WCP3035

[1]¹

c/o Dr. Underhill²

Derwent Lodge, Thurlow Road,

Hampstead, N.W.

London

April 6^th [1901]³

Dear Doctor Wallace,

Mr. Stead⁴ is preparing a little booklet summarising the Elberfeld system, which we are going to send to all Town Councillors.

As you are so kindly interested in my effort I venture to ask, Could you write something for one or other of the leading papers to help us? Even a short article with your name would command attention! For the cause's sake forgive me for adding even [2] a straw to the day's work of one who has fairly earned his day's rest! If you feel it irksome of course not do it!

I was pleased to see from your last letter⁵ to Mr. Stead that you read with appreciation "A colony of Mercy"⁶ — though I think you had not then got to the "social" part of it. If you care to keep this copy, excusing the mutilated frontispiece, will you kindly accept it? The new issue will be ready next week, but the print (being a shilling edition) though quite good for younger eyes, [3] is not what might be grateful to yours. — Isn't it wonderful how "Darkest Germany Tramping” has been taken in hand? That Pastor, though he has reached his three score and ten has lately started a further scheme: the reclaiming of those vast north German moors by "our home" settlers of the better sort — i.e. those who have stood the test of the Labour Colonies. It is a scheme of great economic value and certainly a fine "charity"!

Think of all the waste land in this country, and the [4] waste lives in our cities! If one could but bring them together!

If we could start the Elberfeld system here as a civic enterprise, one might hope by and bye to launch out with the larger question, reversing the present trend to cities to a trend back to the land.

True, Bodelschwingh⁷ is a man of centuries; but ^if a true sense of the need could be found here the man to meet it presently might be found.

How often when I talked with Bodelschwingh concerning my hopes [5] II my hopes for this country he would give a sigh: "These poor English folk have too much money!" The blight on General Booth's⁸ scheme from the outset was that he began with collecting a hundred thousand pounds!

The millions spent in this Country — and yet the poor never seem any the better!!

You will forgive my sending you this letter, I am so [6] thankful for your sympathy I shall be glad to hear when you have finished reading "A Colony of Mercy". Do keep the copy, if the book interests you.

Yours very sincerely | Julie Sutter⁹ [signature]

If you write anything about the new book, you might perhaps just mention that there is a good shilling edition of 'A Colony' by same publisher as the new book! The former publisher w^d. not make [7] a cheap edition.

Perhaps I might also just tell you that 'Lingfield Colony' is an outcome of the former book; it is a sort of Baby Bethel — and I can but hope it will grow!