Lillian Wald, Social Worker Marks Birthday in Tranquility

Surrounded by gifts freighted with remembrance from friends and co-workers, Lillian D. Wald, who for the past year and a half has been convalescing at her home, House-on-the-Pond, at Westport, Conn., spends busy days in touch with activities in New York, Albany and Washington. Constant long-distance calls come for advice and information from the one person who, after forty-one years of social service, is best fitted to advise on social questions.

No. She is not in retirement. Tall, stately, yet unassuming in her manner she is up again after a long illness and is much concerned with Henry Street problems, which are brought to her daily, and with the progress of the child labor amendment and the tenement housing program.

“I am busier than ever,” she says, telling of the size of her correspondence and the number of telephone calls she receives.

67TH BIRTHDAY

She celebrated her sixty-seventh birthday Saturday at home with a few friends. It was also the occasion of the publication of her second book, “Windows on Henry Street.” This book and its predecessor, “The House on Henry Street, 1915,” tell the story of a life given to unselfish social service to the poor, the sick, and the exploited. She has always worked on the principle that, “hospitality evolves out of respect for people and for their importance as human beings.” She is the friend of the rich and the poor–of the white and the colored. “Cultured people don’t have prejudices,” she says.

Westport was snow-covered and few people were about. Ramsay MacDonald greets one on the driveway to the House-on-the-Pond. He is a black Scottie, friendly–and extremely enthusiastic about visitors. His godfather, Miss Wald explained, is the British Prime Minister.

CLEAR OF PREJUDICE

It was in 1893 that Lillian Wald founded the Henry Street Settlement. For forty-one years she managed the institution which grew to be one of international significance and importance. The windows of Henry Street were kept clear, she says, of prejudice, of bigotry and narrowness of purpose. And from those windows she has watched the world accept some of the ideas, which, when she first presented them, were barred as extremely radical.

Years ago, Miss Wald met much antagonism and resistance to her ideas. Today–they are becoming realities. The Child Labor Law Amendment, which was still called radical when she fought for it only two years ago, has now been adopted by twenty-two states.

“Two years ago the amendment was considered so radical that when the father of one of our residents from Boston heard about it, he called long distance to say that he hoped his daughter was not going ‘red’,” Miss Wald smilingly declared.

IGNORANT COLLEGE HEADS

With feeling she discussed the two university presidents who “because of ignorance” were disapproving of the amendment. “I consider it not only a tragedy but a travesty to have opposition from two university presidents.” Her face, framed by her grey hair, was stern and her eyes bright, as she spoke.

We were comfortably settled in the living room in the rambling old house. On a wall of the room hangs a tapestry given to her by an anti-Fascist society. On the shelves is pottery from the Henry Street Settlement. On a table a chest given her by Jane Addams, author, valiant fighter in social causes.

She recalled the years spent fighting for women’s rights. She has always differed with the extreme feminists who claim that women can do exactly the same things as men. Miss Wald no longer believes that women’s rights must be fought for independently. It is her opinion that if the general privileges of leisure, education, good health, food and shelter can be obtained for men, they will be obtained for women.

“It would be to the interest of the state,” she said pointing to Russia as an example, “to take care of the women in the interests of its future citizens. Protection for women is right for biological reasons. Every civilized state must make that provision. It is no disparagement to women to have protective discrimination.”

KEYNOTE AND MESSAGE

Her message, and the keynote of the beliefs which she has proven by living them–is “Your approach to people is to respect them.” Of prejudice she says:

“I think that prejudice is one of the cruel and brutal aftermaths of war–when scapegoats are searched. It results because people fix their mind on economic dangers and safeguards. Prejudice comes when people feel insecure socially and economically.

“With us in Henry Street, the windows were kept cleared. We never felt that anything was a Jew’s problem, for instance. Wherever injustice exists it is naturally the problem of all sane people, regardless of their religious or racial affiliation.”

Miss Wald’s viewpoint is always fair and generous. Her interests and accomplishments, and her mature judgment, have made her compassionate. One can understand why she holds the affection of so many hundreds and thousands of people of all ranks and classes.

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