CATT, Carrie Chapman GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Manus, Rosa 1930-31 ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM 16th April 1930. To Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, 120, Paine Avenue, New Rochelle, New York. Dear Mother Carrie, I think your step-daughter has treated you very badly, but oh, I have been so busy. The Board meeting, then the Codification Conference and the Nationality meetings. Directly afterwards I had to fly over to Berlin, as a dear cousin of mine, a girl of 40 was dangerously ill, and when I came there in the afternoon, she had just passed away. So I had to stay for the funeral. When I came back I had to work hard, as our Amsterdam home had to be entirely emptied and given up; as there is no chance of Father ever living there again, we think it was a waste of money to keep it on. So Father divided a great deal of his treasures, paintings and furniture amongst the children and took some of the old antique furniture to the house in Baarn. Well, Mother Catt, you can imagine what kind of a job it was, to empty the house where we had lived for 45 years. I am thankful to say all is disposed of. The Codification Conference seems to have been a grand failure, just as much as the Naval Conference. Really and truly those men do not accomplish anything at all. To begin with: the president of the Codification Conference Minister Heemskerk is too old. After much pressure I managed to get tickets for the International Alliance women to go to the Opening of the Conference. When I had received the tickets, the Chief of the Police came to me and made me assure them that none of our women would interfere during the opening session, and I had to be responsible for them. I could not make out why they were so afraid, until much later I understood, when I saw and heard what those terrible women of the Woman's Party did. You will have read that our women have been received officially by the president Mr. Heemskerk and Mr. Politis, the Chairman of the Nationality Committee. Miss MacMillan and Madame Verone spoke as the two lawyers and Mrs. Ashby spoke for the Alliance. Then, when officially in the Committee the nationality was discussed, the women were allowed in for a few hours, and if you believe, all at once Doris Stevens and her lot got in too. They [came] stayed when all our Alliance women had already gone. They worried the men in the Peace Palace, morning noon and night, until the president told the police that no more women were allowed inside the Peace Palace which is of course a very bad thing for the whole movement. But this is the way they always behave. ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM 2 What is the great miracle to me, is how they managed to make President Hoover send a cable to the American delegation in which he told them to vote against the resolution. What kind of an influence have they? I have even heard that Doris Stevens is going to lecture this summer in the Peace Palace. Otherwise only very distinguished [wo]men are allowed in and it seems quite peculiar that she should be allowed. I am afraid that that Woman's Party will do us great harm in Europe, and that they will, as you have often said step in, when the Alliance has prepared everything for them. I was awfully pleased that Mrs. Park was able to come. She is such a charming woman. She came to stay out with us in Baarn for a week and enjoyed the rest very much after having travelled and lived in hotels for almost a year. The two Dutch societies are now amalgamating on May the 3rd. They have been pressing me to become the president of the 2 societies, but I really cannot undertake it. It is no good taking too much on my shoulders and I don't think I ought to undertake a thing like that. All Dr. Jacobs' books will be in my office to-morrow and I am trying to get book-cupboards like you have in America, but I am afraid it will be very difficult to get such nice ones as you have, in Europe. If I cannot get them properly, I will have to have them sent from the States as I am determined to have good ones, and I always liked yours so very much indeed. Love dear Mother Carrie from Rosa May 21, 1930. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: I must write to tell you how beautiful the Dutch tulips have been. Henrietta is enclosing a picture to show you how they look. We put all of those that came last fall in the rose-bed and we left the others where they were. They are all very beautiful. We have our beds full enough, so you need not think of sending any more. They are big, splendid blossoms and wonderful in every way. They are just thinking about dropping their heads and saying good-bye. I want to tell you, also, that we have had at least two surprises in the International flowers. We planted all the seeds, but many of them did not grow, or at least, did not seem to prosper. We made small beds in the border from plants taken from the greenhouse, but we did not know what they really represented. These grew into fine little patches of plants, but they bloomed very little and we did not at all know what they would be. We left everything in that bed so that, if anything in it should turn out to be useful this spring, it would be there, ready for attention. We have had several surprises and two of them are the things I shall tell you about. First, there were as many as eight groups of plants that came from Hungary and I believe they came from Mrs. Szirmai's garden. They did not amount to anything last summer, but as soon as the spring came, they burst forth into a complete covering of beautiful and very sweet blossoms. No one knew what they were; no one had seen them before. We hunted through botanies and we finally gave them the name of sweet yellow alyssum. In the event that they are something else, we may never know, but, at any rate, I intend to hang on to that plant as long as I am here. There is another too; - a little low plant that covers the ground like a carpet and its blossoms are near the ground, making a mat of pink. They are not the familiar climbing pink used in rock gardens, nor like anything I have yet seen. They are as cute as anything can be. I am expecting many other surprises when some other strange plants blossom and I want you to know I am getting a great deal more pleasure from the International seeds this year than I did last year. If I have not already told you, I must do so now;- I have had an abscess in each of my ears and I have not been out of the house for weeks. I am actually going into town tomorrow to a Committee meeting. Page 2 I shall hope to have the house in pretty good order by the time you arrive. It might be handsomer, but it need not be any better than it is for an old lady to live in comfortably. I like it in the homelike way it is, so nothing has to be done in it and there will be no working about it left for you to do. I am provided with a full supply of nighties and everything else, so you will not have to work all the time after you arrive. Lastly, let me say that no presents will be necessary, because I am fully supplied with everything I need. Without any presents to bring or work to be done when you get here, you will not need to bring many trunks or gripsacks, so that will mean your packing will be brief. I see no reason why you should not have a rest. I know you need one for you have been working hard these past few years. All that remains for you, is to pack your gripsack into your automobile, to be sure that your Father and Mother are as well as possible, and take a boat. I am planning, as I think I have written you, to go to the Iowa State College on the 5th of June and to remain there about two weeks. If I get there, I am to deliver the commencement address and I will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of my graduation. At a grand dinner all of us, who have been graduated fifty years, are to receive a gold medal! Now think of that! Very lovingly yours, CCC:HW. Your cable just came. You say you may be here in August or September. We shall be ready and very happy to see you. June 25, 1930. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. Dear Rosa: Amy Maher wrote a letter to Miss Colton and Miss Colton wrote to me. She says that Miss Maher wrote to the effect that you are going to leave for the United States about the 1st of August. Is this so? You must remember that other folks come to visit us and if you make a surprise arrival, you might find someone else in your bed. I am wondering what could be done to make your visit somewhat profitable and enjoyable. We live a very quiet life and less and less I go away from home. I have always thought that your visits to this country were most unprofitable to you because you saw so little of the country and I have never been able to go around with you. I am less able to do so now and you will never be able to travel with me in this country. I no longer go around lecturing; instead, I decline all invitations. At present Josephine Schain is the Administrative Chairman of the National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War and since she went to London, she is tremendously popular as a speaker. She has much too much to do and I asked her if I might try to arrange a trip for her to California in October. I am not sure that it can be done, but my idea is that you should spend your good money on the same trip and go with her wherever she goes. Our idea is that she would stop once or twice en route to Chicago. She would arrive in Northern California, go South, and then East, returning by a different route. This trip might cost about $400 but that is not too much for you to spend to see so large a part of this country. You will never have so good a chance again. I am not sure whether the trip could be arranged or the plan carried out. I should like to know first when you are coming Miss Rosa Manus, continued......Page 2 and if you would like to be extravagant enough to take this trip with Josephine. She is truly delighted at the prospect of having you and perhaps to put you on the program for a little speech. I think this would be a good thing for you and I hope you will not miss it. It will be a great deal more fun traveling with a young woman than with an old one anyhow. Do let me know when you are coming, how long you intend to stay, and what you want to do while here. We will try to bring about some pleasures and interests for you, if possible. Lovingly yours, General Chairman CCC:HW. July 11, 1930. