Catt, Carrie Chapman GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Peck, Mary Gray 1929-34 Clara Hydes priceless letter about CCC's 70th birthday celebration New York, January 10/1929 Dear Mary:- Yesterday, January 9th, was a perfect day for the birthday celebration. Everything went off splendidly, and I guess Rose is entitled to about 100% of the credit. I don't know whether we w'd have pulled off something if she hadn't. At any rate she done it and done it noble. It was a big job assembling all the international messages and greetings and seeds and recipes. It took months to do it. The net result was worthy of a bigger stage than New Rochelle, but then the very intimate-touch about it all w'd have been lost. It was a most precious occasion. The Chief was kind of dumb and speechless during the ordeal and at moments overcome to the extent of some quiet tears. But who w'dn't emote when admiration and homage was coming from all sides in a deluge. By the time the last homager got thru the Chief was herself. She then said some whimsical thing wh I didn't catch but it bro't a laugh, and then her eyes beholding at this moment, from her throne under the mantlepiece in the living room, the huge birthday cake with it's 70 lighted candles on the dining room table, wh was flashed on her by removing a screen, she invited the populace to come along and eat it. She had no idea what kind of a party it was to be. Rose and Alda arranged the whole thing. She was pretty well dazed until the last guest left and several of us sat down to dinner. Only then was Richard really himself again. 2 Rose Young, Miss Morris (cause there) and I were the outsiders at table. The others were the Chief, Alda, Rose & Henrietta. I bet the Chief said a mighty prayer when it was over, and she c'd go the even tenor of her way. Cables and wires and letters poured in firm all quarters. Ruth Morgan was Master of Ceremonies in that easy informal witty way of wh. She is master. Thank God there wasn't a doleful weeping note in the whole program. Belle Sherwin came up from Wash. and made a very gracious reference to the WLWV being the Chief's daughter and to C's great work of education and inspiration. Others followed in the same strain, stressing her gifts to the world for suffrage and peace. The speeches were all short, with a note of pathos here and there that just c'dn't help but creep in to such an occasion. Mrs. Halsey Wilson has greeting from the University Women's Club. Slade spoke for the N.Y.L.V., Boole for the Prohibs, Schneiderman for the Trade Unions, and Lena Phillipps for the Business Woman, and of course Maud Park. Maud has and read a priceless letter written to her by the Chief 25 years ago. She had asked her for some publicity material for a certain meeting to come off. C. casually mentioned a long list of things of the most arduous kind that work in the suffrage cause called upon her to do. Then she ended up by saying there was nothing in this dull recital 3 of jobs they w'd make publicity material! Henrietta is making some copies of this letter and I'm saving one for you. Gertrude Brown presented the copper plate wh. the European women had had made to attach to the hemlock tree sent by them to be planted in the garden (front not back). It reads approx. "To Carrie Chapman Catt" on her her 70th Birthday." The tree was planted in the early morning and stands out on the front lawn on the plot beyond the driveway. Rosa came last on the program with her truckload of international greetings. She made a very nice easy speech. She c'dn't help dragging in her step- daughter relation to Mother Catt, and that Mother Catt had made the promise to spend her 70th birthday with her!! The Chief c'dn't refrain from giving her a gentle rap about it at the dinner table. In view of the great efforts Rosa put into the job I was quite willing to let her have her fling. The first gift presented from abroad was a basket of seeds from many European countries, including that snappy little country, Iceland. The handle and circumference of the basket were decorated with tiny flags of nearly all the countries of the world. The seeds from each country were segregated and attached to durable labels bearing the country's name, and the giver's name. Lady Astor sent some seeds from her garden. The basket was at the top of a tall stick, the bottom of wh. is pointed and can be stuck in the ground when 4 the Chief does a Maud Muller with it. Rosa weaved a gracious and loving symbolism around this gift, wh. br't a few of the quiet tears to the Chief's eye that I already mentioned. Others in the room were similarly affected. E.C. Carter of Pan Pacific fame, one of the two male gents present, confessed to Rosa afterwards that he c'dn't help gulping a little with the rest of the crowd. It was a very impressive and nice touch. The next gift from Santa Claus Rosa from Europe, was a book of recipes gathered from International Suffrage chefs. They came in all languages, including Icelandic. Rosa translated a good many of them and it is the translations that are in the book. The book cover was made by Katherine [B?] of International Alliance headquarters. The color of cover is Meditteranean blue, wh. you know by this time, and is a wonder piece of drawn work with white stitching--and is washable!! The title of one of the recipes is "Hang It and Stretch It"--a cottage cheese affair. The last gift wh. Rosa pulled out of her sleeve was a beautiful Morroco leather book of the inevitable blue, bordered with a fine gold stripe. Inside were loving greetings, appreciations, [?], etc plus photographs of the authors from Europe, and from the League of W. V. and other organizations here. Some of the pages are beautifully illuminated. Not all the greetings are 5 in, but they will be added as they arrive, the book being a loose leaf affair. Rosa ended her speech by reading some of these splendid messages. Here endeth the first part of the program. The second part was a great surprise - the showing of the film wh. Will Hays' organization had made of the Chief. There are some awfully good ones of her among the lot, and two especially rare ones - one showing a close up in the garden and one showing her from the front of the upstairs balcony as tho she were addressing the multitude below. Here and there throughout the showing she flashes one of her winning smiles, or one of her sharp reactions from this fleeting [smiling] mood, or a sudden lightning roguish look wh. dies almost at birth. The scenes where Henrietta and I came in were screams - at least mine was. You c'dn't see my face at all, wh. was just as well - but my head was bobbing up and down like a cork in the middle of the Atlantic at its stormiest. I was talking as the Chief rehearsed all the time my head was bobbing. And the Chief was talking at