Letter from Mrs. E. E. Kinyon to President Harry S. Truman

P.P.F. 1111 Clary Street, Beloit, Wi sconsin November 30, 1945 President Harry S. Truman, Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. President: This is a person to person message and I hope that the President will read it. It is really called forth by the recent action of the Texas Baptists, but that is only a match which has set fire to a smoldering within me so to speak. I do admire the Baptists in convention for the stand they took. I recognize that this is rather bold of me to expect the President to take time to read what I have to say, but it is about a problem that is having a large part in the gradual decline of our nation. Even if I am only a housewife I hold a college de- gree and believe that I have fair intelligence. I am a citizen of these United States and I take my citizenship seriously. I am a member of the Methodist Church and I take my membership re- TRUMAN "NATIONAL ligiously. As I see the situation in these days the destruction of civil- ization can be avoided only by Christian citizens exerting them- selves to uphold the principles which they hold to be true. There are denominations which do tolerate alcoholic drinking I know - that is entirely wrong in my opinion. There is nothing to justify the habit economically, scientifically, psychologically or spirit- ually as far as I can see. We need but to pick up any newspaper any day to get some idea of the havoc being wrought in our nation by drink. "How are we going to save the world if we cannot save ourselves?" Drinking is not the only evil in our land to-day, but it is one of the great evils and has so many others allied with it. Reform is needed, yes more than that it is imperative for our welfare. I do not mean legislative reform. Human beings cannot be kept under control entirely by laws; much less can they be made to see and recognize the error of their ways by legislation. A living example is what makes a deep impression not only upon children, but adults as well. There are many things that you have said and done since you have been at the head of this government of ours, Mr. President, that I do admire you for. And I take it that you do not know what it is to drink to excess. But that is not going far enough in my opinion. I just wonder how much of a difference it would make through out our land if the family in the White House could be known as avowedly opposed to alcoholic drinking.