Skip to content

I feel it rather surprising that refusal of war has never taken the form, on any large scale, of refusal to pay taxes for military use, a refusal which would have involved not only young men but (and mainly) older men and women holders, of property.

— Emily Greene Balch Toward Human Unity or Beyond Nationalism (1948)

Another quote →

More quotes by Emily Greene Balch

A peace involving annexation of unwilling peoples could never be a lasting one.

Speech at International Congress of Women at The Hague (1915)

All the belligerents want peace, though probably with different intensity; none of them wants it enough to cry "I surrender."

Speech at International Congress of Women at The Hague (1915)

Fear weakens the nerves and distorts the judgment. It is not by fear that mankind must exorcise the demon of destruction and cruelty, but by motives more reasonable, more humane and more heroic.

Toward Human Unity or Beyond Nationalism (1948)

I believe so deeply that the way of war is not the way of Christianity

Letter to President of Wellesley College (1916)

If the disinterested neutrals, who alone are free to act for peace, wait for a moment when neither side has any advantage they will wait long indeed.

Speech at International Congress of Women at The Hague (1915)

All Emily Greene Balch quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Emily Greene Balch (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.