me just as hard. She seemed to be throwing paper about her desk at a great rate. The camera man must have put on the accelerator when he was turning the crank for this picture. The funny thing is that the director warned us to go slow in our "acting" wh. we tried to do. Of course the conversation 6 was animated, being concerned with the source of Raskob's $500,000 borrowed for the Democratic campaign, and the possibility of tapping the same source for a loan to the Cause and Cure!! but that was nothing to exceed the speed limit for. These same reels are going to be shown at the Cause and Cure where they will have a better chance on a big screen. They c'dn't do justice to them in the small space afforded by the Chief's library. Rosa is to be presented with a copy of the pictures. Mrs. Sparburg engineered the showing for the birthday. And by the way the man in charge of making the picture was at the party, and made a most gracious reference to the [Chief] pleasure and privilege it was to do it. He seemed to have an appreciation of what it really was about. This is why I mention him. Oh, in the book wh. contains the greetings there was a very unique one from Adela Schreiber- Kreiger (German Reichstag) There was a photograph of her taken 25 years ago when she came under the spell of the big Chief and joined the ranks of the suffrage workers - and photograph of the present day, still under the spell of this great leader. Quite an impressive touch. The birthday cake was the gift of Mrs. Slade. It was the most beautiful thing in birthday cakes that I ever hope to see - fully two feet in diameter - the ice-ing of beautiful suffrage yellow, with CCC and the daintiest 7 lacey border in the Chief's favorite--baby blue. The candles surrounding the cake were of the same lovely yellow stuck in rosettes of deep blue. I c'dn't take my eyes off'n it. It didn't taste as good as it looked. I liked Alda's Angel Cake much better. She also made the most divine rolls that we had for dinner. Speaking of food, Alda gave the Chief a bang-up electric waffle iron. The Chief started her birthday by being ordered to stay in bed by Rosa and Alda. While she was in the bathroom, they installed the waffle iron and the breakfast table for three in the Chief's room. They had a wondrous feast, Alda presiding over the waffle iron. Wasn't this great? The Chief can stand a good of that kind of petting and she liked it. Katherine McCormick gave her a lovely wing chair at Alda's suggestion. She had said she w'd like to have a chair where she c'd lean her head when tired or reading. Alda is a wondrous smart child, and I think the Chief is getting more and more satisfaction out of her, for wh. praise be. Rosa's brother was the only other male gent present. Alda says she c'd very well do without him. 8 I didn't know all of the 30 or 35 who were present. Of course Mabel Russell was there. The Chief gave her a long silent embrace. I guess Mabel is the only one who is a real link between her and Mollie. The cause of the embrace was easily read. They both missed Mollie without doubt. The names of all the guests appear in a special book provided by Rosa. "Sign as you enter" was the order. You'll get a chance at the book later. The flag was raised on the lawn for the occasion. There were no special gifts to speak of from our people except potted plants for the greenhouse, wh. Alda managed to carry by underground passage and be acceptable from those who wanted to send a memento. Smart Alda again. She let it be known that our flowers w'dn't earn their keep as the Chief was leaving at once for Washington. I think this about ends the bare outline of the birthday party. A couple of days ago I rec'd the fascinating account of your Christmas days in Rome. Those male choruses must have been entrancingly beautiful. I sent the letter to the Chief to enjoy. Alda says she rolls All your choice morsels around her tongue - and this letter seemed especially enchanting and interesting. I note that my letter was opened and resealed. I assumed when I sent it that possibly there might be a hang over of war measures even to this day, or of necessary post office regulations. I’m off for Washington and the Cause & Cure on the 14th - will be back about the 18th or 19th. I’m taking your cue to address you care of Amer. Exp. in Rome in case you sh’d have left and letters have been forwarded. Of course I’m thinking of the Berlin Congress. I want to go and may make it. According to present plans the Chief will be there. Rosa leaves for Holland on Feb. 23rd. Alda says “ no guest sh’d stay longer than two weeks” — not that the goose doesn’t hang high as her Rochelle. All is going well there! I see that you may be leaving Rome about Feb 1st - shall be interested to know for what destination Au revoir, Old Scout - I see __ de papers that you had su__ in Rome! Well, well! Lots of love, C Rosa Manus letter about CCC's 70 Birthday Celebration S. E. BONNEVILLE MANAGING DIRECTOR THE WASHINGTON EUROPEAN FIREPROOF PENNA AVE. OPPOSITE THE TREASURY WASHINGTON, D.C. Jan 28th 1929 My dear Mary:- I feel perfectly ashamed for not havin written to you all these weeks since I am staying with our dearly beloved Chief. However there seemed to be so much to [day] do each day and I did not want to send you a hurried note but a real letter full of details which no one else could give you. Mrs Catt reads me parts of your letters and we are both much interested in your lovely trip and we are so glad you are having such a grand time. You certainly can give the liveliest descriptions of things and we much enjoy the amusing spirit and wit. Well to begin with the beginning. Before I came I was certainly very worried about Mother Catt and I just could not await the day to land. Then I came on a Saturday afternoon Dec 8th and the dear Lady was waiting for me on the platform in New Rochelle. You can imagine that the first two days there was very very much to talk about and to tell. The dear Lady just poured it all out to me and it seemed to relief her greatly although there were many tears, I still felt she liked to tell [* 2 *] it all. On the whole I must say I found her lots better than I had expected. I love her new home and surely think it is the best and most comfortable once she ever had. The library is great and since the heating has been into it she can sit there and work or play as much as she deserves, and being surrounded with all her precious books gives it an atmosphere of friendship and love. Then the bed room with the lovely Chaise longue. Surely Mary no present ever has given her so much joy and so much comfort. It was a splendid idea of yours and she worships it more than anything else. She only wished she had possessed it 20 years sooner. We often wake her have her breakfast up there and every evening we go up