August 14, 1917.
Dear Lady: --
Please do not address me as "My dear Miss Wald"; it makes me feel so far away. Otherwise I was so glad to get your letter of the 7th.
I will make every effort to see Mrs. Lowenstein who has given money to the American Union and who I hope will give to the Congress After the War.
I do not know how to answer your inquiry about the People's Council. They seem to be very much in action and I have no doubt are doing a great service in giving an outlet to the radical sentiment, but I cannot see any future for the movement, because they have no leader, not even a Chairman and the Council resolves itself into Mr. Lochner, Miss Shelly and Miss Secor. Crystal Eastman and her brother Max helped formulate some of the things that have gone out from it, but they too, at least Crystal is discouraged because nobody is willing to assume the responsibility for direction. Perhaps we really have not any leaders. Certainly there are very few standouters as compared to England.
The American Union overruled me about the [separation] of the Civil Liberties Bureau from the Committee, and pledged themselves to submit everything that was done under the Bureau to the reflective and more experienced Chairman, but without knowing it every once and awhile they do something [page 2] that seems to me in such poor judgment. I sent in a formal resignation but as I said I was overruled. I think, however, that I will stand firm. I am very, very sorry for I think that we have a definite place in the position that some of us feel what we ought to hold; namely, the holding on of the civil rights and opposition to militarism, but not opposition to the government, not embarrassment to the government.
Paul Kellogg starts for England and France. Owen Lovejoy is away. Mr. Thomas, whom you met in Washington, is reasonable and has judgment, but Crystal, Mr. Hallinan and Roger Baldwin much as I like them personally, are more than I can manage single handed.
Give Marcet my love. I have already sent congratulations to her for the baby. I do not think I will go to Minneapolis, besides I could not go as I am under treating getting vaccine for those persistent boils, abscesses and so forth, and I have to be injected every four or five days. My love to you and Mary.
Affectionately yours,
(Miss Wald left town before this letter was finished.)
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