The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-04-25
Good viii Day and Its History As
Reviewed by Contributor to This
CnI,,mn
Column.
o the Editor of The Republican.

NOIuI1ln.
To the Editor of The Republican.
Newspapers and speakers, schools
and Sunday schools and clubs and
people generally are talking more
about Goodwin Day in this year
1929 than ever before. What to do on
Goodwin Day and what does Good
Will Day mean are chief topics. But
one is interested too in knowing how
the observance of Goodwin Day
started.
The day is usually thought of as
something of very recent date, GER
after the World War Yet is goes
back about thirty years. Thirty-one
years ago the Gar of Russia sent an
invitation to all nations to meet in a
great peace conference at the Hague
and there consider "How ornaments
could be reduced and international
disputes settled peacefully"
The Conference opened on May 49,,
1899, and woman most enthusiast
tic about the meetings, Frau Selenka,
of Munich, proposed that on this day
of May 18th there should be held
everywhere, all over the world, and
by all nations, a demonstration for
peace.
In the United States, the American
Peace Society forwarded such move
ment in 1901. Lucia Ames Meade,
member Of the Society, and Boston
woman, persuaded the Massachusetts
State Board of Education to send out
in 1905 the first letter urging observ-
ance of the day in all schools. Ohio
New York and Kansas followed the
movement in 1906, the U. S. Commits
sion of Education recommended it. In
1923, "the teachers of all nations who
wished to do everything in their pow
er to free the world from war and to
protect children against its waste and
destruction, met in a World Confer
ence on Education at San Francisco"
and again took up the subject. And
from that time interest has grown
until it has come down to 1929 when
papers and people and Clubs are all
talking about the day /and planning
for its observance.
One of the most Interesting things
which has grown out of Good-Will
Day is the broadcasting of friendship
messages by the children of the world
and this started in 1922, the year be-
fore the 1928 meeting. The children
of Wales then cast the first OF such
messages. "Will you," says part of
this message, millions of you, join
in our prayer that God will bless the
efforts of the good men and women Of
every race and people who are doing
their best to settle the old quarrels
without fighting? Then there will be
no need for any of us, as we grow
older, to show our pride for the coun-
try in which we were born by going
out to hate and to kill one another"
The first year there was no answer
to this call, the second one or two i'm
portant people here and there re-
sponded. Now all over the world,
from nation to nation, the children
call to one another for peace. Here
is a part of what the children of Jap
an said in 1928:
eve, the children of the land of
cherry blossoms, wish to join on this
International Good Will Day, the chill
dren of Wales who sent US message
last year, and to join the children of
other lands in the cheer and prayer
for a more peaceful world. We too
would rather settle old quarrels with
out fighting. We even hope to think
and talk without quarreling. We pre-
fer to build more schools and less bat
tleships by getting rid of hate and
prejudice"
This year the air will be filled with
voices of children from all quarters
of the world calling for peace and
friendship on Goodwill Day.
L. M. T.
Baltimore, Nd, April %, 1929.