December 31, 1924
My dear Mrs. Hull:
I am really quite uncomfortable about the feeling ↑relation↓ of the W.I.L. to the Council of Women. I am enclosing a program sent me by Lady Aberdeen which as you see announces the meetings are to be held in the D.A.R.
It seems silly to say, but I also was not conscious that I had opposed our withdrawing. I remember agreeing with someone who said it would look like an admission of our lack of patriotism but I am sure I have felt from the first that it would be the magnanimous thing for us to do and could not we put our resignation in some such way as to make it clear that we did it solely from this point of view? Otherwise, I am sure they will expect us to raise a lot of money which they feel they might have gotten if they had not been handicapped by our membership. I think there will be embarrassing situations all around, and I wish very much the Board at its next meeting would consent to resign.
In regard to Mrs. Catt's meeting I had a talk with her about it when she was in Chicago, and she made it quite clear that she wanted no formal peace organizations to be a part of it. I think she felt she could get certain women to come in who would otherwise be frightened off, and she is probably right. The National League of Women Voters asked me to come to represent them and at first I was inclined to accept the invitation but Grace Abbott sent me a newspaper clipping from Washington showing that Mrs. Potts and all the rest were waiting to attack them if they had any chance, it seemed to me better that I should not be there, and I wrote to Miss [Sherwin] declining the appointment. I think there are certain things in the Peace Movement which can be better done by other organizations than ours at this moment and I hate anything which might even be construed as a "dog in the manger" attitude. I of course realize the final decision must be made by the National Board, that while you are all very good to me, I really do not belong to it. On the other hand, it does affect our international relations as the meeting here is an international one. If you write to Mrs. Moore, it might be well to send her the little ↑(over)↓ [page 2] word from Lady Aberdeen showing she assumes that we are to be there, but that owing to the absurd attitude of the D.A.R. and others we are withdrawing because we believe they may find it easier to secure financial cooperation, etc.
With every possible good wish for the New Year, I am,
Affectionately yours,
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