6-19-16
My Dear Miss [Addams]:
You read in our papers of the seventy thousand that marched in our preparedness parade -- and I send you a clipping from our papers saying that these thousands demand preparedness.
This awful war demonstration to stir up the nation stirs my blood. These thousands do not demand preparedness. Some of them may but it is a great falsehood, I am writing to ask you if you can not expose <it> before this nation.
Our business houses closed at noon and in some cases every one in the house was free to go except the man who refused to march and he was to remain at work. [That getting] home [page 2] early would take hundreds to the parade. Other houses had the terms that both men and girls were to march or to lose their salary for the day. Very few girls in a department store can spare one dollar from their weeks wages. They had to go to save that dollar. Most of these girls are one their feet all day long. Think of the humanity to put such pressure behind them to force them to take this march of perhaps fifty blocks in the heat. It has come from so many sources it must be true that many a person who [refused] to march lost their position. Thousands could be obtained for most any kind of a parade with this pressure behind. It [was] everywhere known that it was the express desire of the [firms] that the [employees] march. The average [employee] can not afford to even displease his manager. He would march. [page 3]
I want to know why all this pressure was put on to get this great parade. This is a free country -- free speech liberty in voting -- no one dares interfere how we vote. Walking in this parade is like casting a vote for preparedness, maybe we should have some preparation for defense. I am not discussing that. The point is why are the people by thousands forced to take their stand for preparedness whether they believe in it or not -- to help stir up this war spirit instead of raising their voices for peace as they want to do.
Why is all this -- I just wish an investigation could be made in the eastern cities that had the parades and see if the same pressure was brought to bear upon the people to form the march. If so, then there must be a power behind this and that power must be the [ammunition] men or perhaps [page 4] the millionaires who have interests in Mexico -- may God stir somebody to expose the thing and open the eyes of the people.
If we had peace parades would they all close and force the people to march in that? Then why in the other?
If war is not averted at present in Mexico peace agitations will do no good perhaps -- but suppose we are tided over this, can not peace agitations be started by exposing this preparedness parade compulsion? If peace buttons were started and the multitudes that don't want war would wear them that might do wonders to help quiet the nation.
If you make any investigations or refer to any one in this city please keep my name entirely to yourself as it might mean loss of position to try to start such an agitation.
<If you make investigation you will find that no [employee] will acknowledge they were forced to go -- they all say it was voluntary.>
Sincerely yours
Miss Junia Fox
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