pretty early, there she gets undressed and lies for about an hour on the couch - and it seems that after resting there she goes to sleep more easily afterwards. Mrs Catt was pretty busy preparing for the Cause and Cure - this Wald came out to work often and sometimes when C went to the office. We were at the Foreign Policy lunch and Mrs Catt spoke at the Eclectic luncheon. There she caught cold and was confined to her room - I made quite a number of mustard plasters and she got over it pretty soon - in fact just in time for the birthday. Doubtless Clara has written you about the surprise party I arranged for her. The dear Lady did not know anything about it - although she suspected something and said all the time: "Rosa, what have you got up your sleeve." She was just like a child and would ask me if she was going to have a real birthday cake etc .... [* 3 *] S. E. BONNEVILLE MANAGING DIRECTOR THE WASHINGTON EUROPEAN FIREPROOF PENNA AVE OPPOSITE THE TREASURY WASHINGTON, D.C. Then the 9th was there and early in the morning I came to her while she was in bed and gave her my little gift a CCC as a broach quite small and dainty just to wear everyday in small - tiny diamonds. We then told her she was allowed to go into the bathroom and stay untill we called her. In the meantime Alda and I got all the presents which came in and put them on a little table. We arranged another little table for breakfast.. and when she came in she was much surprised to see we were all going to have breakfast there. Alda presented her with an electric waffle iron, and we made the waffles right there, you can imagine how pleased the dear Lady was. Then we unpacked the other gifts. Mrs Stanley McCormick sent her a beautiful Ming chair which I chose at Sloan's for her and the old Lady Denter a clock. About eleven she came down and we went into the garden to have a tree planted which was from the Itl. Women but we only presented it really in the afternoon but we had to ask her were it had to be planted. We found a nice place for the new Hemlock tree then I went with her in the dear little greenhouse and made this Cetlle(?) picture where I am sure Mary you will enjoy. 4 We had an early lunch and then we took her upstairs for a rest. Then Alda and I got the dining room table in order - with all the cups and eats etc as I had invited about 40 people to come in to tea. This all being a surprise. I suppose Clara has written you fully about the proceedings of that afternoon so I will not give details. I will only say, that our dear friend was deeply touched by all the loving words and tokens of real friendship. The book which I had arranged with pages from women all over the world from the Alliance is really wonderful. However the basket with seeds from women's gardens from different countries just took her fancy, and also the Int' recepy book. You can understand Mary that since months and months I had been working at this to get them all to send it to me in time. The birthday cake from Mrs Slade with 70 candles was certainly the largest I ever saw. It was real lovely to see how happy dear Mother Catt was. On the 10th we packed up and her Dr came to see her about her cold and he then found she had the shingles" Do you know what that is? It is a sort of inflamation of the nerves and breaks out in red spots. Well the Dr said she could not go to Washington but as you can imagine nothing could stop her from going. So we went with ointment - powder - rags - and medicaments. Then in Washington she got real sick - shingles are very painful. I nursed her as good as possible but we had to have a Doctor right away. THE WASHINGTON EUROPEAN FIREPROOF PENNA AVE OPPOSITE THE TREASURY WASHINGTON, D.C. S. E. BONNEVILLE MANAGING DIRECTOR 5 And really she was under Dr hands all the Conference days. She came down to the meetings as much as possible but oh it was hard work for her and in between I put her to bed even during the lunch hour. It was hard luck. The delegates however did not notice it as of course she made a wonderful speech and was splendid and the leading spirit. Then when it was all over the Dr. ordered her to bed and I was promoted as a strict nurse. Her heart was not at all well and she had some nasty little spels and felt very weak. Of course she hated to be here and longed to get home. However we postponed it daily and finally we put our foot down and a specialist came. Dr. Lee a great heart specialist. He gave her a very thorough examination and said that there is no defect it all. She is only very tired and the strain on the heart muscles has been too much. And he said she had to remain in bed and have a complete rest. She may just get up for half an hour that is all. I am keeping her happy and will pull her throughout this spel as I have pulled her through many a time. She is now improving daily and at last is relaxing and feels herself. She cannot do a thing. You can understand Mary how pleased I am to be here with her and to do all that is in my power for her. The dear Lady herself is so happy to have me as otherwise she ought to have a real nurse and there is nothing she dreads more. As I have nursed so much in my life I feel I could take this great responsibility. The Doctor thinks that if this is better she will be able to do quite a good many things if only she goes slowly. She herself thinks how she will never be strong to work again but this is only a depression now, as you can well understand. Therefor Mary if you write to her just buck her up. She does want to go to Berlin in June to the Congress but now she thinks she cannot. I have an idea she can - and she will just love to be there for the 25th aniversary Congress. So lets hope for the best. Do you know that Alda and I have been teaching her to play bridge? And here she is doing quite some fancy work - besides reading detective stories. - Fancy when I was writing to you to day your letter came telling about the Xmas days in Rome - very interesting and Pandora just loves your letters. Well Mary this is a long letter. Do not worry I beg of you there is no need. Her constitution is strong and she will soon get over it. But I felt you liked to know exactly how things were. Write to me please. I love to be here and think I am the luckiest girl in the world. CCC sends all her love to you - and here is mine Rosa Manus [* M.G.P. to CCC *] Till March 15 Address c/o American Express Co 38 Piazza di Spagna. Rome, Feb. 6. 