Dear Miss Addams; --
The arrival in May of a wee Internationalist who rejected conscription by being a daughter, has prevented my working outside of the home until recently. I found that I had to try not to think and so could not answer letters. Now, I want to thank you for your letter of April 25th with its enclosed program during War-time and for giving that fine address to the Women's City Club. It has been so good to have my hopes and ideals so well expressed, to pass on to others. Won't you please use the money I sent in any way in which you feel will be of greatest value.
I was surprised to hear that the annual meeting of the Woman's Peace Party will be held in December and sincerely hope that people will not be too hysterical and interfere with it. The enclosed poem will appeal to many -- even militarists. Would it be helpful to use it and invite President Wilson to speak on the "Democracy of the Future" for which he says we are fighting to make the world safe? Surely, as a teacher and father, he must realize the tremendous power of example, of thought and of suggestion, upon children. Surely he must see that to prevent the present terrible sacrifice being in vain we must educate children both in the home and school, to think independently and intelligently and fit them for real democracy, for "government of the people, by the people and for the people."
I was shocked to hear a lecturer on conservation of food [page 2] refer to himself as one of our government's "mobilized voices." It seems true that humanity is left out. When Dr. Hewett, Director of the American School of Archaeology and also Director of the San Diego Museum, with its wonderful exhibit of the evolution of man, returned from Washington recently, he said he approved of "modern" military training of school children. He has evidently stopped thinking and become a "mobilized voice," and is now to talk to the teachers for our Government. He tried, in vain, to convince me that our Government is right. What he said only made me question the more. He says we are not hysterical, yet the Boston Symphony Orchestra was forbidden (on the ground that the public safety of the community would be in danger), to play in Baltimore. The Associated Press states that Teuton soldiers protest to the American [Ambassador], against Hun atrocities and gives an account of German soldiers laughing as they shot down [defenseless] Russians. Are our practices better? As far as humanity and the aim to help the human race are concerned, is not butchering [defenseless] men more merciful than conserving food for the allies that Germany may be starved into submission, thus causing the weakest ↑of enemy nations↓ and most [defenseless] and absolutely innocent babies and children and women, not a few hours suffering, but months and years of slow torture? We recognize the unlimited power of suggestion; we see the way it has worked even among the intellectuals far more among the people these past three years. Their point of view has become more militaristic until our government may soon out-Prussia Prussia, may it not, by imposing military training upon the school children of the country (which is not done in Prussia)? What will be the result of accustoming our [page 3] children to carry guns, ↑of↓ preparing them to kill instead of teaching them to try to understand another's point of view, to use self control, reason and moral force? What would ↑will↓ be the result of teaching ↑that↓ military methods, censorship, an unthinking obedience and willingness to become automatons and tools, should replace the ideals of modern education, that is, character building, that each individual should be self reliant, capable of independent thought and sound reasoning, judging each problem from all sides and the desire to make our government of the people, by the people and for the people, a true democracy?
An old proverb says -- "Precepts are written in sand, example carven in rock." What would ↑will↓ be the result to ↑on↓ children of making heroes of men who break up their homes in leaving them, in order to go out and murder other men; fathers, husbands, sons, brothers; equally loved in other homes? We are told that America is at war to crush militarism and make the world safe for democracy. In allowing censorship to be carried so far, in passing laws for conscription, are we not becoming as militaristic as Prussia? As it is done on our own initiative, will not our enthusiasm impose militarism upon us far more strongly than Prussia could do it and will we be as quick to throw it off as we would were it imposed from outside? It is through the use of the hand that the mind has developed and the human race been brought to its present state of civilization. In making our bodies automatic through military training, are we not depriving our hands of the freedom through which evolution will continue? Through military training and war, is there not great danger of early specialization, that the human race may stop evolving and branch off a little above the apes? [page 4]
Should we not ↑Is it not better to↓ teach children that the value of a human being is the greatest thing in the world? That the highest, most sacred thing is the bringing of another human being into the world to be loved, cared for, cherished, regarded (as a friend said) as "another blessed possibility?" Recently, a little 3 lb. baby daughter was left alive in a public toilet room in San Diego. Last week the body of a little week old baby was found wrapped in burlap, on a rubbish heap in Los Angeles. The whole nation is [practicing] conservation of food. Must we not carry it further to its legitimate end and teach that conservation of food is of value only in-as-far as it will help the race to grow stronger physically, mentally and morally? [Mustn't] we try now in this time of world-wide destruction of life, to teach children and set the example of loving and caring for all children and working to help them, and won't it help to do this in a practical way by having children in the schools, as part of their domestic science and manual training work, make layettes, cribs, carts, toys, etc.? Prof. Dearborn says -- "Five minutes' joy does as much good as two hours' exercise in building up the body." Cannot the children cooperate with settlements, day-nurseries, etc., to reduce the cost of living by making some of the necessities that can be given, loaned or sold, and cannot the High School girls as part of their course, have motherhood classes in the care and feeding of babies, given by such women as our Municipal Nurse living now at Neighborhood House where the Municipal Milk Station is? Will this not make them more thoughtful as potential mothers? Must we not as a race, drop the brute in us as we once dropped our tails, and learn to walk erect morally? [page 5]
It would be so encouraging these sad times if President Wilson would start an enthusiastic movement toward the future democracy. I wonder how long it will take us to follow Europe in legitimatizing children. That and National prohibition will be such wonderful steps in advance that we must have courage in spite of all.
I am sending a little book with the poem "A Woman Free" which I hope you will enjoy. The rest are hardly worth reading but that one makes me think ↑of↓ our little Katherine as a tiny "woman free."
Please do not bother to answer this letter or acknowledge the book, for you must save your strength for more important things. I just want to help if I can.
Very cordially yours,
Clara Sturges Johnson [signed]
↑I do [so want to] [illegible] country lead the world in democracy and feel that we must work as hard to fit our children [for it] [illegible] to fit the [children?] for [illegible] fight. How wonderful Secretary Baker is in trying to minimize drinking & [venereal] disease. I have not joined the People's Council. I like more constructive work or possibly I [illegible] a peace [constructive?] [and that] I [illegible] of a referendum giving five names of those who would best represent the American people in making terms of peace at the close of the war very interesting.↓
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