had led in the pioneer agitation, but they knew that this stage
belonged to the past; these methods were no longer necessary or
effective.

For convenience sake I have called Part II "Political Action,"
and Part III "Militancy," although it will be perceived that the
entire campaign was one of militant political action. The
emphasis, however, in Part II is upon political action, although
certainly with a militant mood. In Part III dramatic acts of
protest, such as are now commonly called militancy, are given
emphasis as they acquired a greater importance during the latter
part of the campaign. This does not mean that all militant deeds
were not committed for a specific political purpose. They were.
But militancy is as much a state of mind, an approach to a task,
as it is the commission of deeds of protest. It is the state of
mind of those who is their fiery idealism do not lose sight of
the real springs of human action.

There are two ways in which this story might be told. It might be
told as a tragic and harrowing tale of martyrdom. Or it might be
told as a ruthless enterprise of compelling a hostile
administration to subject women to martyrdom in order to hasten
its surrender. The truth is, it has elements of both ruthlessness
and martyrdom. And I have tried to make them appear in a true
proportion. It is my sincere hope that you

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will understand and appreciate the martyrdom involved, for it was
the conscious voluntary gift of beautiful, strong and young