PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.
(Copy)
Dear Miss Balch,
Miss Macnaghten, wrote me that she had had little opportunity for organizing etc. and sent me 3 names of ladies who might be interested. I received no replies to the other letters I wrote to the various parts of Canada.
Canada just now is in a peculiar position. There has never been a world view point, and even an all Canadian view point is difficult to get. It is a vast country but has such a small population. That the settled [districts?] are far apart and intercommunication is difficult. Then the ideas of general peace propaganda are entirely new and before you can get women willing to enter a peace organization in sufficient numbers to make it worthwhile, there must be a huge amount of educating. If I had not married I was planning a trip through all Western Canada to organize a Labour Party and meant to form peace centers then. I find, even among the socialist and labor people a blankness of ideas on peace and war that was appalling. When Miss Charlton and I organized the little Canadian group we did all we could in sending out letters and literature, to try and make people see the need of an organized effort for peace but people would insist that Lloyd George would do it all and they need not worry. Fortunately they are losing their faith in the Governments with Canadian and English used and I really feel that this process must be complete and they must do something for themselves, that is they must begin to move mentally before they will be amenable to propaganda. I talked over the whole proposition with Mrs. Rose Henderson of Montreal. As Judge in the Juvenile Courts there, a very sane and well balanced woman and on whom the workers love and trust. She said she thought for the present it would be better to try and get Canadian members for the Enlish Association until we had enough women to get an organization that would count and be able to do active work. And she knowns Canada as well as any woman there. I have been thinking of writing to Miss Macmillan about this idea. Then she could get the English literature etc. and get a start that way. Unfortunately when Miss MacMillan was in Toronto she left the idea or organizing with Mrs. Prenter and Miss Perry. They never did anything and when some of us did [organize] a group (of 10 all we could get together) Miss Perry who acted as secretary "lost" the minutes of the meeting and both insisted none had ever taken place. Mrs. Prenter further told me I had no right to [organize] any groups as she alone had the power and she would not do it while peace was unpopular. As a matter of fact Mrs. Prenter is simply a woman who tries to climb, through "Causes" she is all things to all people and has gotten such a reputation for being under hand etc. that no one will join anything she is in. I was warned long ago to keep away from her but paid no attention and tried to start several things with her but found a that as soon as her name was mentioned people swept away. One man told the representative of the Canadian Proportional Representation League, that if he wanted even a Toronto branch he must not lose Mrs. Prenter's name associated with it. When we were trying to get the group started in Toronto I found people would not come in when they heard she was there. She and Mrs. Perry used to work together that is Miss P. did what Mrs. Prenter wanted. They never had an organization and never paid any affiliation fee. We had a small group of about 10 members and did pay in the fee once [page 2] since I left home they have not met and have not paid in their fee.
The best way to solve the mix up there would be to simply drop the Canadian organizations etc. until they are ready to pay their regular fees and have an organized membership. Meanwhile we can work either to get members for the English Association or if it is possible to have individual members for of the International [organization], let us work for that. Then possibly in a couple of years we can have enough members in different centers to start a Canadian branch but you had better let the present Canadian mix up die out. That is if you want a real Canadian organization.
Meanwhile I will see how many individuals I can get started with the ideas of peace and freedom and find out about the English membership or if you have individual membership in the International I will see if I can get members for that.
As soon as possible they want me to go to Winnipeg to speak there and I shall see if we cannot get a group started there. As that seems the center of peace ideals. among the men so it ought to pass among the women. My husband has just been out of prison 2 weeks
At present we are working for military amnesty and decent treatment for C.O and military prisoners. My husband has just been out of prisons 2 weeks. His sentence as C.O. was up Oct. 20. and I am still pretty busy with the baby. But I will do what I can.
The appeal from the Austrian women is heart breaking. Will the world's suffering never cease?
Best wishes
Sincerely
Laura Lunde.
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