The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-05


UiILdge Of BiIthOven, living simply
and tCorking hard, IN the foLI6sC-
ing article Mrs. BOeke sets forth
the reds0Sss for her dectsiOas for her
GbdicotiOn from q Privileged
position.
BY MRS. BEATRICE c. B0skE.
written Tor international News sCrvfee.J
Copyright, 1898. by International
News SeFvtce1
BIIJTHOVEN. Holland, Jan. 81.
The great war and its appalling
consequences have led me TO be.
ieve that jtfst the private holding
Of capital, such as have done,
Hes at the root Of nearly all social
and economic trouble in the world
today.
/ do not regard this from q
purely personal point Of view, but
believe with ali my heart that n
others who owned capital would
voluntarily abdicate their prtvtls
eyed positions IT would certainly be
b great step n the direction Of sow
| ing social and economic difficulties.
Renowned FRONTS.
/, first proposed to those CO.
operating in the works OF Cadbufy
Brothers that should renouhce
my share in the profits in April,
1921. We have been III c0rre-
spondence on the matter for some
time. Announcement Of my deci-
sion became public q few days at
ter the death Of my uncle. Mr.
George Cadbury.
feel it to be . duty voiun.
tari1y to surrender the privilege ]
have enjoyed for such a long time.
believe that such action, If gem
orally adopted, would bring real
peace and happiness to suffering
humanity.
1t is often said-a11d by many
taken for granted that the wealth
produced by d group Of workers
il the rightful property Of those
who have produced It. Whereas
an arrangement based on this as.
sumption would certainly Seem
more just than the present system,
by which the surplus wealth be.
comes the property OF the share
holders, ! yet believe that the
solution can not be stated In this
simple way.
Let Workers Decide.
It would be better to say that
all the workers collectively should
decide how the wealth produced
should be used for the good Of
the community.
In an ideal state OF affairs II
would really have to be the entire
community-in fact, the whole of
mankind, including all the workers
and also those who gladly wOuld
but cannot work-who should man
age the worlds surplus.
But naturally it will never be
practical for the whole OF mankind
1t will have to fall on group
Stewardship of wealth. These
groups must not be self-app0inted
must represent all classes of men
and women, must be guided by q
consideration Of love and brother
Illness,
So long as this ideal can not be
trealized we must be content when
we are able to take one step for.
ward, and therefore l have decided
to hand over the ownership OF my
shares, in trust. to the workers OF
Caldbury Brothers collectively.
All of us who believe that the
capitalistic order of society, like
all other evils, is by it's develop
ment preparing it's own destruc-
ton and that a new economic
order is waiting to break through
will probably agree that transi-
ton period Is inevitable.
This transition period is OF great
and immediate importance. Mental
and spiritual work must go hand
In hand with the necessary mater
ial preparations, for selflshness
may well take fresh and deeper
root during this period unless 1t
Is replaced by the spirit OF BROTH
efly love, upon which alone the
new order can be built.
NV husband and myself have
established here in Holland the
"Getneenschaps-Led the aim OIL
which is to lead the community.
The "Gemeenschaps Leidig" Tlatur-
ally never uses force or violence;
1t only advises or encourages the
voluntary following UP OF conclu-
sioi1s reached.
Follow CIlrist's Law.
The "Gemeenschaps-Leidig" rec
ugnizes only one law-Chr1st's law
of love. In contrast to the state
and every other organization
WHICH, more OF leSS' IAeFAN -. NOO -
force and violence, the "Gemeen'
schaps-Leidig" does not have as
it's ground Of unity the central or.
ganization, with branches which are
governed from the center, but the
local group. which, like living |
cell, can in it's growth divide up
into new cells as well as unite with
other. cells to a more complete or
ganism, in order to make possible
such functions as concern all the
cells together.
The "Gemeenschaps-Leidig" be.
lieves that the ground and other |
means of production ought to be |
the possession of the community |
In the widest sense.
The practical consequences Of our
withdrawal from the state we can |
not fully see. We trust that |
Christ, Who up till now has led us
step by step by His Spirit, viii |