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: I have just received your cable about coming in September. I am writing to say that that will be quite satisfactory and that I am unable, as yet, to make any definite promise about the trip to California. I have written there to see whether the appointments may be made. Perhaps they may not think it so good a thing as I do and I imagine it will take some little time to arrange things. Josephine is just as anxious as you are and also is in a hurry to know, but, alas, I cannot make those people reply until they have received my letter and given it due consideration. It takes five days for a letter to reach California, five days for an answer, and some time for consideration on their part. I shall keep you informed as to developments and when and if I learn that the trip will take place, I shall cable you. This letter is hurriedly to say that any time you find it convenient to arrive will be satisfactory to us. Of course, nearly all of the United States, with its uncles and aunts, travel to Europe in the summer and they all have to come hime, so the ships are full and you have to speak early to get a reservation. I think you can get one and hold it. You can get your money back if, for any reason, you have go give it up. I do not want you to waste all your time here, so I shall feel very happy if you can make this little trip to California. One hears so much about California that you will like to have seen it and know you have been there. I am writing merely to assure you that all will be well whenever you come and this letter is a short and hurried one in order to reach the next boat. Let me know if your brother will meet you as he did last time and bring you out to New Rochelle. Henrietta will always be around to fill in, if you would like to have her meet you when you arrive and she can put you on the train. All this you will let me know later. Lovingly, ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM July 22nd, 1930. To Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, 120, Paine Avenue, New Rochelle. My dear Mother Carrie, I have just received your letter from July 11th and can well understand that you know nothing definite about California yet. I would like to put you a question and that is, if we go to California, do we need summercloths, or are ordinary wintercloths needed? I do not suppose I shall want my fur coat, as if it is not necessary I would not care to bring it over, as I remember last time, even in winter, I did not really want it. I intend to bring over as little luggage as possible. I do hope nothing will come in between. I should love to come and see you and shall also love to make the trip with Josephine. If this will not come off, perhaps we can do something else to make ourselves useful in some other part of the country. I won't be a burden to you and will have plenty of things to do when I come. Yesterday was Father's 79th birthday. He spent it happily, although in the middle of the day he had an attack of his heart, but he was able to sit at the dinner with the 18 children and grandchildren, and was quite happy. I wrote in my last letter that I don't think my brother Frans will meet me, as he is very busy. I can quite well come up to town by myself, but if Henrietta likes, of course I would be delighted to see her, but I hate to take her time, as it is always aggravating to stand and wait for the steamer to come in. The house is full. Anna and her children are also there and the little ones have grown up. Erica is almost as tall as Dr. Felix and has grown up a very nice girl. Henry, Emile's boy has finished his examn in the School of Commerce and is going into a Bank by September, and Carmen has also left school and is going to Switzerland. Poor Mrs. Ashby has had a terrible anxiety. Michael got scarlet fever at his school and with it a terrible infection in his arm. They had three doctors and his arm had to be lanced twice. The reports are better now and I hope he will soon be improving and can be moved to the home. My sister's son, Egon was just going to spend part of his holiday with Michael and we do not know if it can come off. I send you much love, bless you your loving Rosa July 28, 1930. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: I have this morning your letter of July 15th. I have not written you as I had promised in my cable, because some things were unsettled and I hoped I might be able to write you more definite particulars. In California they were unable to take Miss Schain in the month of October because their programs were full. The only time they could take her would be from November 7th to the 17th. I told Josephine she must let me notify them that they would have to pay money enough to cover her expenses if she came at that time. I wired them, but, of course, it will take time for those women to ascertain whether they can make up a program or not. At this time, therefore, I do not know whether the California trip will come off or not, but it it does, the first date will be in Los Angeles on November 7th. I think Josephine will stop along the way and will probably leave here about the first of November. I have always wanted you to go to California and cross the great Western part of our country, just so you could see what it is like. I think you have not seen much of the United States and I have always wanted you to see more. I therefore cabled you that if you could stay only a short time, perhaps you could postpone your coming. I suppose all that army of American tourists is trying to get back and that is the reason the boats are so crowded. I have this to say after receiving your letter. I well understand the anxiety about your father. Of course, some day he will pass away and as the doctor says, it may be a long time yet and it may come soon. There will always be that anxiety until he goes. These are the sad experiences that come to every family. I realize, under the circumstances, that you cannot remain away very long. It would give too much anxiety to your mother. Therefore, if you have not changed your sailing date, I would suggest that you come along in September as you planned and drop the California trip, for I see that would be compelling you to be absent from home too long to suit your family. On the other hand, if it comes about that you can come later so as to take that trip, you will do it if you prefer. September, usually, has some very hot weather in it, although the nights are cooler than in August. The people who have children return to New York in September in order to get the children into school, which opens that month, but those without -2- children like September for their vacation and programs do not really start until October. I do not think there will be any chance for you to go to meetings in September. Committee meetings are held, but usually not public meetings. So far as I am personally concerned, it makes no difference in which month you come. I have had a good deal of company this summer, but I shall be free in the autumn. I do not go into town very often and then I do very little. I shall expect Franz to meet you as he did before. I remember that we had planned to have Henrietta meet you, but he was very anxious to go and go alone. He wanted to be the first one to see you. He did not care to have anyone else around. Probably, he will feel the same way this time, so I shall expect you to make arrangements with him to meet you and to get you to the train which comes to New Rochelle, or perhaps he will come with you. If, however, he is not in New York and it is not convenient for him to meet you, you are to let me know and Henrietta will be on hand to meet you and to see that you are safely put upon the train. We will expect to come to meet you at the Pelham station, but we must know on what train you are coming. It will be a good idea for us to send Franz a timetable and we will try to learn when the ship will land so that we can advise him as to what trains you might take. However, the ships never get in when they say they will and the customs sometimes require a long time; that is, perhaps one piece of baggage fails to come to your letter and no examination can be given you until all are there. I have known people to be kept for hours on the dock, waiting for a trunk or bag that did not appear. I remember your love of customs. I think a few visits to this country will not improve your state of mind in regard to them. It is not so bad with foreigners, however, who visit us as it is with our own people who are all under suspicion of smuggling. Give my love and best wishes to your father and mother. brothers and sisters, and be sure I shall welcome you warmly when you arrive. Anticipating with great pleasure your coming, I am, Ever affectionately, CCC:HW. August 11, 1930. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. Dear Rosa: This will be my last letter to you before you sail. You have never told us on what ship you intend to come, but I suppose we can find out here what ship is leaving Holland on August 29th. I sent you a cable to say you might postpone your coming, since you were not able to stay long and since Miss Schain could not arrange the California trip before November. Of course, it is not certain that they can arrange things there. It is very difficult to get answers to letters in the month of August as so many people are away on vacations. I think, however, that the trip will come off, although it probably may not be fully arranged until about the time she is to leave. It does not matter to me, personally, when you come. You will be welcome at any time. There is not much going on in the month of September as it is a great vacation month. Meetings are not called for September, but wait for everybody to get back. People return about the first of October. However, September is usually a pleasant month. We have had a terrible drought in this country from ocean to ocean. At any time it might start to rain and September might prove to be a rainy month, but that would be bad luck for you. I now understand that unless I hear something further from you, you will leave on August 29th and I suppose it to be on the Holland- American Line. We will find out what boat is sailing on that date. I now know your brother is not here to meet you as he did before and unless the hour of your arrival is impossible, Henrietta will come to meet you and will be prepared to do anything she can to help you. It will be good to have someone to stay by your baggage in case you need to leave it for any purpose. She can put you on the train and telephone us by what train you have left, so that we can meet you at the Pelham station. In the event that we should find any liklihood of the ship coming in at night and unloading its passengers at an unseemly hour, which occasionally is done, we will reserve a room for you over night in one of the hotels. On account of the desire to give good hours to the custom inspectors, it has been the rule not to demand night service of them, and, therefore, a -2- ship coming in is not permitted to land during the late evening; that is, it cannot have customs service and, therefore, cannot disembark its passengers. However, I understand there are occasional exceptions to this rule. If, for instance, on a certain day a good many ships were coming in and another came the night before, they might make an exception and serve that ship in order not to have too many the following day. There is very little liklihood that you will go to a hotel in New York, but in the event that it should happen, we will arrange a reservation for you. I presume you will like to go to the Pennsylvania because you know that hotel, but I think it will be much better for you to go to a hotel in the vicinity of the Grand Central Station, which is the one out of which you will come to New Rochelle. The Roosevelt, Biltmore, and Commodore, open into the station. We will see that you are provided with the information. I am very sorry that I cannot meet you myself, but I cannot stand around on my poor old legs and walk very little. Anticipating the pleasure of seeing you soon, I am Lovingly yours, CCC:HW. ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM Amsterdam, August 19th, 1930. Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, Carrielaan 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York. Dear Mother Carrie, I have today sent you the cable telling you that I have decided to sail October 3rd on the "Rotterdam". After having received your telegram I had given up my second class cabin at the Statendam and booked for October 3rd. Now you wrote in your cable that the Californian trip is abandoned. I then tried to get my cabin back for August 29th, but this was impossible, neither another cabin in September. So now I sincerely hope all will be well and I may come to you in October. I suppose the steamer "Rotterdam" will arrive Saturday, October 11th or Sunday, October 12th. If it is too late to come out to New Rochelle I can always stay one night at the Pennsylvania Hotel, but I will telephone with you to New Rochelle, so I hope you will give me your telephone number. I do not think however there is any landing after seven o'clock, and you know I always manage to get my luggage through very quickly; especially this time I will not bring much luggage. I am sorry to have given you so much worry about my coming, and I do hope nothing will prevent me from coming to you. At this moment the house is overcrowded with summerguests, but all is well. Love from your stepdaughter Rosa September 4, 1930 Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. Dear Rosa: This is to say that we shall look for you on the Rotterdam, sailing from Holland on October 3rd. Some one will meet you and assist you in the task of crossing the City. I do not know just what arrangements we may be able to make, but we shall look for you and hope that the steamer will arrive in the morning and not at night. I hope you are well and that you will enjoy your trip. Remember me to all your family and tell them I am glad you are coming. Lovingly, ROSA MANUS PARKWŸK BAARN HOLLAND Sept 15th 1930 Dear Mother Carrie: - After i had mutter to you the sad news about my Mother's illness I have sent you a Cable on Saturday to let you know I cannot possibly leave. How very charming of you that you sent that cable to me and Mother was most pleased with your greeting. I had however not yet mentioned to her that I was not sailing So she learned that at the same time. Poor Mother She was so nervous and wept and said ; oh Rosa perhaps I shall be well enough in 3 weeks for you to sail, but in the back of her head she knew she would not be; but she just hated to give me that disappointment. The poor patient is very weak. She is in bed and over three weeks and still has a temperature all day and every day. There is an absess at the side of her neck and I give her hot poultesses 4 times a day. We have had several blood tests, and all kinds of examinations . All doctors look earnest and say we are not satisfied but no one dares to express yet, the worst. I for myself must say 2 that I am not satisfied with her condition. Think of Mother just like yourself - she never would give in all her life not to go to the bathroom neither to wash herself. Now she simply lies in bed let me attend to her for everything and wash her entirely mornings and evenings. She goes in the next bed in the mornings and changes again in the evenings as she loves fresh bed clothes. She likes me to look after her. You ought to see me Mother Carrie walking in her sick room in big white coats, (very professional) but it so sad to have to see Mother loosing her strength constantly and getting weaker all the time. The other sad story is Father who gets his heart attacks more frequently now and he and mother want to play up to each other and sometimes where they are together they say "our time is done for". It is so difficult to keep them both in good spirits, as you can imagine. I only come down for the meals and then Father's nurse sits with Mother. I sleep with Mother too as you know I must to do all the nursing myself. In the week it is awfully quiet in the house but on Sunday all the family comes out and there are 12 at meals. I do hope dear Mother Catt that I have not disturbed your plans too badly. perhaps it all comes out for the best and my place will soon be filled by some other visitor. 3 ROSA MANUS PARKWŸK BAARN HOLLAND I am so very much longing to see you. This morning your letter came, to say someone would meet me at the dock and that you were looking forward to my visit. Now I say whenever will it be. Of course one always expects parents to die but when the moment comes it is hard for everybody to loose them. There days when I am sitting with Mother I think of you. Who also at the time your Mother was so ill gave up your work and all duties in order to nurse her. I know you have been thankful for it all your life. I have given up my work and dont leave the home until really progress can be [?]. I am strong and can hold out as you know. As I know your thoughts will often go to us I will send you a line now and then. If you have a moment you might send a short note to Mother to comfort her and say you will have me some other time. Give my love to Alda - Mary - Henrietta. All good messages go out to you my dear good friend, living in hopes to see you some day your old Rosa October 10, 1930. My dear Mrs. Manus: I congratulate you and your family upon your improvement which I learned from Rosa has actually taken place. It is my earnest and most sincere hope that the improvement will continue and that you will give joy to all your family by coming back to your accustomed place among them. Some time, I believe, people growing old will not have as many frailities as they now have. Doctors are making new discoveries all the time and perhaps they will yet make old age the most beautiful and happy period in a lifetime. I am very glad that you have had Rosa by your bedside. It is a wonderful thing to have a daughter-nurse. With the best of good wishes and the sincerest hope that all is still going well with you, I am, Very cordially, October 10, 1930. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: I enclose herewith a little letter to your mother. I was so very glad to get your cable saying your mother is improving. Your letters have made me see the picture of the home with the mother, lying in her bed upstairs and the father sitting downstairs in despair. How wonderful it would be if she comes back, so that they may have some time together yet. Please give my best regards to your father and tell him that I am thinking of the family every day and wondering how you are all getting on. My cousin Helen is still here and is far from recovered. She is not in bed quite so much now, but she has had a severe illness of five or six weeks' duration. We have just turned on the furnace and the air is growing cool, but we have had beautiful weather through September and thus far in October. Not a particle of frost has yet disturbed our garden; nevertheless, things are coming to an end because the growing period has passed. John has arranged the little greenhouse so that it is very promising in its appearance. It is very tiny and does not hold much. We hope to have plenty of chrysanthemums to keep us going until Christmas and we shall have carnations after that time. As is always the case, I dread the coming winter somewhat. It is so long and tedious. I shall probably flicker around with some liveliness until after the Conference on the Cause and Cure of War which I hope to be able to attend. I shall then withdraw from it and leave the work to those who are younger. At that time the weather will get colder and colder and I shall be somewhat shut in. Nevertheless, I much prefer living in my own home than taking a trip to a warmer climate and living in a hotel. I am very sure that we must, all of us, feel glad that you were in Baarn and not here when your mother came down with her illness. No one could do for her what you have done. You will be tired when she recovers as I think now she will do. -2- I think I have told you the story of my own mother. No one was in her room for a little while one morning and when we went in, we found her entirely unconscious and she lay in that state for four days. She did not move and her breath was very weak. The doctor thought, and we all expected that she would pass away without coming back to consciousness, but one day she opened her eyes and very slowly returned to strength. She got so well that she went downstairs and stayed there through the day and finally she did all kinds of things she had done before. She lived something more than a year after that period. You see, even with old age life is very uncertain and you may have your mother just as she was before for quite a time yet to come. I sincerely hope so. I hope you may have courage and strength yourself to bear all the burdens which fall to your lot. I am very busy now getting the garden all in order to tuck away for the winter. Our garden is very small compared with yours, but I believe you would think it quite nice. Very lovingly now and ever, ROSA MANUS PARKWIJK BAARN November 4th 1930. Mrs. Carry Chapman Catt, NEW ROCHELLE - NEW YORK. My dear Mother Cat, Let me add my warmest congratulations upon the honour which has fallen upon you. I am just as proud and stuck up about it, as your American friends around you and I am terribly sorry I have just missed the occasion of being with you at that wonderful moment, when the cheque was presented to you. The girls have all been so kind to send me newspaper clippings and although the pictures of you were very bad, I could see when I closed my eyes, your sweet face smiling at the Director when he handed it to you. I am sure, you need no advice from me how to spend it, as I see in the paper that so many advices have already been given to you, and I wonder if at last you will use it for your own benefit and build another greenhouse for you and John to play in. This is what I think you ought to do. You have given your whole life to others and now it is time you think of yourself. So give this present to yourself in honour of your 72nd birthday. I am very pleased to hear for all accounts that your health is so much better, that you are able to go out to luncheons and make speeches. It must be nice to feel you have got so strong again, when at one time you thought you would never be able to make another speech. There is no body in the world more pleased about this progress than your stepdaughter far away, who thinks of you daily. I am so terribly sorry not to be with you, as I had so very much hoped, but may be one day we shall be together again. Mother is getting on slowly but is depressed at times, at not gaining strength quicker, the wound is still open and we must be careful with her. Since a few days she comes downstairs once a day and when we are by ourselves she has her meal with us; but if the family comes on Sunday, she must still have it alone. Of course we are proud to have her down again, as in the family circle we do not want to lose yet either Mother or Father, although we know that day will be coming, that we must miss them. I have taken up work again and am in the midst of a financial campaign for international Alliance. Although the time is very difficult when everybody is so depressed and business so bad. I still believe there are people who can spare sum. Mrs. Johanna Naber has made a historic review of women through the centuries, an other historical friend of mine is making words to be spoken when each of the women appear, and one of our women artists will recite it, bits of ancient music will be played accordingly. The end we shall have Mrs. Corbett Ashby as the President of the Alliance and make a good old speech to all those men and women who might perhaps not know, there is a feministic movement yet. The Museum of Amsterdam has loant me for that evening their beautiful hall, so I think it will come out rightly. Next to this we are having a 3 days sale for which the Art Society has given me the halls where the picture galleries are always shown. We are having the ROSA MANUS PARKWIJK BAARN November 4th 1930. Mrs. Carry Chapman Catt - New York -2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- young girls come together every week and they are making all kinds of things which can be sold, Now a days they learn such nice things at the schools and one of the mistresses who teaches them is helping them along and I myself am also leading some of these girls. I have got some boxes