GRAND HOTEL
Kristiania, d. 21 April 1916
Dear Miss Addams,
There is just time to get off word by the S.S. [Bergensfjord] which means the probability of escaping the delay of the English censor. I think it may pay you if you want to write fully to time your letter and stipulate its going by one of the [illegible] Norwegian Line boats.
We arrived this morning after only 2 days detention at Kirkwall [page 2]. The Captain thought the presence of the ambassador to Russia, Mr. Francis, quickened our release. The old Noordam came in just as we were going out of the harbor.
Mr. Holt came up from St'm to meet me and as the Conference is taking an Easter recess there is no great rush in getting back. I also had 2 telegrams asking me to hear the other side before I saw Mr. Holt and Miss [Varrick] (who had come back <here> for the funeral of Gina Krog last Tuesday) got me to her house for an interview with her before Mr. Holt (whose train was late) arrived. I am glad it turned out so for it gives me the more confidence in [page 3] the impression that I got from Mr. Holt that he is doing really very well with a very difficult situation. I have also had a letter from Mr. Lochner asking me to talk with Miss Wales; of course I shall listen to all who want to give me their point of view including poor Rosika but the more we can leave the past and put our might on the work now to be done the better of course & I think they mostly feel this.
Mr. Holt certainly does tell a pretty black story <(& very impersonally)> worse than I had supposed yet not out of [character] or at least not impossible to interpret on the lines I think you and I both ran before, only much more so, and far worse of some of her [illegible] <adherents>. I am afraid the loaves & fishes have played a [page 4] sadly important part and it seems to me quite wonderful that without any overt explosions Mr. Holt has led (and driven) the conference to vote itself out <to reconstruct itself.>
I hope you have seen the completed statement of a suggestion for peace terms, the consummate achievement of these weeks of debate. I read it hastily but it seemed to me good. Mr. Holt tells of good press here, but I fear he overestimates the amount of space and attention it can command in our distant America, especially with this fresh German crisis. [written up right margin] <This ΒΆ is out of place here>
The thirty delegate elected 12 as a provisional committee and these will be shortly replaced by 12 permanent delegates, drawn partly from the old material and [page 5] partly it is hoped from fresh material.
I do not yet know what my status will be but I don't care, and I feel very glad I came and <I think that possibly> that I have arrived [illegible] at the opportune moment.
Tomorrow Christian Lange lunches with us here.
Also Miss Gleditsch will come in to see us at 10:30 but I have not yet got into communication with Mrs. Arnesen who has moved. But I shall try to confer as much as possible with our I.C.W.P.P. <members> while I am here. They will want news of you.
I trust you are pleasing your doctors, that is my [criteria].
You know how affectionately I am yours
Emily G. Balch [page 6]
P. S.
When I came to read this over it is as confusedly and badly written that I hate to send it. I will try to send another and better account in a few days. Tonight I am tired, headachy and hurried but well pleased that I came.
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