Nov. 27, 1916.
"The International Mind"
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler has given to the thinking world a thought, a phrase, of immense value -- The International Mind. With it wars will largely cease, without it it almost seems as if they must necessarily continue.
As tending to the formation of such a mind, permit me to bring to your attention for as widespread publicity as you will give them, two plans which will help make all people on Earth realize their responsibility for an International Mind.
Any plan which has aroused the interest of Mrs. Fannie Fern Andrews, Secretary of the Children's Peace Society, Boston, and of Dr. David Starr Jordan, known the wide world over for his interest in Peace, will undoubtedly be welcomed by your readers and this letter will I trust arouse Peace Workers in other nations, both now and after the war to give the idea their earnest consideration, for the children of today are the future leaders of all nations, the men and women who will decide on their policies and their relations to other countries.
The following Creed was written for the children of this country, and it has been adopted by many schools in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, as well as on the Pacific Coast, and is presented in the hope that it will have a helpful thought for those interested in this little idea.
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"I believe in the God of all nations who over ruleth all things for His own great purposes. I believe in my country, America, born in the love of liberty and purified in the fires of maintaining it. I believe in her destiny as the great exemplar of freedom; in her honesty of purpose; in her high ideals for the best service of all humanity; a service of which I will be a part and which I will do my best to keep pure.
"I owe allegiance and honor to her flag and constitution before any earthly interest, and conceive it to be my highest duty to so live day by day a clean and upright life that later on I may be worthy of American Citizenship."
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It was my idea in developing the little plan that any Creed should contain a sentence of love and good will to the children of every other nation and that other nations would take up the idea with a similar end in view. With this thought in mind I asked Dr. David Starr Jordan to write a sentence and he replied as follows:
"The little Creed you suggest is a good one, perhaps we might say 'I believe that the children of other nations are entitled to the freedom and happiness which I enjoy, I send good will to the children of all nations.'" [page 2]
By publishing this letter you will interest minds actively engaged in Peace and no one can tell what beneficial outcome will be the result. Please send me two copies of the issue in which it appears.
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AN INTERNATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY.
We all know the widespread influence in the United States of Memorial Day, May 30th, set aside for patriotic services to the memory of the Sailor and Soldier dead of the nation. It is my thought that when Peace comes it could be arranged to have one Memorial Day for all nations, those now at war, as well as those now at Peace.
There is a compelling thought in the anticipation of all nations keeping one day in the year for the memory of their sailor and soldier dead, and especially [its] effect upon children, who would have a Holiday on that occasion with suitable exercises the day previously, which would bring to their youthful minds what the day means and what it can be made to mean for the future and that it is in their hands to make it a [worldwide] influence for good.
This Memorial Day would present to the people of the world a unique opportunity of a day of mourning and humiliation, and let us hope of rejoicing that war so far as they can help it shall be no more.
It seems to me that May 30th would make a most admirable day for [it in] this purpose and I believe that the [influence] United States is the only nation with such an occasion. May 30th comes at a season between Spring and Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and between Summer and Fall in the Southern Hemisphere and is a season of the year when [everyone] interested can obtain a little Sprig of Evergreen to wear, thus showing to all observers that they have in evergreen memory their Sailor and Soldier dead.
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