President Conant Receives War Letter from England

President James B. Conant received a war message from the borough of Southwark, London, the home of John Harvard, yesterday, welcoming the United States as an ally and declaring that the "fight for freedom and liberty will soon be victorious."

When President Conant visited England last year on a special scientific mission, he was received by the Mayor and Council of Southwark, and invested with the Freedom of the Borough. The Mayor and Town Clerk of the Borough attended the Tercentenary celebration here in 1936...

The letter follows:

Dear Mr. Conant,

At the last monthly meeting of the Southwark Borough Council, the Mayor, in referring to the entry of your country into the War, reminded the members of the Council of the speech which you made when you recently visited the borough to receive the Freedom of the Borough. The Council unanimously felt the occasion now appropriate to send a message to the peoples of the United States through you, its youngest Freeman.

As you know, Southwark has suffered severely through enemy action. Because of this fact, my Council feel deep sympathy with the peoples of the United States for the cruel and unprovoked attack which has been made upon them by Japan. The Borough Council, on behalf of the people of Southwark take this opportunity of expressing deep gratitude for the generous support which the United States of America is giving to the people of Great Britain by the provision of arms and food to enable them to prosecute the War.

I need hardly say that the people of Southwark, with the whole of the people of Britain welcome the United States as an ally in the War against the anti-democratic states, and on their behalf, the Council desire me to express supreme confidence that, with the powerful assistance of the United States States and of Russia, the fight for freedom and liberty will soon be victorious.

These sentiments are sent to you with the cordial good wishes of the Council and of the people of this Borough, and with pleasant memories of your personal visit here, which still further strengthened the bond between the Borough of Southwark and your great country. Yours sincerely,   D. T. Griffiths   Town Clerk