Telephone Murray Hill 6-4986
OPERATION DEMOCRACY, INC.
369 Lexington Avenue New York 17, N. y.

July 26, 1948

Mrs. Velma Carson
Morganville, Kansas

Dear Mrs. Carson:

Your letter, with its talk of ice cream socials, etc., made all of us here in the New York office a little homesick. Actually, it is letters like yours that make this whole business of town affiliation seem so worth while.

Briefly, now that you have decided on Feves (pronounced FEV), the next steps are these:

We will cable France immediately for complete information about the village, including the names of many of its citizens. This will probably be sent back airmail, so you should have it in about ten days. At present, the information in my last letter to you is just about all we have on Feves at the moment.

As soon as our friends in Paris ( Entr' Aide Francaise - the official French relief agency) receive our cable, they will send someone to Feves, talk to the Mayor and organize a little committee to carry on the affiliation from that side. It will probably consist of the Mayor, a priest, a clergyman, a school teacher, etc. As soon as we have the names of the Mayor and the committee we will forward them to you. At that point, it would be a good idea for you to write the Mayor, telling him about your town, and explaining in simple terms why you want to help. All correspondence will be translated over there). In writing the first letter, it is always wise to make no promises of large material aid, and to emphasize your desire to know their people, and establish a permanent bond of friendship. We usually point out that "we cannot, in any way, help them to rebuild their cities - that is the task of the Marshall plan. But we can help them with little ordinary things of everyday life, etc."

Every town carries on its program in its own way, but the main thing is to get everybody in your town involved. I presume the main needs in Feves will be work clothes, shoes, medical supplies, food, school supplies, etc. Hard candy is always appreciated by the children. Also the French children like to make scrap books and to exchange them.

In the method of shipping, you will work with American Aid to France here in New York. They will give you free shipping privileges direct to Forbach, which is their center nearest to Feves. From there, your gifts will go to Feves by truck and be delivered to your committee. If I know French towns, they will stage a celebration in honor of their �sister town� in America.

Your only need for money will be for shipment to New York to the offices of American Aide to France, unless you can find a big hearted truck driver. As for packing for overseas shipment, American Aid to France will also send you full instructions on that.

Incidentally, you might want to send off a little token shipment immediately, of candy or seeds just to get things started.

I have just had a talk with a gentleman from Lorraine who informs me in no uncertain terms that Alsace Lorraine must never be used with a hyphen, but always referred to as two separate sections. Feves is in Lorraine. The main difference apparently is that the girls in Lorraine wear white bonnets whereas in Alsace they wear black ribbons. The French are very sensitive about these subtle differences.

I am sending over to the French Tourist Agency for some booklets on Lorraine. Also, something about the local customs and will forward these to you immediately. By the way, on �Dunkirk-to-Dunkerque Day,� a great many things were done which might interest you. For example: hotels printed their menus in French and served French dishes, the waitresses all wore peasant costumes, the streets in Dunkirk were re-named after streets in Dunkerque, France. The Hotel Francis became the Hotel Francois. You will find all this described in the stories I sent you.

Please be patient until you get the full documentation from France. It is a great mistake to inform the French town too quickly before you have made thorough plans for they are apt to get very excited and over-expectant. We will get everything to you as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the Board of Directors of OPERATION DEMOCRACY, INC. joins me in our warmest congratulations and best wishes for your success. From the spirit evident in your letter, I do not see how you can fail to do a fine job.

Very sincerely,

(signed) Lafe

Charles L. Todd
Executive Secretary

P.S. If you have any photographs taken of the initial ceremonies, I am sure the people of Feves would be delighted to see then. We would also like to have copies to give to the French Press in New York.

Would you mind returning the Angelus picture when you have finished with it.