1929 Dear Pandora:- I wrote you a short letter yesterday immediately after reading one from Clara telling of your illness during and following the Cause and Cure Conference. Her account of your being held in Washington day to day till you could be brought home filled me with dismay. I passed a bad night and this morning felt as tho I had had a long and wasting illness. I am furious to think I ever was persuaded to come over here. We all thought at the time that it was a brilliant way to give me a change and a chance to get my wind after breaking up my house, but I've worried my head off about you. I had just begun to think from the accounts of your speaking hither and yon, that you were getting back into your stride. They said you had engaged passage to go to Holland June 1st, and on the strength of that I decided to stay over till August myself. Then came Clara's letter out of a clear sky! Pandora, you would pity me if you could realize my uncertainty, my helpless desperation. What to do? As I look back on my life, about three fourths of it have been spent fooling around in places where I had no business to be. Here I am in Rome while Rosa Manus went over to be with you and take care of you in America! Isnt that a good one? Well if God will keep you alive till I can break all these confounded engagements and get back to New York, I will count myself happy once more. - Dont think I'm not aware of the irony of all this palaver about my own misery when you have been carrying on a conversation while dangerously ill! I can do the yelling all right!! Its my long suit. Ive thought every hour of the last twenty four of your saying when I last saw you that I might never see you again. I have thought of the steamer letter you wrote me, every word written on my heart. I have remembered those precious and rare hours we had alone together on my last visit in your home. Some of the things you said went too deep for expression. There was a poignancy, a revelation in them that struck me with fear. We speak so only in extremis. It has seemed to me there was a peculiar understanding between us, something independent of personal intercourse. I have felt that I knew how you felt and thought about things. Our background was the same, our race and class instincts, our early environment. I understood your need of land, gardens, animals, space, your nearness to nature under all your battles against social institutions. I thought I could see in you as perhaps the deepest spring of action, pity. When I tried to find the basic reason for your life of struggle, under everything else was that. Much has been said about the quality of your mind, your genius for arousing and directing great forces, your concentration on practical ends, your power to attract personal devotion, your passion for turning everything and everybody to practical account, your unparalleled genius for organization, 2 all those magnificent faculties of will and character and mind that seem to tower behind your record of achievement with Andean grandeur. Everybody has felt the drive of your energy, wondering at its inexhaustibility. But what started you off? Why that urge for justice? You are so far from the sob-sister, so judicial in style, so weighty and deliberate in argument one doesnt easily line you up with the reformers. But probably the same elemental instinct lies behind your life that lay behind Lincoln's. One senses something spiritual feeling around for expression in a material world. It might be said that you took as your motto, "Come unto me all that do nothing and are at ease, and I will make you work your heads off!" Behind that terrific and ceaseless endeavor was a consciousness of human suffering and the impossibility of ignoring it. The only way for you to live was to fill your life so full of work that you could not think of unhappy things. Your idea of hell probably is a place where there is nothing to do but think! I started out to say I somehow felt I understood you altho you rarely said anything about your feelings. There was always a beauty and a sadness pervading you, even when you were calling for the minutes of the last meeting or entreating the delegates to speak to the question and then shut up. It should be a profound satisfaction to look back on a life like yours. Few and far between they are. You have fought a good fight. You will be remembered forever. There is a triumph over oblivion in such a career. I have read the clippings Clara sent about the Conference. Especially am I eager about the program for next year. I do so hope the organizations will strain every nerve to bring pressure to bear on the Senate to ratify the Pan American Treaties. They are the acid-test of our intentions as a world power. It was a dramatic coincidence that the Vote on the Kellogg Pact was taken the day the state delegations called on their senators! I hear old Brosseau and her little group of willful idiots were to appear on behalf of the cruiser bill. It must have been a dreadful Conference for you, Pandora, but it was another telling stroke at shaping public opinion, and certainly Pacifist forces have found their legs and an articulate voice, much as you may have been disgusted with the timidity of the C & C in ruling out your "Fallacy of Self Defense" topic. I sent you a cable on your birthday. They say you didnt get it. It was no great loss, only I want you to know I sent my love and a [?] of thanksgiving for having known you. It is going to be hard till I get Clara's next letter. I am not much on the pray, but such as they are, my prayers are for your restoration to health, not only for my deep need but for the hope and need of the world. After all, you are not old, Pandora, and if you will be good, you have a constitution that will haul you out of the morass. But dont ride the free horse to death! Good night. I hope this finds you better, my dear, dearest great chief! MGP Mary Gray Peck The Washington European Fireproof Penna Ave. Opposite the Treasury Washington, D. C. S.E. Bonneville Managing Director February 9, 1929 Miss Mary Gray Peck, American Express Company, Rome, Italy. My dear Mary: I am dictating this letter to Rachel Brill Ezekiel and she will write it and mail it to you after I am gone, for I am returning home tomorrow morning. This is the why and wherefore. I have been as weak as a cat ever since I can remember. I was getting a little stronger when I took a cold, but nothing out of the ordinary. I only had twenty mustard plasters, and that I call a mild cold. Rosa Manus made them all and plastered them on. By my birthday I was quite respectable and I enjoyed that day very much, but the tell the truth I was very far from well. The next morning the doctor came to look me over for the last time. I told him that I had some spots on my back where I could not see them, but which I thought were little blisters from the mustard plasters. He took a look and ejaculated "shingles". I had heard of this pestiferous disease but what I knew very little about it. Since I have discovered that most of my acquaintances have had it, and I have yet to find any one who has a good word to say for it. It seems it is neuritis, but when an eruption comes along