THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR A HUMANE MODE OF LIFE.
The folIowing is a translation of an appeal issued in
German by A. Engel:
"One needs but to have faith in a just cause to
make it succeed," is a motto which is always true for those who
have to perform the preliminary tasks incident upon the organisation
of any movement. The necessity has been strongly felt of uniting Vegetarians
wherever they may be scattered into one band, so that they may work
for the good of the Vegetarian cause and further its spread and prosperity,
of all private interests or local forms. Each separate society works
within definite, but also within very narrow limits; indeed, it is
only by each one fulfilling its own part that the whole can attain
to perfection. But the outside world has no conception of the extent
to which Vegetarianism has already spread. It has now become necessary
that not only should each body of Vegetarians know of the working
the other, but that the whole community should be made aware of their
endeavour, and roused to assist in the same. The mere existence of
an international union will secure attention and gain for Vegetarianism
that notice which it can never otherwise attain, and without which
it can never hope to spread as it ought.
This Union hopes to unite Vegetarians of all lands.
The existence of separate societies, journals, &c., though not
its concern, will receive all possible support, and in order that
there may be every possible facility afforded for membership, no fee
will he exacted.
Every member will be expected to give all practical
help in his power towards its good work.
Undertakings of a larger compass will be supported voluntarily,
and after deducting the necessary expenses, the remainder of the funds
will be devoted to the acquisition of property, such as land and the
like which may be deemed necessary for the good of the cause. An open
account will be submitted of all donations received.
The organ of the Union will he the "Correspondenzblatt
für Lebensweise," which shall be the binding tie for us
all. In it every member shall communicate with every other member;
questions may be asked and answered; information and advice given
; proposals made and discussed; and news of all that has been done
and is to be done freely offered. This is calculated to stimulate
the sympathy of all Vegetarians, to give them that joy and hope which
adds a double strength to every activity, by chronicling the ever-increasing
success of our work, and to keep every member well informed of all
that is being done within the realm of humane endeavours.
This journal will be distributed without any charge.
Its cost will be defrayed by advertisements, which will by this means
secure a wider sphere of readers, as the journal will be sent not
only to all members within and without Germany, but will also be freely
distributed as a pamphlet. This free circulation will secure not only
to Vegetarians, but to all business men, a very wide reading of any
advertisements, with which they may favour us. The journal will appear,
for the present, on the 1st and 15th of every month in the form of
a letter and a cover, which will give contents and the number of advertisements.
Whilst giving notice of these projects we earnestly
invite all those who abstain from the food obtained from dead animals
to join the union, and the intention simply expressed on a post-card,
adding correct address of sender, will suffice for this purpose.
As the statistics might prove valuable for many purposes,
it would be well if each member would furnish the following particulars:
Age occupation, how long he has been a Vegetarian, which kinds of
foods he chiefly uses, and any other remarks thought worthy of record.
Also, the number of surviving children under 16 years of age. All
over that age are expected to have an opinion about their mode of
life, and are, thereore, able to join the union independently.
All Vegetarian journals are requested to send their
address, and also give space to stating the objects of this union
; as also all Vegetarian restaurants, institutions, business houses,
&c., and unions pursuing other humane modes of life. The latter,
and all Vegetarians are requested to send us at once their advertisements.
Our price is 6d. per line. £1 per folio. The first number of
our journal appeared on July 1, and reported on the result of this
proposal and on the general state of Vegetarianism; and we trust the
result may prove as encouraging as it is important.
We hope that thousands of copies will be required, in
which case the postage required to send to each address would be so
great as to make an undue demand on our cash. Even could we afford
it we think the money might be much more usefully spent, and we propose,
therefore, that local unions or private individuals should undertake
its distribution within their neighbourhood, and inform us of the
probable number of copies they will need.
In order to establish a bond with those who do not live
as Vegetarians, we shall be glad to welcome all who are interested
in our cause as "friends of the union," and will send them
the ''Corresponlenzblatt," that they may have an opportunity
of viewing Vegetarianism from right point, and after accurate knowledge
of its whole field of working, may form a definite opinion. And that
this object may be still further attained, we shall endeavour to make
the journal a "correspondenzblatt" for other newspapers.
In this way it is hoped that many now existing errors respecting our
cause may be corrected through the press, and this alone outhg to
rouse all our brethren to our hearty support.
A wide field lies before us, and workers are not wanting.
We all press towards the same goal, why should we not all tread the
same road? All our wishes have the same object, why not make it a
reality? Why not strive unanimously for that which we all so unanimously
desire?
Our flagstaff is planted, we need but rally round it.
No sacrifice is needed, union will work its way, for union gives strength.
We need only look to the founders of all religions to feel how much
the mind has been the element of force in all fights for the culture
and the higher life, Out of the mustard seed grows the tree which
shall overshadow the earth, if only the seed be worthy, and we cannot
doubt that every Vegetarian has faith enough in the principle of his
mode of life to make him recognise the powerful impulse within, that
shall sprout afresh to-day after having slept, like the grain of wheat
in Egyptian vaults, and make the future his as the past has been.
Every Vegetarian is called upon to aid in this work
of the future, and surely he will not refuse to bring one stone to
the building by letting us enter his name. The address of the union,
as well as for all communications to the "Correspondezblatt,"
is A. Engel, Schwerin i/M Schelfstrasse 8.
