Agnes Huff became the editor and publisher of the Morganville Tribune after her husband died. She liked to describe the four-page newspaper as the "live little paper in the live little town." Like most small-town papers, it was a weekly and came out every Thursday. The August 19, 1948 edition provided more details about the upcoming event.

One World Street Fete

A One World Street Fete will be held in Morganville, Friday evening August 27. The work of presenting this is upper most in the minds of about 150 people in Morganville and surrounding territory.

There will be many other attractions which will be of interest which will be a happy surprise to you. Main Street will be roped off for the evening. A group from the state U.N.E.S.C.O. at Manhattan [Kansas] will attend the evening's activities and take pictures.

After the pageant, there will be an old-time dance with Orb Pierson's orchestra to furnish the music. This evening's entertainment is sponsored by the U.N.E.S.C.O. committee.

Come out and meet your friends here. You may see many of them in costume in the pageant.

Carson once said of the play script, "It was only meant to be read to music once ... between friends."

Probably as a consequence of that approach and the very short time to assemble all of the pieces of the show, it appears the details of what was to happen on stage were never documented. What is known has been pieced together from the narrator's script, newspaper accounts and the recollections of people who were youngsters when it was presented. Even the name of the play is uncertain. It has sometimes been referred to as the "One World" program, but Carson's script is titled "Message to Feves."

Carson kept a brown notebook, but it lends little insight as it appears to be a list of "to-do" items. The following is an extraction from that notebook:

Extracts from Carson's "to do" notebook. She would later say in regard to the horse, "The chief center of attraction was an ex-cavalry horse that the children had ridden and that was about to take his last trip. We put streamers on him and the old Victorian plumes that mother wore on her hat and gave him the only French name we could think of, Charlemagne, and led him around and round the square taking small children for their first horseback ride. Charlemagne, as if he knew the importance of our international gesture, pranced as Frenchily as he could. At ten cents a ride, his contribution was eight dollars."

On August 20, Todd sent a letter to Carson answering her concern over the possibility that their adopted village might attempt to take advantage of them. It also brought some exciting news.

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

August 20, 1948

Mrs. Velma Carson
Morganville, Kansas

Dear Mrs. Carson:

The people of Feves will be notified so that they can hear exactly what happened in Morganville. Mr. Sonkin and I raided the French Railway offices and the French Tourist Bureau here in New York yesterday and he is bearing a number of beautiful French posters, maps, booklets, etc. which should lend color to your show. He is very much up on France, speaks French very well and served in the area around Metz during the war, so if you wish to use him for any talks, he will be at your service.

Incidentally, I sent a note on Morganville to a friend over at LIFE magazine the other day and if it is not too late for their assignments, you may have a LIFE photographer dropping in.

We are very much excited about what you are doing for many reasons, mainly, I think, because of your own wonderful letters. I believe Morganville can claim the distinction of being the smallest community in America to do an adoption program. As you doubtless realize, it is just the kind of thing that appeals to the American public and also to our Government officials whose efforts toward peace are so rarely attended by so much warmth and enthusiasm.

Regarding your little town of Feves: I am afraid you are going to have to be patient for a little while regarding complete information about it. It is a tiny place and does not even appear on most maps. Also, it is in an area that is rather difficult to reach. Once the thing gets rolling, however, I am sure there will be no end of excitement for all of you.

Your question, or the question in the minds of some of your friends, is a very good one. All I can tell you is that we have never yet had any unhappy experience - wherein we felt the French people were using us solely for their own gain. Once they understand the simple objectives of these programs, they enter into them whole-heartedly. Sometimes, of course, the gifts take a long while to arrive and one is apt to find the recipients a little cautious with their enthusiasm until something concrete has happened.

These people have lived through periods of hopelessness and sheer terror which few Americans can ever appreciate and they are sometimes apt to hope for too much. Your first contact with them, therefore, should be very restrained. Tell them all about your own town and emphasize the fact that your own people have problems too. You will have documentary evidence of the success of your program as soon as you begin to hear from individuals in Feves and receive the inevitable pictures of your gifts being handed out and used.

All of us here in the office wish we could join Mr. Sonkin in Morganville and we are awaiting his account of what happens with great enthusiasm. Good luck to all of you and please telegraph, telephone or write if we can be of any further help.

Very sincerely,

Charles L. Todd
Executive Secretary