with it it becomes shingles. My doctor said, in a tone of conclusion, "of course, you cannot go to Washington now". He told me that he had been called out of bed in the middle of the night to give morphine to people to still the pain and that this was the kind of thing I might expect. I told him, dead or alive, I was going to Washington and I came. I had a fairly comfortable trip. Of course, the pains kept right on, but they were not so bad as they might have been. I went to bed and had a fairly good night, but I awoke in the morning with a violent pain in my heart which lasted an hour; and I had never had anything like that, so we found a doctor in Washington. He told me that the New York doctor was quite right when he said that I ought not to go to Washington because now that I was here I would not be able to go to the meetings. I told him I should go, and we finally made a compromise, so during the conference I stayed away all that I possibly could. I took my dress off every noon and got into bed and Rosa ordered the luncheon in the room, and I stayed there until it was time to go to the meeting, and I left that meeting as soon as the part that I had anything to do with was over. Most of the delegates complimented me upon my appearance of health Miss Peck -2- Feb'y 9, 1929 and vigor, and few, if any, knew that every day I wondered whether I would be alive by night. However, I got through the Conference and had a Board meeting on Friday of that week, undressed, had my luncheon in bed, and the doctor early in the afternoon. I told him I would now do as he wanted me to, but I must be got ready to go home as soon as possible. We set a week for the time limit. When the last of these days came all our arrangements were made to go home, and I got up and packed a little--it was not much that I did, and in the evening the doctor came to take a farewell look. He then said that it was impossible for me to go home. The trunks had all gone, but I have been here ever since; in all, Rosa and I have been here four weeks, and most of that time I have stayed in bed, and every day I have spent a good deal of it in bed. Yesterday for the first time in four weeks I went out of doors, just to see if I could walk, and we walked about fifteen minutes and did very well; so we have said goodbye to the doctor and are going to start tomorrow morning. However, we are going to stay overnight at the Pennsylvania Hotel, and thus divide the journey, and go to New Rochelle on Monday. I am instructed by this doctor that I must keep up the same kind of behavior for some time to come. Now, what was been the trouble was my heart flaring up. I had a heart specialist who said there was nothing wrong with my heart except that it was tired, and I had the things that belonged with it like high blood pressure and fast pulse and so on. Having issued this bulletin about myself you will understand that you will not get letters for some time to come, but I hope you will continue writing letters to me, for I enjoy them very very much. Clara and I have now a system of exchange. I received your letter yesterday about Rome and your visits to the numerous Catholic churches. Of course, it is a curious sight and when one has nothing else to do it is entertaining and instructive, but what is a great deal more instructive is what has happened now. In 1923 we were troubled some by the Black and White Catholics who would have nothing to do with each other, and learned that the Whites were on the side of Italy and the Blacks on the side of the Vatican. It was a little difficult to understand, but the feeling was quite tense. Now Mussolini has united these by giving the Vatican something of its old temporal power and I read that the Pope said that Providence had sent Mussolini in order to remove this irritation from the Catholic Church. I should say that what has happened is a matter of world wide moment. Concerning Berlin I have nothing definite to report. With such a delicate state of health as has been mine for a year, I cannot definitely arrange to go on a tour of that kind. The doctor says that if I do as I have been doing that I will have some vigor in the spring but I am not sure how far that vigor will take me. Meanwhile, I am published as making a speech there and I wish very much to go because I seem to belong in that celebration and I am very anxious to do my duty by the Alliance. I can never go again and this seems to be the time when I ought to go. Further, the ships are being packed full of Miss Peck -3- Feb'y 9, 1929 people for their summer tours and it is not going to be easy to get a reservation when the time comes. When I go back to New York I will have to think it over and see what can be done. In any event, there will be no itinerary. I shall go there and get away as soon as I can and do no traveling. I am not fit for that. I really think some axquaintance should be with me on the steamer, but I think every one going has provided themselves with a passage. Rosa is going to look after me from my arrival in Rotterdam, and if I am feeling pretty well I do not need anybody on the way. As soon as I have ascertained whether I can arrange for my house to be kept during my absence, for a passage, and for health enough to get there and back, I shall let you know. I am bound to go if I can possibly compass it, but probably I will not be able to do much except to attend necessary functions. I hope you will come. I will give you a chance in Berlin if I get there to tell me all your experiences in Europe up to date. Your letters have been interesting and we are saving them all to put in your file. They seem mainly to have concerned cathedrals. The later experience with opera you can tell to somebody else. Whatever I might do in Europe that would be the one thing I would not do. The headquarters of the Alliance is in the Kaiserhof, and if I get there that is where I will stay. It is there I had one good sickness and a doctor, with Rosa serving as nurse. I certainly had a beautiful birthday and I shall long remember all the wonderful things that happened. I do not know what the people are thinking who sent me presents for never a thank-you have they had. I came down here the day after, and that business got left for my return. The film is not the kind for Berlin, but I am to have a copy all to myself, so perhaps I will show it to you some day. When we were in Rome we saw Ostia but much more has been done in excavation since then. Herculaneum had hardly been begun and I shall be glad to hear what has happened there. I am very glad you like Italian food. I got infection and germs and bugs, which laid me out in Berlin. Now that you are learning Italian I hope you read the daily papers and are able to distinguish what they leave out. I cannot say this is an interesting letter, but