Weller, Charles Frederick

[Mr. Weller (1870-1957), an executive of various charities in Chicago from 1901 to 1921, became a leader of organisations for peace and cooperation. He set up the League of Neighbours in 1918. He associated with Kedar Nath Das Gupta,180 founder of the Union of East and West, after he arrived from London and they formed the Fellowship of Faiths in 1925. The three organisations were later combined into "the Threefold Movement," renamed World Fellowship of Faiths in 1929, with Mr. Weller and Mr. Das Gupta as General Executives. The World Fellowship planned a parliament of religions during Chicago's second World's Fair in 1933, the fiftieth anniversary of the first World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. It set up a large national committee and organised a convention of religions, as well as other faiths. The title of the conference was changed to "International Convention of the World Fellowship of Faiths", and it was held in Chicago and New York in 1933-34. One of its sessions had "Gandhi's Faith" as its theme.¹⁸¹]

Letter, July 26, 1924¹⁸²

[Mr. Weller wrote to Gandhiji on May 22, 1924, inviting him to visit the United States.]

Sabarmati,
July 26, 1924

Dear Mr. Weller,
I have been unable before today to overtake your kind letter of 22nd May. I thank you for it and the offer of your home. I must however resist the temptation. I must make no other experiment till the one I am now making can be demonstrated to have succeeded. Today I can make no such claim for it. On the contrary my method seems to have dissatisfied many of my co-workers. I dare not transfer my activity at the present moment to any other place. If the plant I am tending here grows into a hardy tree, all else is easy. I would, therefore, ask you and other friends, instead of tempting me away from the present field of labour, to help me to success by studying the problem and, in so far as it may commend itself to them, by cultivating world opinion in its favour. With my kind regards to you and yours,

Yours sincerely,
M. K. Gandhi

Charles F. Weller, Esq.
League of Neighbors
Broad and West Grand Street
Elizabeth, New Jersey

[In January 1926, Mrs. Langeloth and Mrs. Kelly met Gandhiji and personally delivered a resolution of the Threefold Movement inviting him to visit America.¹⁸³]

On September 23, 1926, Lillian Hendrick, Chairman of the Peace Week Goodwill Day Committee of the three movements, wrote to Gandhiji inviting him to attend and address a meeting on May 18, 1927. She wrote that at the very successful observance of the Week the previous year, they had performed a play "Mahatma," dramatizing his life. "I feel, as many other individuals do, that the young people of this country are distinctly interested in your work and that it would be very valuable if you could come. I personally have been interested in your ideas for a number of years..."¹⁸⁴]

Letter, August 10, 1928¹⁸⁵

[Mr. Weller wrote on June 21, 1928: "One of my long- time ambitions is to visit India... to organize meetings in which Hindus will pay tributes of appreciation to the Mohammedan faith, Mohammedans to Hinduism and Christians to both..."¹⁸⁶]

I do like your emphasis upon appreciation rather than toleration. Whether you are now ready to launch out in Chicago, etc., is more than I can tell. It must be a matter of your own feeling and experience. I can only say generally, in all such matters, try after depths rather than extent of service.

M. K. Gandhi

 Letter, June 3, 1931¹⁸⁷

[Mr. Weller apparently invited Gandhiji to the proposed World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1933.]

As at Sabarmati,
June 3, 1931

Dear friend,
I thank you for your warm letter of 17th April. 1933 is a far cry for me and I could not even make tentative arrangements for that year. You will therefore have to write to me, if all goes well, towards the middle of 1932 when I might be able to give a decisive answer. I am sure you will appreciate my difficulty.

Yours sincerely,

Charles F. Weller, Esq.
Chicago's Fellowship of Faiths
Chicago

[On June 28, 1933, Mr. Weller wrote to Gandhiji inviting him, on behalf of the Fellowship, to attend the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in September. He said that Bishop Francis J. McConnell, national chairman of the World Fellowship, had already cabled an invitation.188 For response by Gandhiji, please see "Message to World Fellowship of Faiths, Chicago, 1933" in Section V below.]