Ol On call of "lit, Mrs. Carrie Chapman ('alt <t tin- United States of America, the International Woman Suffrage Alliance was summoned to its Eighth o in Geneva, S ml, seven instead of the usual two yi the last one. The reason for the long interim .^ given in the opening sentences of the president's adress on the fi "It is seven years since last we met. In memory we live again tlmsc happy days of friendly camaraderie in I'.iidapest. All i e cheerful. On every side nne 1 ons laughter among the delegates and visitors. Every heart was filled with buoyant hopes and every soul was armored with dauntless courage. We