it is a bulletin which will give you an account of my affairs. If I were to go into details I would say that all my nighties except one went to New York and it has been a mathematical problem to keep me properly dressed for company. I am sorry you have a month with nothing to do and nobody to play with. I wish I could come and play with you, but it would not be opera nor cathedrals that would occupy us. Very lovingly yours, Carrie Chapman Catt (Dictated by Mrs. Catt) rbe R B Ezekiel is mother of Mordekai Ezekiel, well known economist CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT 120 PAINE AVENUE NEW ROCHELLE NEW YORK Mch 18, 1929 My dear Mary: Ive have several very welcome letters and the last made a nice plea not to to go to Berlin, so I'll tell you the situation. I asked my Washington and my New Rochelle doctors whether I might be likely to be in trim to take such a trip and both have said yes. I have had my doubts. I have engaged a berth for June 1 on the Dutch line and I have a return on June 26th [Volendam] which leaves a few days in Berlin after the Congress is over. I will cancel my reservation about three weeks before sailing if I do not feel up to it. I do not want to go but there is a string of duty pulling. Rosa has gone home. I have improved much since she left. I take little sleeping medicine and all my symtoms are better but plenty are bad. I've had a meeting of the Board of Officers of the NAWSA with a quorum present and to lunch and I thought that pretty smart. Today I drove 45 minutes and spent 20 minutes in the greenhouse with the gardener and have tended a lot of aches. They are the spots where the nails go through the shingles. Maud W Park and two friends are going to a little Nauheim bath near Wiesbaden after the Congress and stay a month. I think I'll go along and stay as long as I have days I cant do anything. I cannot yet walk. If your staff have deserted come along and join us. You and Clara are going to live in an apartment house within walking distance of 120 Paine Ave. As soon as I can walk into the house I am going to see it. Maybe it will be cheaper to stay there. There is a job there. Some queer books have been coming out which throw a new light on woman suffrage and something must CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT 120 PAINE AVENUE NEW ROCHELLE NEW YORK be done. It will not be one thing but several. So when you get here there will be a job for you but I am not sure that you will like it. I hope I may get to Berlin and tell you about it, but if I don't get there I'll keep the job till you come. I do not think I'll last long but I hope I'll get through this summer. I certainly have had a tough year. I'm glad you have had so good a year to give you strength to build up your pep. There are things here just as stimulating as Fascists You will need all your expletives when I put the library before you. Dear Mary I cannot walk write nor remember. I am a wreck. Thank you for your dear letters. Lovingly C. C. C. CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT 120 PAINE AVENUE NEW ROCHELLE NEW YORK April 4, 1929. Miss Mary Grey Peck, The Women's University Club, Paris, France. My dear Mary Grey Peck: I have just received the most astonishing letter that has ever come to my hand. First I read with amusement and joy of your visit to Herculaneum, Ostia and Nemi. I was wondering if you would go to see those galleys. I am glad you did and that you got fooled. I gleaned from the newspapers that that is the fate of all the people who try to see anything in that direction. I was tremendously glad to read your description of the visit to Herculaneum, because, when I was there the excavations had not really begun. They had been getting the top off the town, so that they could begin to work. I was also glad to read the account of Pompeii. I visited it in 1920 and saw what there was to see up to that date, but, of course, much has been done since. Ostia I saw when we were in Rome. They have been working hard on that, but I doubt if you have seen much more than we did. Your letters have been tremendously interesting and Clara and I have been keeping them all, so you can write an account of yourself when you get around to it. Now, this astonishing letter states you are coming home on April 29th. Do not dare to do so. It is on that very date that I am to decide whether or not I am going to Berlin and it will be a lot cheaper for me to send you word than for you to come over here and find out. The doctor, up to date, says I may go. I do not feel very much like it now, but I grow stronger every day and by the 1st of May I may be quite pert. There will then be a month more in which to grow strong enough to prepare for the trip. I have my reservation and Miss Sherwin has agreed to take care of me on the way over, for she is going on the same steamer. Rosa has agreed to see me safely from Rotterdam to Berlin. I have told Rosa that I cannot possibly get any clothes to wear and she tells me that Berlin is just the place to get them, so when she sets me down in Berlin, she will tell me where to go buy clothes if I should need any. Now, my dear Mary Grey Peck, you stay over there until you find out whether or not I am going. I shall know by May 1st and I shall let you know right away, but it would be Page 2 well when you write me a letter to tell me where to direct a reply. If we should get to writing letters hot and furiously, it would be very necessary for me to know where to write you. I have been to see my doctor today and he tells me that I am getting along very well. He thinks my heart is steadied down to pretty nearly good behavior. Lovingly and hastily, Yours, C C C Dear Friends: To all who contributed to my seventieth birthday celebration, Jan. 9, 1929, I present my most cordial greetings. No one ever had quite so unique and precious a birthday as I. Unhappily, I was taken ill the following day and not a word of thanks have I been able to express to any one of my dear friends for messages or presents received; for recipes for good things to eat sent in the form of an international cook book from numerous countries; for the memorial book of letters from many, many friends; for the many packages of dear flower seeds which make me watch for the coming spring with enthusiasm, and for the hemlock tree now growing in my garden, the gift of the International Alliance. I am certain to have an international garden and table for which, dear friends, many thanks, thanks, thanks. Dear friends, one and all, I love you dearly because we worked together for a great Cause to which we gave our common loyalty. Pray overlook my delay in acknowledging your many kindnesses and forgive my tardy expression of gratitude. Very cordially yours, Carrie Chapman Catt May 1, 1929. CARRILAAN 120 PAINE