Emily Greene Balch to Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Executive Committee and National Sections, April 1922 Also known as: Emily Greene Balch to Jane Addams, April 1922

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WOMENS INTERIANTIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM
6 rue du Vieux Collège, Geneva

Circular letter to Executive Committee and Consultative Members A
[Circular letter] to Secretaries of National Sections B

Series 1922
A 9 B 8

April 1922

Dear Madam,

The plan of issuing a joint memorial to the Conference has broken down owing, among other things, to the difficulty of getting agreement on a text. Yet I think most of our members are in accord with the general lines of the second memorial submitted, I therefore propose that NATIONAL SECTIONS (a plan also suggested by Mrs. Swanwick), and also individual officers and members over their own signatures should send their own memorials:

a) to the President of the Conference;
b) to the Secretary of the particular national delegation at Genoa;
c) to me, that I may make use of it at Genoa where I now hope to go for some weeks.

In regard to the text of such memorials I think most of us would wish to add a strong paragraph as to RUSSIA (a point made by G. Duchêne and others), calling, I suppose, for full resumption of trade with complete cessation of all blockades and for political recognition of the de facto Government.

In regard to the [cancelation] of indemnities probably most would prefer to ask for the [cancelation] of all debts and indemnities APART FROM REPARATIONS FOR DIRECT (direct and intentional?) DEVASTATION (point made by C. Ragaz and others).

The WITHDRAWAL OF ARMIES OF OCCUPATION which not only sow the seeds of future wars but absorb the money paid for reparations to the loss of the [suffering] people in the devastated regions is a point that probably all wish to emphasize.

As to FREE TRADE some reserves may be desirable both in the sense of our Zurich resolution 12 c, and perhaps also as to prohibition by low valuta countries of importation of luxuries (points made by Yella Hertzka).

It is obvious that any document put forward by us as members of the W.I.L.P.F. must be dominated by the desire for the good of all, for that of one country as much as for that of another.

Always sincerely yours

(signed) Emily G. Balch
Secretary-Treasurer.