WCP3035

[1]

c/o Dr. Underhill

Derwent Lodge, Thurlow Road,

Hampstead, N.W.

London

April 6th

Dear Doctor Wallace,

Mr. Stead¹ is preparing a little booklet summarising the Elberfeld system,² 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 letter to Mr. Stead that you read with appreciation "A colony of Mercy"³ — 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[?]⁴has been taken in hand? The[?] Pastor,⁵ 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, Bodelschwingh 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] my hopes for this country he would give me a sigh: "these poor English folk have too much money!" The blight on General Booth's⁶ scheme form 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 Sutter [signature][3]

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 did not make[7] a cheap edition.

Perhaps I might also just tell you that 'Lingfield Colony'⁷ is an outcome of the former book; it is a sort of Baby Bethel⁸ — and I can but hope it will grow!