AVENUE NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. Dear Mary: The first thanks should go to the first present - one precious chaise lounge. The League of Nation wrote in U S on Dec 1926 - the US answered Feb 1929 So Mary answers to Sept presents is quite good form. When you are ready to seek a habitation you come here while you are looking around. Let us know when you will arrive and we will fling out the welcome banner. Take your time - no hurry. I don't want you to regret too soon. Better not come till you drive here. When I know the date of arrival I'll find a garage for a night or so. I believe ours holds only one car but we will find one. There is but one restraint upon you - you must not drive me too hard. It will be grand and glorious to have you near by. Summer is coming. I verily believe, but my garden is not very promising yet. Come along and take the first look around - a preliminary survey and we shall know more than we do dnow. Lovingly CCC CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York June 14, 1929 My dear Mary: It will be convenient at any time to put you up. You have been invited to come Saturday and Sunday the 22nd and 23 along with Clara because we shall have company Saturday night. Now the door latch is out before the 22nd and after the 23rd. Just drive up and if I am out, walk in and take possession. I'll announce it to the house. I am planning to spend Monday and Tuesday in the office and perhaps a day toward the end of the week - until we get the stuff together for Rose and also for the Leslie Commission which will meet the 16th of July. It is nicer at home these hot days. We shall be glad to welcome you. Lovingly, Carrie Chapman Catt That signature was a habit Sept 23, 1929 Addresst to me at Tanglewood My dear Dunce: I am never going to give you up for another. I like you best even if you are a dummkopf Lovingly - Come home C C C CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York February 17, 1933. Miss Mary Gray Peck, Beechmont Towers, 30 Eastchester Road, New Rochelle, N. Y. My dear Mary: People who live so near as you do and deliver their Christmas gifts in person are not supposed to get thank- you letters, but I do not think I ever expressed my gratitude for the little blower. It is used every day and it is a pretty ornament and a useful member of the family. No one but you would have thought of it; besides, I think you went over to Rome to get it which was very good of you. We have a fern growing which began its life with us on my seventy-fourth birthday. For that gift, too, I want to thank you most sincerely. Next year, if I should still be here, there will be no birthday celebration. We will not mention it at all. I did think we would have a party on my seventy-fifth birthday, but we had such a time this year, I just could not stand it again. I think we will take a little trip somewhere, so we will not be here if anybody calls. Well, Mary, you are certainly one nice, good neighbor and kind friend. The two nicest things that have happened to me were when you and Alda came to settle down in my neighborhood. I think I would have been dead and buried long ago had it not been for you two girls. Very lovingly yours, Carrie Chapman Catt CCC:HW. CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York January 11, 1934. Dear Mary: Yesterday and today have been the first opportunities I have had for thanking people for Christmas gifts. I have to say that the towels which you sent for the poor and sick of New Rochelle have already gone to them, as I have already told you. The soap kittens are too cute for anything and I shall keep them on my bathroom shelf. If any one dares to use them, I shall reprove them. The little towels are just right for tea parties and on the twenty-first I shall have them all out, ready for use. They are beautiful and very acceptable, but before I thanked you for them, along came a beautiful new pin which I am wearing as I am dictating. That was a real wicked waste of good money, but as you say you are not going to save it any more, perhaps you might as well throw it at me as at anyone else. Yet, dear Mary, you must keep enough, so that you will not need to go into an old ladies' home. I approve of those places for people who must go to them, but I think it must be best to keep out of them. I do not know what I can ever do for you to make up for this birthday gift. Thank you very, very much. Very lovingly, Carrie Chapman Catt Miss Mary G. Peck 30 Eastchester Road, New Rochelle, N. Y. Carrie Chapman Catt 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York June 19, 1934. Dear Mary: It was very nice to receive your letter. I am now handing it over to Alda to read. I note that you are going to get in on Saturday and you may come to dinner Saturday night if your sister goes to her home immediately, but, if not, come Sunday. We have a better dinner Sunday than Saturday, but if we knew you were coming on Saturday, it might be a swell one. We would have to know in time to do the marketing. Excuse haste. Henrietta is here for two days and I am trying to clear out a few baskets. Our painting is finished and the men have gone home, but they have left some distress behind in the way of disorder. Lovingly, Carrie C Catt Miss Mary Gray Peck, 98 North Elm Street, Northampton, Mass. Carrie Chapman Catt 120 Paine Avenue New Rochelle New York July 30,1934. Dear Mary: This is the letter from Mr. Latham. I have replied to it and the answer is enclosed. You may now answer your part of it. I have written Mrs. Brown and quoted the paragraph concerning her book. I will ask you to return this letter to me when you have finished it. Lovingly, Carrie C. Catt Miss Mary Gray Peck, 30 Eastchester Road, New Rochelle, N.Y. Excerpt from letter H.S. Latham, Vice-President Macmillan Co., to Mrs. Catt re Catt biography dated July 25, 1934 Mr dear Mrs. Catt; - I have recently had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Brown of our Educational Dept. with regard to the several books which you and your association are contemplating publishing. These various suggestions are all of them interesting, but there are two or three in the list which seem to us to promise books of outstanding importance, value and interest. The first of this number is your own biography, which is, we understand, being written by Mary Gray Peck. We can visualize this as a large national success; we might almost say international, for we are quite convinced there will be considerable demand for it abroad. With our organization we are specially well equipped to handle a book of the wide appeal which we are sure this will have. We have as you probably know, branches at strategic points throughout this country - Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston - from which the surrounding