May 9, 1921
My dear Miss Addams,
The Japanese girl, Miss Takizawa, who is a graduate of Miss Tsuda's School in Tokyo, and who has been three years in America, seems to me an unusually desirable person to appoint as a delegate to the International Conference of Peace and Freedom. She has a very clear orderly mind, exceptional mental ability, and an endless amount of common sense. She is sturdy of body, with good nerves and good courage, and is naturally resourceful and adaptable. I feel for all these reasons that she is likely to be a leader in her own country on her return, for she has already shown marked quality of leadership and initiative here. I cannot imagine anything more useful to the cause, in which I am myself so deeply interested, than to prepare this young woman for work in her own country by giving her this invaluable experience for attending the conference. She is a devout Christian and came to America to prepare herself for social-industrial work. As you know, she spent last summer in the mill at Lawrence, Mass., owned by the President of our Board of Trustees, and later in the silk mills of Mr. [Cheney] at South Manchester, Conn.; through his courtesy she went from department to department acquainting herself with every branch of the industry. She was shown figures and statistics in the office which Mr. [Cheney] said he had not been accustomed to share with others. Her last Christmas vacation she [page 2] spent at the Children's Bureau in Washington by invitation of Miss Julia Lathrop. She has had courses in history and economics so that she has principles by which to interpret and evaluate whatever comes to her in the Conference. In addition, she speaks English perfectly and writes it equally well. Her academic work at the College places her in the small group of our best American students. From my fairly extensive knowledge of Japanese women in Japan and of Japanese students here, I am inclined to think you would not be likely to find a better equipped delegate. Her poise of mind and character, her good cheer, and the real spirit of devotion that animates her work are assets of first rate importance, in my mind. She has no money, and unless enough can be raised to carry her for the summer she cannot go. As an investment for the future in reference to Japan, she seems to me to be eminently worth getting the money for, if it is at all possible to do so. If you desire further information of her, I shall be very glad to write more specifically.
Yours very sincerely,
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