together with bits of silks, ribbons and laces and my first lesson will begin to-morrow, to which I am much looking forward. I wish I could hand through your bits as I positive would find some useful things which might come out to something very beautiful. Last week I gave the first tea party to invite people to join and much to my pleasure the hall was crowded. They were most enthousiastic and I think they want to make it a success with me. The press was in favour too. We must make money to let the Alliance live and try to come out with all the other international women's Associations if we want to get hold of the Statesmen of the world. I have the same believe as you, that one day the ideas will change in the world and war will be impossible, but it will take generations yet. I was pleased to hear that Helen was well enough to get away, It must have been an anxious time for you to have her in your house sick. In one way it was lovely for her, to be taken care so wonderfully, but I also know that with all responsability you feel for her, it will be a relief that she is with her family again now. Clara gave me a description of the wonderful party Mabel arranged for Mary and I remember how she always sends you a Christmas present and can understand how delighted she was with the party. I am glad to say I feel as energetic and strong as ever and that I mean to do a great deal of work this winter. I am trying to divide my time between my parents and my work which at time is rather difficult, but I hope to keep up both. Well, my dear Mother Carry, you may be sure that my loving thoughts go out to you again and again and that wishes for your health are always going to you. Your stepdaughter Rosa November 29, 1930 Miss Rosa Manus, Parkwijk, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: I enclose a copy of a letter which I have written to Miss Sterling. If you will read that letter you will find out that your Peace Department has received $100, or its equivalent in Sterling. We had wonderful times last week. I actually went to two luncheons where I spoke to very large audiences and I went to one luncheon where I did not speak. We had a big Committee meeting of the Cause and Cure of War and we had a little meeting of the Program Committee. Then I brought two women home with me who had come from the West to that meeting and one of them stayed over Sunday and talked all the time. I have been busy this week engagements too. Henrietta is here this morning and I am giving away the last of my $5,000. It is practically all gone, but there are a few addresses which I have to confirm. In the meantime, let me know if your mother is improving and how your father is. We have had a wonderful fall and November has been a glorious month. I want to tell you about my garden and all the grand things we have done for it, but that I will have to do another time. Lovingly yours, ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM 18.12.30 Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt Carrielaan 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York. My dear Mother Carrie, Your letter of November 29th with the copy of Miss Sterling's letter was of course a great surprise and delight to me. I was so interested to see the way you have divided the 5000 dollars but I am afraid you did not keep anything at all for your own, to enjoy your garden or home, but maybe Alda has been able to keep something for yourself from it. I thank you most heartily for your gift on behalf of the Peace Committee and you may be sure this gift will be used for very special occasions. I appreciated it all the more as it is the only international body you have remembered with a gift and I take it a little as a special little honor for myself! Thank you, Mother Carrie. I have been thinking of you so much lately and have been wanting to write a long letter to you so very much. I am going to write a very, very private letter to you one of these days, but I am so very busy I can hardly look round. As I told you I am running a big affair for the Alliance and I am getting so much help that it is difficult to keep the people out of my office to do my work. I was laid up for five days with a heavy cold and as I have not been in bed for years it seemed very funny. I had to give up two speaking engagements for which I was sorry as I was speaking on the Alliance. Mother and Father are moderately well, as well as we can expect, but they are both really beginning to feel the old age. Mother says she always feels tired and the wound at her neck is still open and has to be treated daily. She is downstairs however and was able to celebrate St. Nicholas with the children and grand-children. Still we cannot look too brightly in the future. Father gets his attacks -1- ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM -2- at different moments. I am so pleased that you have been able to go to Washington to attend the meetings and I hope that your Cause and Cure of War will run smoothly and have its effect as usual. It is wonderful to have you as their leader and adviser. There is so much which I have to tell you. Will we ever have our little private talks again, dear Mother Carrie? I am terribly homesick for you. love your only real stepdaughter Rosa ROSA MANUS PARKWŸK BAARN HOLLAND Dec 30, 1930 Dear Mother Carrie, Here is to send you my best and sweetest wishes for 1931 and for your 72' birthday. I will think of you that day specially. And all good wishes for health and Success with your work will go out to you. Some time - some day I hope to be with you again but when shall it be? Both parents must be watched and surely cause anxiety though they may live for many years yet. They both enjoy the family gatherings so much. We were always 14 or 16 at table during the holidays. Our boys are growing up fine. Emile's son is working at a Bank - finished last term the School of Commerce - Egon is still for a year at the Gymnasium and will then study law. Carmen is spending a year in Switzerland to get some languages then she will be home in spring and enter into the Children's hospital and try and be a professional Children's nurse. She has no study head- but is very tidy and loves nursing and organizing and is very domesticated a good needlewoman and good at cooking. And now Mother Carrie this birthday greeting will end. You just know yourself what your Stepdaughter feels for you. Your love for me helps me along in difficult hours many a time. God bless you now and always. Rosa These two packets of seeds must be sewn about March. This is my birthday present to you. ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM 16.1.31 Mrs. Carrie ChapmanCatt Carrielaan 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York. Dear Mother Carrie, Think of the great surprise, when the day of your birthday, the 9th, I came home from the office and found your wonderful parcel! Henny was just there when I opened it and you can imagine my joy at the sight of your marvellous presents. I simply love the bag, it is just the right size to use when my big fair will be held in February on behalf of the Alliance. Of course you will not be astonished when your stepdaughter has a blue satin frock to wear for the occasion, and so the bag will just match. You may be sure that this bag will bring me luck, and that much money will be gathered. I have a tremendous committee, working like mad to make it a success. You can well imagine that the president is working from morning till night. Besides I am giving a sort of sewing- afternoon on Tuesdays, and cut out all kinds of things to make. Mother has been very active, making foot- cushions, the same kind you have been making after your illness. We are getting wonderful presents, also donations in money from all sides, notwithstanding the terrible conditions these days. The blue woollen jacket is simply lovely, and will serve many occasions, and, I hope, will be used again to cross the Ocean to come and stay with my dear stepmother. Let's hope for the best ! The new barometer is a great joy, and we have hung it in the veranda for the whole family to enjoy it together. Now I must ask you a question. It isn't that you have not spoiled me enough as it is, but there were two small boxes, also from Lord and Taylor, with tissue paper, but nothing in it. So if by any chance there was another present in it, it would be a great pity; if you have ensured the parcel you could get the money back. Henrietta is good to hunt up those things ! With the bag I shall be as proud as a peacock, and it will bring just luck. ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM -2- As you will have heard from Ruth Morgan I am busy to arrange the conference in Belgrade in May. I wish we could persuade you to come and speak at the meeting. I do not believe you have ever been in those countries and it would be nice if you got a steamer right down there and came to Athens afterwards. I shall then go there with you, if you like and take you home. I am sure a trip will do you good, and there is not one who would be a better speaker to invite than Carrie Chapman Catt ! The condition in Europe is really dreadful. It seems that even now in Holland we are feeling the after-war depression more than ever. The economic situation gets worse and worse and the meetings of the men seem to be less successful every time. We hear from all sides that the men cry for help from the women. They have come to a deadlock and do not know how to get out. And yet when the women want to join officially, they have something to say against them. One bit of good news I can give you, that is that I have taken my Mother to a famous professor, who has given an excellent account of her and has definitely said that no operation is needed, that she must be patient after her serious illness, that it takes some time and also will take some time for the wound to heal but that we need not be anxious for the moment. Father's condition does not get better, he gets his attacks more often and longer, but in between he is very well, although the financial situation of the boys gives him great trouble. Well, Mother Carrie, here are my continued love and best wishes. Your only Stepdaughter Rosa February 7, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Parkwijk, Baarn, Holland. Dear Rosa: I am home from the Conference on the Cause and Cure of War and I got through it fairly well. I was not able to stay through a whole day's program, but would leave the latter part of the afternoon and evening and go up to my room. I went to bed every afternoon about 4 o'clock until it was time to dress for the evening. I usually had my dinner in my room. In the evening I came back from the session when I reached the point where I could endure it no longer and then made my preparations for bed. About the time I was ready to get into bed, Mary Peck came (the session, meanwhile, having closed) and she sat down and read me one of the stories out of the book you sent. Although the stories are about murders and thieves and that kind of people, they did not frighten me into bad dreams. I went right to sleep. That is the reason I got through so well. I am full of aches and pains and bad feelings, but I manage to get around quite a bit. I do not go out in the evening anywhere. I make no speeches and I just do the kind of things that have to be done. They insisted upon my being Chairman of the National Committee on the Cause and Cure of War once more and finally, after they urged and pleaded so much, I yielded. We now have seven Vice Chairmen and each one is to have a job and work hard at it, while my job is not to be as big as formerly. I accepted with two reservations and they were that if I could not stand it, I