January 8th, 1919
My dear Miss Marple:
The Woman's Peace Party was organized in January, 1915, and has never been incorporated. We felt at the time the need of a woman's organization which would be willing to be more active during the European war than many of the existing peace societies seemed to be. We had a phenomenal growth up to twenty thousand members, of whom we lost very few even after the United States entered the war.
We are the representatives in this country for the International Committee of Women for Permanent Peace, which was organized May, 1915, at The Hague. We have collected fifteen thousand dollars for the next meeting of that international body which will probably be in The Hague in May this year. It is barely possible that after that meeting has been held, it will seem unnecessary to continue the existence of the Woman's Peace Party, although I do not believe that will be the case.
Would you be willing to leave the sum you are contemplating, to the Woman's Peace Party, if it should be incorporated at once, with the understanding that if it went out of existence, the money should be used to endow a lecture course on Peace and Internationalism. Such a sum could be administered by the trustees of Hull-House, Chicago, which has been incorporated for many years and holds property valued at three-quarters of a million dollars, or by the trustees of the School of Philanthropy, either in Chicago or in New York, or by such other institutions as you might care to designate.
I am making these suggestions on the assumption that the Woman's Peace Party may not be continued for a hundred years, which is by no means clear. I am sending you a copy of the Official Report of the Congress at The Hague and also a copy of the last statement issued by the Executive Board of the Woman's Peace Party, and should be most happy to supply any other information you might care for. I am expecting to be in Washington D.C., early in February. Would you like me to come to see you then?
Thanking you for your interest in our association, I am,
Faithfully yours,
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