Miss Jane Addams, head of Hull House and of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and Miss Mary McDowell, city commissioner of public welfare, were defending their patriotism and at the same time admitting their pacifism.
Miss Addams and Miss McDowell had asked Col. A. E. Barnes, Capt. C. B. Hopkins, and Capt. Walter L. Furbeshaw, all of the Military Intelligence Association, to meet them and discuss a recent newspaper article in which Capt. Hopkins was quoted as saying they were members of a "Red" organization.
They met in Miss McDowell's office. Capt. Hopkins said the article was correct insofar as he had mentioned the affiliations of Miss Addams and Miss McDowell with the Civil Liberties union. He said the writer had drawn therefrom the inference they were "Reds."
"Repudiate those statements and I'll never mention you again," offered Capt. Hopkins, but Miss Addams declined.
"Why do you consider me so especially dangerous?" she asked.
"Miss Addams, you possess almost universal recognition," Capt. Hopkins replied. "Because of the good you have done your influence for wrong is far greater than that of any other."
"It's just your idea we are wrong," Miss Addams retorted. "We are going to do away with possible enemies by adjudicating matters with possible enemies and conduct ourselves so as not to make enemies. That's our way."
Miss Addams guessed the present strength to be 210,000. They told her it is 125,000. She said the army didn't stop our entry in the world war. They replied neither did the peace talk of pacifists.
They parted friendly -- either side conceding nor being convinced by the other.
Comments