would resign and that they would accept it, and, further, that under no circumstances would they expect me to go on after this coming year. I shall try to pull through this year and get into the next. The last three or four conferences have made me feel that, perhaps, I would not finish with them, but I have not been so miserable at any one of them as I was at the one when you so nobly played the nurse. It is very curious how we old folks linger longer and find some enjoyment still in life. Today came your letter with the dahlia seeds. I am so very glad to get them. John and I will have the seeds going by the first of March and wherever there is a patch of ground left, there we will have some dahlias growing. An acre is quite as big a space as an old lady ought to have to look -2- after and John keeps very busy with this one acre. I wish I had better soil. I would like to get a few boat loads out of those meadows of Holland. I think that would make things grow better. I have made some changes in the place which I am sure you would like, so whenever you are ready to pay me a visit, you will find me ready to receive you. I do think, however, that while your father and your mother are so weak and ailing, you will have to stay pretty much by them. You will never regret it. I think your father will go first and it will be a terrific upsetting to your home when he does. Miss Morgan is going to Belgrade and she has suggested that I go with her. As yet, I do not feel quite equal to that and it does not quite appeal to me. I have no doubt conditions in Europe are terrible. They are terrible here. They are dreadful everywhere. We do not get many invitations to go out except to hear of the hardships of most of the people in the country. Those that have any money are "picked clean" to get something to take care of those who have nothing. Of course it is the same with you. I have lived through several periods of this kind and I can say that by and by we shall pass through it and better times will come back. Tell your father not to worry - that things will be better soon. I do not know what will make them better, but they always come that way. Give my love to your mother and to your father and tell them I am thinking of them and wish them better healthevery day. Very lovingly, CCC:HW. ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM 14.3.31 Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt Carrielaan 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York. My dear Mother Carrie, Your letter from April 2nd has arrived and it seems a shame that you have not heard from me for so long, but I have written a letter which I suppose has reached you now. Your step-daughter does behave badly and you are quite right. I ought to write more often, but every day something does turn up. How funny that Mrs. Griesel and Elsie keep on talking about Baarn. My only wish is, Mother Carrie, that you spent a holiday there ! Father and Mother would simply love having you. A new road has been made from Amsterdam to Baarn and it takes only thirty minutes to go to town now. We could reserve a wonderful bedroom for you next to mine, where you would feel perfectly happy. The stairs in Baarn are very easy and would not give you any trouble to walk up. I wish you could make up your mind to come on one of those wonderful Dutch steamers and land in Rotterdam, where your step-daughter would await you ! I am sure a stay in Holland in a lovely comfortable home would be very good for you and we all would love to have you. You could go to that congress for a few hours a day and rest the other part of the day. Parkwyk is awaiting you and your step-daughter will give all her attention to you once more. Do consider it! I am trying to get more information about this congress but as far as I can make out it is going to be something remarkable. On the 21st of July we have to celebrate Father's 80th birthday and August 20th your step-daughter will be fifty ! Can you imagine such a thing ? Don't you think this is a good reason for you coming over ? There will be a car at your disposal with the nice Herman as your chauffeur and we will make you have a real holiday of playing in the garden and rest. I am very busy with preparing for Belgrade but it is difficult to get the women and men to go to that spot of the world. We will however reach a certain amount of people in the Balkan who have never been reached before. I have just inquired about boats. You can leave New York with the "Volendam," your dear steamer, on August 8th and arrive here about the 18th. Then you can leave on the "Statendam" on ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM -2- August 29th or on the "New Amsterdam" September 4th. Do think about it we would so love to give you a holiday, and I am positive you would enjoy it, the trip as well as the stay in our lovely comfortable room. I know this is the only way of travelling you enjoy and the only way easy for you. There will be no difficulty with luggage, you only need some handbags, no dressing up in Baarn as it is the country. So do tell me that you are coming. The Manus family will receive you with open arms and your Rosa will be in the seventh heaven of delight. I do hope your tulips will prove to be good ones. I do wish you would sit in our garden one day. It is no good saying one can not go at 72, there are lots of people crossing the Ocean who are over 80 ! I am quite excited about it all. love my dear dear Mother Carrie from the naughty Rosa April 2, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Parkwijk, Baarn, Holland. Dear Rosa: Mrs. Griesel and Elsie make me very many calls at tea time and whenever they come out, they never fail to take most of the time to tell me what a grand time they had visiting you. They tell me what a beautiful house you have; how magnificent its furnishings are and how perfectly wonderful the garden and greenhouses are. They tell me about the wonderful walks and, lastly, what a perfectly charming father and mother you have. When they get through telling that story, they go home. They were at the house yesterday and talked it all over once more. It made me think that it was a long time since I had received a letter from you and I thought it meant one of three things. Either your father or mother was far from well and required a good deal of your attention, or you were ill yourself and could not write, or you are doing an enormous amount of work for that Belgrade meeting. Well, I wonder if you know that there is going to be a perfectly wonderful congress held in Amsterdam. It takes place on August 23rd to 29th. It is called the Industrial Relations Congress and it has a wonderful program. Nearly all the speakers whose names are printed on the announcement come from the United States. Two or three come from the League of Nations and the rest are vacant, waiting for some wizard to be discovered. If I had nice legs to walk upon and good hands to hold on to banisters when I go up and down stairs, I might come over. However, the best place for me is at home. Those tulips of yours are three inches high now and it will not be long before they are in blossom. We have been doing some new things and Henrietta will take some pictures a little later - that will be the best way to tell you about them. Of course, I am not well, but I do hope I shall go through the summer and enjoy the good garden that much longer. My garden can nothold a candle to that wonderful one of yours, but there is a good deal of enjoyment in it after all. In case you are very busy getting ready to go to Belgrade, do not bother to answer this letter - I shall understand. You can write me when you come back. Miss Morgan, of course, is going over and she will tell me all about you when she returns. With love and the hope that all is well at your house and that your father and mother will enjoy the summer in the garden this year, I am, Very lovingly, ROSA MANUS PARKWIJK BAARN Baarn, August 11th 1931. Mrs. Carry Chapman-Catt, 120 Paine Avenue, NEW ROCHELLE. New York, U.S.A. Dear mother Carry, I have not been able to write you these last days as my dear father has been once again most seriously ill. The 3rd of August we had to put him to bed in the middle of the day and for 3 days he was in a very bad condition, uncontious, high feever. The doctor thinks it has something to do with the bledder. Luckily, he has picked up again; he really has a most marvellous vitality, but has still to be in bed most part of the day. Of course his nurse looked after him but a great deal of the nursing I had to do myself and sometimes three of us had to help him. I slept there all the night with him when the nurse was sitting up. Poor mother was so nervous and sat next to his bed all day, but was unable to do anything for him, which made her more nervous still. It is really unfortunate as now mother has got ill again with some inside trouble. My poor father is so afraid he won't be downstairs when my birthday comes on the 20th. He has made up his mind to be there still. I am wondering in the meantime how you are getting on. I have had a most pleasant visit from Mrs. Parsons with her 2 little daughters, the one of 16 chauffeering her through Europe. The little girl of 9 found company here in the garden with little Mary Bella. They all enjoyed the garden very much and were sorry to leave so soon after having had their lunch with us. I am very pleased Mrs. Parsons will be in Geneve all the time and I hope we shall be able to work fine together. She has many suggestions and I hope nothing will prevent my going to Geneve for the month of September. I want to give all my time and energy to the work which is before us in behalf of the Disarmament Conference. Do let me have a line to say how you are. In Holland something wonderful has been done in behalf of Disarmament. All the newspapers of Holland have combined to collect signatures, the ones to the left, the ones to the right, in fact every paper of every little town or village. They have already collected a 2 1/2 millions ROSA MANUS PARKWIJK BAARN Baarn, August 11th 1931. -2- Mrs. Carry Chapman-Catt, NEW ROCHELLE. (Continued). signatures from the 3 1/2 millions we have, which makes it a very good record, but I am afraid that as for the women's campaign we won't succeed. Love and lots from your loving Rosa August 14, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: I do not see how the Manus family can remember all the birthdays. If Father Manus had seven children and each child had had seven children, as was his ambition, you would have been obliged to print a newspaper to keep all the birthdays straight. More, I am sure the Queen of Holland would have had a settlement with Mr. Manus to see whether she and her subjects or he and his family should occupy little Holland, for there would not have been room for both! I think, however, there are quite enough of the Manus family when I look at that wonderful picture which has just arrived. It is splendid and I thank you for sending it to me. I never saw a large group picture with all the faces good, but this one is splendid. I must say, however, that the two best looking ones in the whole picture are Mr. and Mrs. Manus. They do not look a bit older than any of their children. I am glad to say that my friend, Rosa, looks pretty well for a girl who has been in bed so long. Do not be too smart now that you are allowed a little bit of freedom for it doesn't pay to get these spells of invalidism. Long ago I received a book about Mrs. Fawcett. I promptly loaned it to Mary Peck without reading it myself. She read it and pronounced it a very good biography. I haven't yet read the book but am more grateful than I can say that you have sent it and I