"Dear Red ..."

Bellow Friend: I read in the N.Y. paper that some of you russians want some of we Americans to write to you over there. I would like to write to some one there as a good will gesture toward a brave race of people. . . .

I am a small fellow 5 ft j inches, weigh 126 lbs. wear size 14% shirt, if you wear the same size I would be glad to send you a few of mine if you care to have them like wise some ties etc. let me know and i will send them to you. . . .

I hope that this reaches you and that you will drop me a line soon and let me know about yourself.

Sincerely An American Friend Geo MacLellan

Since Russian War Relief, Inc. began a small campaign six weeks ago to have Americans strike up a correspondence with Russians, it has been flooded with letters like the one from George MacLellan, hat checker in a Manhattan Y.M.C.A. Not all writers offered the shirts off their backs. But in the terrific quantity (1,200,000 letters to date), there came forth an impromptu outpouring of unsuspected American good will for the Russians.

The plan is to send the American letters to Russians with similar interests -- a gro cer's letter to a grocer, a mechanic's to his Soviet counterpart, and so on. Brief mention of the campaign in the Farm Journal & Farmer's Wife brought thousands of cheerful notes from U.S. farmers' wives, letters full of feeling for the good earth, and of high regard for Russian peasants.

Actress Katherine Cornell wrote to Soviet People's Artist Alia Tarasova. Industrial Bridgeport, Conn, sent greetings to the citizens of industrial Gorki.

Few letters came from cranks; almost none were of the "You dirty Bolshevik" variety. Candid and unselfconscious, the best of the missives are good, not only for what they show of U.S. feelings toward Russia, but for their revelation of every day U.S. life. Excerpts:

P:Wrote Mrs. Luther Osborn, of Route 4, Rushville, Ind., to an unknown Russian woman : "Through the window the grass looks so green. . . . Indiana has had much rain in the past few weeks, but truly, I am thankful for it. ... It does look as though we would have a bumper strawberry crop. Our berries are the Premiers, fine for shortcakes, canning and preserves.

"We like it here. We have a cow which is part Brown Swiss, a sow soon to farrow, and chickens. Every year we can between 400 and 500 quarts of foodstuff -- if we have several extra chickens we 'pop' them into cans. Perhaps you have heard of Wendell Willkie. He is a friendly man. Some time ago the Salvation Army captain asked my husband to collect some salvage at the home of Mrs. Wilk, mother-in-law of Willkie. That evening my husband rang the doorbell. Mr. Willkie answered it. He is very friendly. He was visiting there.

"Tonight for supper we are having hamburgers, mashed potatoes, gravy, cottage cheese, macaroni salad and fruit. . . . The thought now struck me, suppose you were sitting across the room from me. Somehow, dear lady, although we are strangers and one chance in a billion of ever meeting, yet this moment you are my neighbor."

P:Wrote Russel G. Idle of Collinsville, Ill.: "I live with my family in the central part of the U.S.A. near the east shore of the great river, the Mississippi. ... I am healthy, hardened, lean and tough (I hope). I work on live electric wires from no volts to 66 kilovolts. . . . Most of us laboring people have confidence in you. We think you are a fair and helping ally, or what we call 'square shooters.' We feel you are nearest like us, than any other people. . . ."

P: E. G. Sabata, owner of a general store in Dwight, Neb. (pop. 294) thought the recipient of his letter might like to know the price of eggs and such things. Meticulously he set them down: "Coffee, 29-c- a Ib.; sugar, 8-c- a Ib.; beans, 9-c- a Ib.; eggs, 32-c- a dozen; corn meal, 5 Ib. for 17-c-; overalls, $1.75 a pr." Added Storekeeper Sabata: "My family consists of four girls, ages 21, 19, 16 and one year. I wouldn't do my government much good for soldiers, having all girls, but I did my part in 1918. I was in France for a year fighting those Germans but I guess we didn't stay long enough. . . . Give the Germans hell. . . ."

P:Miss Eleanor Catherine Judd of Kew Gardens, N.Y. wrote that she was of German descent, but "to show my contempt for the present German regime" she is teaching English to German refugees. She added: "My only other contribution to victory lies in the fact that I have been allowed to give 14 blood donations to the plasma bank, and am about to give my 15th. I am in splendid health, and only wish the Red' Cross would permit me to donate more often. It just so happens that I am blind, though I do not let it bother or hinder me. ..."

P:Miss Caroline Cook, an art teacher in a Brooklyn high school, recalled the recent rally in Manhattan for Mme. Chiang Kaishek. "I wish we in America had more of the virtues she possesses, in some of our high officials. You see, we realize that America is not perfect. When I get discouraged at the errors made in high places, I remind myself that 95% of ordinary folks everywhere are kindly, honest, helpful to other human beings. Do you feel that way about it, too?"

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