territory is thoroughly worked by our salesmen. We have also our houses in Canada and Australia; our own representatives in the Orient, in the Philippines; and of course Macmillan and Company of England is one of the oldest and best known. I dont know the status of the biography at present - whether it is written or being written or just how it does stand, but we are wondering whether there is any manuscript that we could see, that we might estimate its possibilities. The idea interests us enormously and we hope you will give us the privilege of considering it very carefully. Perhaps this portion of the this letter should be sent to Miss Peck. We do not know of course what arrangements there may be between you and Miss Peck with regard to publication. If the statement of our interest regarding your biography should go to Miss Peck, will you kindly tell her how tremendously interested we are and ask her if it is not possible for us to see the manuscript at once, provided it is in form now to be read. Yours very truly, H.S. Latham Excerpt from Mrs. Catt's reply to the above dated July 31, 1934 My dear Mr. Latham;- I am in receipt of your friendly letter of July 25th. In reply let me say that the biography upon which Miss Mary Gray Peck has been at work for some years is nearing completion, she tells me. She has written it very fully, however, and knows that she must now reduce it. I have never heard it. When I read your letter to her, she said she could turn aside from her regular work and prepare copy to be presented to you. I advised her that there was no particular hurry about it, and that I did not think she should do this. I know the value of the Macmillan Company, and it would be a great honor to have that company print this biography. It is in the hands of Miss Peck and she has the complete responsibility for its publication. It is her book. She will not overlook Macmillan & Company, because Mrs. Franklin Brown was a classmate of hers in college and they are on intimate terms. It may be that she does not intend to print it until I have passed on. Mrs. Raymond Brown's book is ready for the printer. She read it to me before the final editing upon it was done. I think it is a very useful and somewhat brilliant book. I am not so sure that any book of this nature would do very well now; however I have no authority for the book and I will tell her that you would like to see the manuscript. (Remainder of letter takes up publication "Why Wars Must Cease") "Very Truly yours, "Carrie Chapman Catt" CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT - 120 PAINE AVENUE - NEW ROCHELLE - N. Y. Tuesday a.m. [*Oct. 2, 1934*] My dear Mary: I am not certain that you will receive this before you start for home. Last week was a bummer. Henrietta was here Monday [*9/24/34*] and I worked like a house afire. Tuesday [*9/25/34*] I went to the Book Committee. It went off splendidly but I got home late and tired. Wednesday [*9/26/34*] Henrietta came again and I worked like two houses afire. Thursday [*9/27/34*] I went to a Committee meeting at the office took luncheon at the Republican Club with Elizabeth and I had never been there before. Next we went to the Aslina for the meeting. [*Tribune annual Women's Institute, C & Mrs. Roosevelt speakers*] They said there were 3000 persons present. I think they lied. I made the last speech [*(on Peace)*] and Elizabeth brought us home in the rain and we did not get home till after seven. Friday Saturday and Sunday I worked at clippings and baskets like a whole street afire. Monday [*10/1/34*] [?] came and I am tired. This afternoon we are going to Armonk. Tomorrow to town. In between we arranged to have the Library stuffed to keep it warmer and men are at it now. Also, I have tomato pickles about finished. That is about all that has happened around here. Do let us know when to expect you. Alda is sorry that you will not be here on Thursday. On Friday we are going to the Danbury Fair Well I hope you will get all the consent fixed up to your and their satisfaction, but I hope more that you will return in better spirits and with Black Depression behind you. I do not notice any rest that you are getting. Tell Mrs. Lewis that when she comes down we expect her to pay us a visit or at least to take lunch or dinner with us. Yes I'd like a few butternuts - they are hard to crack. I am glad indeed to know that you are bringing me a new kind of apple. Don't forget my order of a bushel, but I don't want Wolf River. Those we had were not that kind and I hear now that they are horrid. Bring a peck with you if you can. Butternuts and apples are not a present but an order to be paid with cash. Blessings on you and welcome home. Lovingly C C. C. December 29, 1934 Dear Miss Peck: You are invited to tea - at 3:30 sharp - at the Cosmopolitan Club, 122 East 66th Street, on Thursday, January 10th, 1935. The object of this gathering is to discuss what is the real cause and what the real cure of war. Come with your best thought out answers to these questions. We beg you to be prepared to remain until six o'clock if necessary. An early reply is requested. Sincerely yours, Carrie Chapman Catt CCC Dec 31, 1934 My dear Mary: My blue rubber bath tub grip is on my tub. I doubt if it would save many lives but it looks nice. My elephant of bath salts is a gem and whether the salts are good, or bad the elephant is O.K. The mat your cousin sent you and you passed on to me is doing duty and is an ornament as well. Please apologize to her for having given away her gift but tell her I am glad you did for I like it very much. Concerning Lloyd George: I think I've had Vol 1 for a year and a half and when I discovered that they were being issued at $4 per mth no announcement as to the number to be issued - I lost interest and couldn't afford them. I loaned my volume to Miss Schain. Maybe it was not Vol 1. At any rate I'll get that CCC straight soon. I think I should be tremendously thankful for the receipt of a gift that I could not afford to buy for myself and I guess I will be when I can get into it. I am one of those who admire Lloyd George altho he may have been a sort of scamp Very many many thanks dearest of Mary's for all those wonderful things C. C. C. On or before January 25th you will receive an immortal book Why Wars Must Cease It is a delayed Christmas gift from Carrie C Catt SEASON'S GREETINGS This kerchief was made by Grecian women descendants of Mr and Mrs. Plato and was sold to me by the Near East Relief. C C C CCC Dear Mary You will receive a book entitled Why Wars Must Cease by and bye but it is a Christmas present. You will also receive a clock for your car and that is a Christmas present too. I am sorry I cannot pack them both into this box. Lovingly Carrie C. Catt Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.