shall read it pretty soon. I would not have known about the book if you had not sent it. The two detective stories came yesterday. I do not know why they were so long on the way. I have already read one because the print was large and it fitted in between calls which happened to be numerous. Thank you for all the books. Two of my callers - a man and a woman - were from South Africa. Dr. Jacobs and I had met them when we traveled together. She was the president of the association which won the vote at the last. It was very nice, indeed, to see them. I have a small package which I am sending to you for your birthday. I do not know how I am going to send it or when you will get it, but, sometime it will arrive and you will know it is in celebration of your birthday. If I could ever think of a real nice birthday or Christmas present that you would really like, I would buy it now and send it over in time. My presents are usually poor ones and usually arrive a month too late. As a present giver, I am a dead failure. As a birthday celebrant I am another failure. -2- There is no family in this entire country that has such affairs as the Manus family in celebrating their many birthdays. I do not see how you can think of it all and I should think you would get tired of the work connected with the celebrations. I hope you are continuing to feel better. I am pretty well in everyrespect except that I have not yet suitable walking facilities. I am going to the hospital tomorrow to have an X-ray taken to see whether all my bones are in order and if they are, I get consent to walk, but they tell me it is a slow process. Miss Schain and Miss Roelofs are going to the AD HOC Committee meeting in Geneva and you will see them there. I will not mention your suggestions about the best way to show the women's petitions, because I want them to talk it over with you first. I shall write you again and let you know everything I may have left out of this letter. In kindest regards to all your family, I am, Very lovingly, CCC:HW. August 20, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Parkwijk, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: This is your birthday. We are always behind the times here, but we sent you a cable ahead of the times and I suppose you have received it. We are only just mailing your little parcel and probably it will get to you by the time you are sixty. Perhaps it would not have been any better if I had had two good legs. I am terribly sorry to hear that your father has had another spell of illness. Of course it is but natural that these things should happen to him for, unfortunately, when people grow along in years they do not preserve all their youthful strength and health. I know how anxious these times always are for you and I can well understand how your Mother is worried about it all. I hope that both will improve, so that you can go to Geneva in September. Miss Schain and Miss Roelofs are there or will be soon. They have been elected to serve on the AD HOC Committee, which I now learn has voted that only one representative from each organization can serve. I hope they will not take each other's scalp off in order to ascertain which one shall sit with the Committee. Mrs. Pennybacker is leaving for Europe today and will be in Geneva. She wants to go to Germany after she is through with Geneva. She is terribly anxious to see people of importance in Germany, so that she can talk about the different points of view. Of course my knowledge of people of German is not what it once was, since I have been out of touch with all the workers for the last ten years. I am hoping that Mrs. Ashby and the Alliance workers can give her some help. Mrs. Edgerton Parsons and Mrs. York Allen are also in Geneva. I was amused to have you tell me what the newspapers of Holland are doing about signatures, because, in the same mail which brought your letter there came one that they have been circulating, so you see I have other informants in Europe! At the Cause and Cure of War Conference we had not expected to collect more than a million signatures. Miss Morgan is driving out this afternoon and we shall have a talk about all things. I am quite humiliated about our petitions. The business -2- of taking care of that job was turned over to a new Chairman and, like everyone else, she went to Europe! She and most of our people think that it is time enough to begin on September 1st. Little do they know how long a job it is to get so many signatures. I am very proud of Holland and I wish all the rest of the little countries would follow her example. It will not matter so much whether the women have a little or a big petition, I suppose, but there must be something to be presented. I think the British have also had men and women sign the same petition. As we did not want to get into the way of the men's ideas for the Conference, we thought we would confine our signatures to the names of women. I think the men will do something big and strong, provided they come to a conclusion in time. They may not get to a conclusion before the next war, but I hope they will be on hand by next February! Do remember me with love to your Father and Mother and tell them I hope to hear that they are recovering promptly. I hope you will have a delightful birthday, since this is a thing you and all the Manus family have. You do so much for others that they should do something very nice for you. I should think the family's time would all be taken in preparation for the big army of birthdays. I want to say again that I have shown the big picture to many people and they all say it is the finest picture of many people they have ever seen. Thank you very much. Now as to myself, I only have good news to tell you. I have, for less than a week, started to walk, but that does not mean that I stand up and walk like a civilized person. I use a chair before me as a crutch and lean upon it and thus I am able to walk. My foot and my leg is still sore and delicate, so you would not call what I do "walking"; nevertheless, I can now go to the bathroom and go across the floor very well with support. When it is time to go to meals, I go downstairs, holding on the banister with one hand and on someone else with the other. However, I come downstairs only once a day and then not every day. Probably by next week I may be able to do some walking without help. It will be a long time before I can do such things as get into an automobile. However, I am coming on very well. With love to you always, I am Very lovingly, CCC:HW. September 4, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Hotel Excelsior, Geneva, Switzerland. My dear Rosa: This is merely to send you a word of encouragement and to express the conviction that when a lady is fifty, she is at the peak of her life. You have never, in all your days, been as able to carry off a big job as now. You will never be so able again and, apparently, there is a big job for you to do at Geneva. How sorry I am that Mrs. Ashby is unable to be there! She probably had some thoughts in her mind as to what she would do and how the hard problems would be cared for. Of course there must be a Vice-Chairman of the Committee and if there is not, a temporary Chairman must be elected and you will have someone who knows how to conduct a meeting. I am not surprised at Mrs. Paul. If she is there, you will have a gay time! You cannot get rid of her or her friends. She will always make trouble and at the same time, she cannot gain anything because she and her friends always antagonize those who would give them what they want. I am very anxious to have Miss Schain and Miss Roelofs come home and tell me all the news. I want to inform you that your stepmother can now walk across the room and back again without a cane, but she limps and hobbles and cannot walk with much dignity yet. More, I have no shoes big enough to put on my swollen foot and it is quite a problem to know how to deal with the question of footwear. I suppose I will master that in good time and be able to at least walk with more precision than I now do. This is just a hasty note to send you my love and to cheer you up. My best wishes to you and yours. Very lovingly, September 18, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Hotel Excelsior, Geneva, Switzerland. Dear Rosa: I have a cable from Miss Schain, saying that the Ad Hoc Committee got itself organized; that Miss Dingman is Chairman, and you are Secretary. Of course I do not yet know what the Committee is to do and probably I will not know until those two girls of ours return. They will arrive in New York on the 21st and I am now trying to find others, so that we may hear what they have to say. Very soon, therefore, I shall hear what you are up to. I am terribly sorry to hear that Mrs. Ashby is so ill. Perhaps she will surprise everybody by coming through it faster than they think. If you write to her, will you be so kind as to give her my love and sympathy and tell her I am grieved, indeed, to learn that she is ill. Tell her not to worry about it as I am sure she will be all right again. She is young and optimistic and both are qualities which lead to rapid recovery. Tell her I am not writing to her, because I learn that mail is not acceptable in the estimate of the doctor. I hope, dear Rosa, that you are sufficiently recovered to carry on your work in Geneva as you want to do it. When I think of the little Dutch girl who sat in the hall by the side of a blackboard in the beginning of this century and looked so cute as she took the names of the delegates who wanted to go on excursions, and I now think of the matronly Miss Manus who is going to manage all the folks who go to Geneva in February, I am proud of her development and I want to say to her that I have the utmost confidence that everything will be done just right. Most sincerely do I hope that your father and mother are doing well. Very lovingly, CCC:HW. September 22, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Parkwijk, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: Recently I received a beautiful blue package and wondered from whence it came. Lo, I made the discovery that brother Franz had brought it over, and there was the prettiest little blue jacket one could ever wish to find. I have carefully folded it up and put it away for the next time I am confined to my bed. That time is sure to come and then I shall look a very charming invalid in the pretty blue jacket. What a wonderful child you are! With twenty-eight people in your own family, each one calling upon you for a birthday present and a St. Nicholas present too, and yet you can think of things to send your far away friend over here! It is wonderful. I do not know how to thank you sufficiently. Miss Schain and Miss Roelofs arrived home this morning, I suppose. I shall see them as soon as possible. Then I shall hear all that happened in Geneva while they were there. I hope that a decision was made as to what kind of a demonstration there will be, so that we may know just how to prepare for it. I do not yet know how our petitions are getting on, because we told our friends that they need not turn them in before January 1st. They are, therefore, keeping their petitions and not reporting them. I hope we shall not fail you. I have had a letter from a church society, asking if they may use our petition as they consider it so much better than any others they have seen - that is great! Of course I am telling them that they may use it. I am glad you are the secretary. It will be hard work and much work, but you can do it and do it well. Tell Mrs. Dingman how glad I am that she has been chosen the Chairman. I know you two girls will work out together the best thing possible. You will have to stay by until after the Commission Conference is over. Things will be sure to pop up any minute which will require your attention. Then I shall expect you to come to see me! In the meantime, I hope your father and mother will both stay with you and be in continued good health. -2- I am glad to report to you that I can now walk some. I could not go very far and I walk in rather a limping way; nevertheless, I can see that I am going forward. In some of my letters, perhaps from you, I got the word that Mrs. Ashby was not permitted to receive mail, but it is possible that by this time she does receive it. In the event that you occasionally write to her, will you tell her that I have heard she is not receiving mail or I would have written her direct. Please tell her how very sorry I am that she has fallen ill, but as she is young, she will entirely recover if she rests. Rest will cure almost anything. With love and confidence that you are going to do the biggest thing you have yet done, I am, Very lovingly, CCC:HW. 