Letter from Dorothy Busiek to President Harry S. Truman

219 Savin Hill Ave. Dorchester 25, Mass. October 25, 1945 The Hon. Harry Truman 200 President of the United States Washington, D. C. Dear President Truman: My husband, my daughter Dorothy, my son Robert, Mr. Henry W. Pinkham who makes his home with us, and I myself, all wish to protest against your demand for military training, and against your attempts to regiment the American people and again lead them into war or bring war upon them. Contrary to our tideal of open covenants openly arrived at, your method is that of secret conferences. When the abolishment of conscription by international agree- ment was proposed, you opposed this eminently sane road to peace. What secret commitments stood in the way of this proposal? What a commentary on a war that, according to the bill of sale, pur- ported to be for the destruction of militarism! To use thousands of human beings as guinea pigs in a "death experiment" - is this our American ideal? (And I believe you are supposed to have some reverence for the Commandments; what a mockery indeed!) Your administration is not acting on the principle of self- government: it is proceeding on the fascist principle of keeping the people uninformed. You have told us that we must hold other peoples responsible for what their governments do and did; you have told us that their overtrustfulness could not excuse them. Then the American people must be responsible for what their government does; if they are not informed, they must demand to be informed. I am therefore asking you, Mr. President, for an accounting to the people, full and immediate, for our time is running out fast. Americans are easy-going and slow to act; but I believe they are awakening now, as awaken they must! Yours very truly, Mrs. K.G. BUSIEK