May 3, 1926.
My dear Miss Addams:
Your note with the letter from Mr. Greenfield has just come. The last time I [was] in Philadelphia I was a dinner partner of his secretary, whose last words to me were, "Come on in some time and talk business." I am going to write to this secretary to "talk us up" as I spent the entire evening discussing W.I.L. with him and he was very much interested and almost promised that he could get a contribution from Mr. Greenfield for us. I am told that when Mr. Greenfield, himself, gives he always gives tremendous sums because he does not like to be known to give little; therefore, I feel it is worth while my keeping at this a little.
Do you have a clipping bureau? Clippings are coming in about the petitions to the President and if you would like some of them I would be so glad to send them on.
I spoke at the hearing on the Compulsory Military Training Bill last Thursday -- the only woman and the only pacifist. The Federation of Labor, an ex-major, American Legion men, students, important athletic people, professors, notably Professor Otis, who, until two months ago was a director of the National Security League, the Church Union, etc. The committee was the ugliest I have ever heard and [really] by their snarling, [sneering] manners and questions were [thoroughly] insulting, all of them. I must say they were better to me than to any of our witnesses though I think one reason was that, being feminine gender I caught any chivalry that they still had in them, that I did not speak until late in the afternoon and the committee had sat from morning straight [through] lunch hour and they were tired, and thirdly because I was the only one who uncompromisingly and frankly took a pacifist viewpoint. [page 2]
The bill, of course, will never be voted out of committee this year, but one thing was tremendously interesting to me and that was that none of the members of the committee apparently had ever heard any definite pacifist arguments. Their idea of a pacifist was most sketchy and vague. Of course, the army was there in force as well as the D.A.R.'s and the 1812's. The following day the President of the Daughters of 1812 attacked you very hard, as being "chief" of the W.I.L. and in referring to me always spoke of "that female." I was reminded constantly of Lincoln [Steffens'] remark about a democracy and the officials. He once said that because ↑of course↓ a democracy does not have to have necessarily the dregs of society as its officers and servants. Morally I suppose they are a worthy group, but both their intellectual capacity and their knowledge of the world in 1926 is pathetic to say the kindest thing one can say.
Faithfully yours,
Dorothy Detzer.
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