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York October 9, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: I have today received your letter. Now, Rosa, of course your family is scared and they have scared you. It is chiefly because you do not, yourself, understand what is going on and we are, all of us, alarmed at the mysterious and uncertain, - that is the state of mind of the whole world today. Everybody is scared and no one knows how things are coming out. However, things always do come out all right and they get around to normal after a time. We should all have known that there would be financial trouble after the war. Some countries got it earlier than others. The English people will stabilize their pound if they do not do anything else. One of the things those crafty English have done is to unload American securities for what they could get and re-invest in something British, so that when the pound comes back to its old value, they can make the difference between the present price and the full price, which, some day, will come. Of course they tried to do that with the mark and they lost, but that will not be the way with England. Things will come out all right, but, in the meantime, there may be hard times. You need not worry. That father of yours has a head on his shoulders at eighty that beats the young men. However, it must be said that at eighty things do not look optimistic and I presume he is worried and that worries everybody else. You will go on living at Baarn as long as your father and mother live and I hope that when they go, that either Emil will be able to live in that beautiful place or you will be able to sell it. When valuable things like that come on the market now, there are few people with money enough to buy them, but by and by it will go better. -2- I think I am going to give you a piece of advice which which I suppose is not of any advice at all. You have some money of yours as well and when you can, I think you should have that money invested in thoroughly good securities which will pay you an income and be perfectly safe. It may be better to do that than to put it into your brother's business which may not turn out so well some day. Your brother's business may pay you more income during prosperous times, but it will be much more secure to invest it in the very best and safest securities. This is not a good time to do it, but I think you would feel more secure if it were so invested after your father goes. Perhaps the world never had quite such hard times as now because never before was there a war so great as the last one. After every war there have been hard times for some nation. The last war involved so many nations that the whole world is affected now. I do not think you need to worry about earning your living, but if you had to do it, I do not know where you would get a job. There are a few millions over here who have no jobs and who are desperate, so you had better feel hopeful. Although Miss Schain came back, saying the Alliance had voted not to have the Congress at Athens, but, instead, to have the Board go there for a meeting. I note that a vote has been sent out, asking opinions upon the subject and that Mrs. Ashby has recommended that the Congress be not postponed. I think, very likely. she wants to resign now as President and she wants the Congress to be held in order that an election of officers may take place and she may withdraw. She probably feels that that is an easy thing to do. I cannot imagine that there are many women standing around, waiting for the Presidency to fall into their laps. As Honorary President, I might vote on the Alliance Board, but I have never done so. I will, however, suggest, although you must not mention that it came from me, that if you have only a Board meeting, you might have it in Geneva where it would cost less. I am writing this hasty note just to cheer you up. Be assured that the human race is not going to destruction yet. We are all worried. We are importuned to give our last penny to the cause of unemployment and the begging letters are heartrending. Do not worry, you are not worse off than most of us. Remember me kindly to all your family. Very lovingly, CCC:HW. October 16, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. Dear Rosa: I got your letter last night, telling me about your home-coming and the real difficulties there. I am so very sorry for all of you. It is hard, I know; nevertheless, you will come out all right. There are a very great many people in the world who are not going to have as much money as they did have. I suppose some people have made something out of other people's misfortune - that is usually the way, but there is bound to be a decrease in extravagance of the past generation. You may have less money and less luxury and less surplus in your income, but I am sure you will get along with enough to live on, for you will have to "cut your garment according to your cloth". Of course, I can see quite well how you are taking hold of things and pulling them into order. You are a great girl and this is going to offer you an opportunity to show how great you are. I know you have a talent for finances and economy, and your father and mother will be proud of you. I do not think you will have to go out scrubbing for a living, but if you do, I know you will scrub very well! Now, if I could resurrect all the presents you have given me, I could have an auction; at least, I could do it a little later when people have some money - they have none now. I could sell all those nice things and return the money to you. I guess that would help you out! Alas, many of those precious things I have worn out and most of them would not prove very saleable! One of the economies you can practise in the future is to get off your habit of giving presents to your friends. You have given enough to some of us to be of happy memory the rest of our lives - however long they may be. Yesterday I went out for the first time to a social gathering. I attended an anniversary luncheon given by the Garden Club in New Rochelle. I am now a member of it. A lady came to call for me in an automobile and brought me home. I managed quite well and nothing happened. Well, I did not particularly enjoy the occasion, but it was good to feel that I was able to go. To-night we are going to dinner with Mrs. Brown (not Mrs. Raymond Brown of the Woman's Journal). I do not think you met this Mrs. Brown. She is a neighbor of ours. I never -2- intended to go out in the evening again anywhere, but it was so near, I could not decline. I tell you these things, not because they are important, but just to let you know how I am getting on. I am working a good deal now, trying to get ready for the coming Conference on the Cause and Cure of War. Give my love to your father and your mother and tell them that the greatest doctor in this country has just made a speech to a convention of doctors, in which he said that half the beds in hospitals were filled with people who were put there by worry and that people should not indulge in this pastime. Very lovingly yours, CCC:HW. October 28, 1931. My dear Mrs. Manus: I was not surprised to learn of the passing of your dear husband. He reached a good old age and outlived most people of his generation; yet, I know how lonely you must be without him since you travelled through the world side by side for more than fifty years. I always think a woman can get on better without her husband than the husband can get on without his wife. She has her home to think about and the little domestic things to do which have always filled her life. I think you have had a very remarkable experience in that deaths have not come in your family before. All your children grew up and you have had them with you all these years. You also have had great admiration and affection from those children. I think you have lived a wonderful life and that you have had exceptionally happy circumstances all through it. I trust, my dear Mrs. Manus, that your health will not be impaired by what has happened and that you will remain a good many years. Blessings on you. Very cordially, CCC:HW. October 28, 1931. Miss Rosa Manus, Baarn, Holland. My dear Rosa: I was not in the least surprised to receive your cable. Your father had been ill so long that I felt sure he would go in one of his attacks. He had lived a good life and come to a very advanced age. I suppose the financial worry increased his physical distress. How, however, the estate will have to go through the courts for settlement and the first thing they always do here, and I suppose everywhere, is to take an appraisal of the estate of the one who has gone. It will probably be better straightened out than it was in the last weeks of your father's life. I hope it will, at least, acquaint you with just what you do possess and thus relieve you of further worry. Very many people in the world are finding just now that they can get along with less than they had. Everybody would like to have more. No one ever had quite enough. If one had fifty millions, he wanted one hundred millions, but, of course, no one needs a big fortune, and I am sure you will find enough to take care of you. It is natural that your mother should outlive your father, but she will be terribly lonely without him, and I am writing a little letter to her which you may read to her, if you please. A house always feels strange when one has gone and your family has been particularly fortunate in having no deaths before. As it is natural that the older ones should go first, you will become accustomed to it and arrange your life to get on without them. It would be nice if a family could all live and go out of the world together, but this never happens. I know you are a brave girl and I was not surprised to find how you had taken hold of the household and put order into it. We are having something of an upheaval here also. We have a new cook. The former one is in the hospital and we have had none for three weeks. We got along very well, however, and perhaps we had more good things to eat than when we had a cook. The box of tulips arrived two or three days ago in beautiful, unusually warm weather. The sun was shining, so I went out into the garden and sat on a chair which John moved from place to place and we found just where we wanted to put them. They are all cozily planted and are dreaming now what happiness they will give us in the beautiful spring. I will try very hard not to have -2- anything happen to me, so that I shall be here when they come up. Thank you a thousand times for sending them. I am writing a letter to Miss Dingman and as you may like to see it, I shall send you a copy. I have not yet actually sent it. I hope you received my little cable. I telephoned to Miss Morgan and I presume she has sent you some message. Franz telephoned me to tell me what had happened. Dear, brave girl, as always, I send you my love and hope that you will find conditions better than you think. Very lovingly, CCC:HW. ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM 15th December 1931. My dear Mother Carrie, Time is approaching and Christmastime is there before we know it! I feel I want to send you a few lines to give you all my good and sincere wishes as you know your step daughter wishes you the very very best! We are passing through difficult times as you can well imagine. Upraisals are made and it will take about 6 or 8 months before the final of fathers inheritance will be done. The difficulty of course is that under these circumstances we live under to-day, there is no free money at all and every thing one gets is shares, obligations etc. Father has made a society of all the houses he possesses and we are also getting these shares. Another society he has made, called the Manus Vita Establishment, which contains all the family painings and familybelongings, these may never be sold and can only be divided amongst those who wish to keep them. The great difficulty of course is to get the enormous sum of money which must be paid within 8 months for the rights of succession which are tremendously high in this country. It is out of the question that mother and I shall remain to live in the huge house, it is not only far too lonely but also much too expensive. Of course I like to be as much and often in my office as I possibly can and want to be free to go abroad from my work when my duty calls me. All these 14 years we live in this house the brothers and sisters and their children have come to spend days and weeks and months with us. Now the younger generation is getting grown up, Henry is at the Bank, Egon will be a student at the University in September and Carmen is in a hospital learning to be a childrens nurse. So, less and less they can and will come here. You will feel that it is impossible for mother to live here by herself and therefore we decided to find some nice flat in Amsterdam where we can comfortably live, take some of our beautiful furniture and be cosy and happy with out a staff of servants to be looked after. Of course you will understand that at mothers age it is difficult, but I suppose when she is once settled down she may feel more comfortable. Many businessdiscussions are being held as you can imagine and all I can do is to try and make everything for mother financially as well as possible. We live under very difficult circumstances in every country and the depreciation of everything makes life difficult all around and as you have always told me I have business capacities I am trying to talk it into myself and am acting with a firm hand and economising where ever it is possible. Oh, mother Carrie, I do so want to talk about many private things and I wished there was a way of seeing you again! Can I persuade you to come to Geneva? and then take you home for a little while?? I am sure you would be comfortable and happy here. ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM 2. Mrs. Ashby is feeling much better and she just tells me that she has been made a substitue delegate of her government to the Disarmament Conference. Well, I think in one way it is a great honour, on the other hand I had reckoned entirely upon her with the Disarmament Committee and stand at my side pulling the difficulties through in Geneva and now her time will be taken up in the Delegation. Mother Carrie, do come and stand by me; there is one big job for you to do and there is no other woman in the world who has that wisdom and pushing power like you. Do think it over, I am sure your strength will permit you to come, I will come and fetch you whereever you land in Europe, bring you safely to Geneva and be your sleeping companion once more. I don't mind telling you how terribly I miss father, he has left me personally all this private papers and books and it is astonishing what that man has worked and written all his life time. His 68 volumes of stamps of which his wonderful collection is composed of the British Colonies is the most wonderful piece of work, of intelligence, patience and perceverance. In the last times I have been showing this collection to some people who are interested in it. It may be possible to sell the collection, but owing to the depreciation of the pond, the sum that it is valued for cannot be obtained and it is no use just giving it away below the value and we better keep it as it is. I think, I have told you that my father has the same collection as the King of England and that the Kings secretary, Mr. Bacon, who is doing his stamps over 20 years and who was a great friend of my father, is now privately and confidentially giving me advises about it. All the correspondance about the stamps I do personally as I think it is too big a piece to handle to let it go out of my own hands. Of course it gives me a lot of work but I find it most interesting to have that international correspondance and find in them how much my father was appreciated and known as one of the great philatelists of the world. In every International paper we find articles about him and to think how modest [and wuiet] he always was! Still I am more than grateful to have had that wonderful father and I try to live up as much as I can to his ideals. My, dear mother Carrie, you must be fearfully busy with your preparation for the Cause and Cure of War Conference and I may not keep you with my private affairs. I am not sending you a Christmaspresent as I have not seen anything I want to send you. I do not know if you still wear that traditional collors and fronts. If so, I shall only be too pleased to make you a few sets, so let me know if I may make some of them for you, you know it is a recreation for me to do it! I am leaving for Geneva middle of January and post will always find me at 2 Rue Daniel Colladon. In Amsterdam we are organising a big meeting in the Colonial Institute on January 12th; they tried to hold it in the Hague, ROSA MANUS KEIZERSGRACHT 580 AMSTERDAM 3. but they could not get enough to cooperation, and now they put it on my shoulders. As soon as it is over I will go to Geneva and try and do my best to pull through, what you all think I can do. Here is my love, my thougths will be with you on Christmasmorning and some day I may be with you again and celebrate it with you and spend a quiet Christmas day and a kitchen meal! Lovingly as always your stepdaughter Rosa ROSA MANUS PARKWYK BAARN HOLLAND 28th December 1931 Dear Mrs. Catt, I have just sent you a cable, which I suppose will have startled you a bit. As I received Miss Courtney's letter, of which I am sending you a copy, I thought my first duty was to let you know that the presentation might be on the 2nd of February, as it will make a great difference if your women will want to come over for this presentation, and the distance being so far. Honestly I am rather angry about the way the President of the Disarmament Conference seems to think he can deal with the women. Really and truly, if these men cannot see that it is worth while for them to receive the women and let them make a speech, they are surely not the right people to preside over such an important conference as the Disarmament Conference ought to be. I have written to Miss Courtney and also to Miss Dingman a strong letter about it and think that we must protest, and see that at least one woman will be allowed to speak, even if it is only for 5 minutes. I am also disgusted about the way Mr. Noel-Baker says it is a good idea of having a demonstration in the streets of Geneva. I am glad he approved of it, although to my mind, that has nothing to do with those wonderful men of the Disarmament Conference, but is merely something concerning the Disarmament Committee and all the women's international organizations, and the officials of Geneva. I shall be in Geneva on January 13th and shall do all I can, you may be sure, to make the presentation as spectacular and dignified as possible, at the same time trying to make the biggest effect from much publicity. I would have gone at once to Geneva if I had not to prepare for a big meeting in Holland on the evening of the 12th January of all the Dutch national organizations, which is to be in the Koloniaal Instituut in Amsterdam. And as I am the moving power of that and I do want it to be a success, I am afraid of letting it go. I am leaving the next morning at 6 o'clock, to be in Geneva, where I shall stay until it is all over. I will get in direct contact with Miss Radziwill at the League and those men and women who have any influence and who can help me in persuading the president to let us have some time. I know some of the people very well myself there, and I always believe in personal contact, and hope that with energy and willpower we shall obtain something. But certainly Miss Courtney's letter is most discouraging. You can reach me in Geneva through the Head Quarters, 2 Rue Daniel Colladon, cable address DISACOM, GENEVA. If I have another address, I will cable to you directly. I hope and trust the American petitions will be in Geneva in time, and would like to know as soon as possible the names of the women who are coming over. With greetings, and love from your Stepdaughter Rosa Copy London NW3 44, Upper Park Road 21st December 1931 Just for private information Dear Miss Manus, I have at last been able to get an interview with Philip Noel-Baker who has discussed the question of presenting the Petition and knows what Henderson's proposals are. He wishes to have the Petition presented on the first day of the Conference after he has made his opening address. He wants to have no speeches, and doesn't wish the Petitions themselves to be brought into the Assembly Hall, but he would like as many people as possible to march in procession across the platform, and his idea is that the wording of each Petition should be laid before him together with the number of signatures obtained. He entirely concurs in the idea that the presentation should be by countries indeed, Philip Noel-Baker said that was his own idea. I asked whether failing a speech we could present him with a typed address on the subject of the Petition which would appear in the Press. Philip Noel-Baker thought this a good idea. I also asked him what he thought of having some sort of demonstration in the streets of Geneva, and the Petitions themselves brought along on waggons and left outside the Assembly Hall. He thought something of the kind would be excellent and would obtain film and press publicity. There will be, of course, other Petitions, besides those organised by the Women's Societies, and he wishes they should all be presented on the same day. It will therefore be necessary for us to get together with the representatives of other Societies, notably the Labour and Socialist International, and agree as to our method of approach. I asked Philip Noel-Baker if he thought Henderson would approve the idea of each country being represented by a number of persons holding some little placard to show what Societies had collected signatures, and he thought this an excellent idea. Henderson, in fact, wants to have as much ocular demonstration as possible, but is against anything in the way of a speech, and is quite clear that he wishes it to take place on the first day of the Conference. I am writing all this about the Petition as I know you will be anxious to know how we are getting on. Yours very sincerely, K.D. COURTNEY Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.