Emily Greene Balch to Jane Addams, August 17, 1915

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Tuesday noon --

Dear Miss Addams,

I wrote a hurried and untidy but full note to you explaining the situation. It was snatched from my hands to catch a chance of early posting and I did not have time to read it over or even see if the pages were in order but I hope you can make sense of it.

My address continues to be 130 Prince St. Jamaica Plain. It occurs to me I had [page 2] better see Dr. Jacobs in N.Y. on her arrival and tell her how things stand after my talk with Wilson. I guess that she brings some pretty definite matter as to Dutch initiative in calling a conference. Is it your idea that if this is so [we] should now oppose such a governmental conference. If so I think you do wish you could confer with Dr. Jacobs before she sees Wilson. Maybe I could bring her down to Mt. Desert for a conference there if you [wished] that -- I could go [page 3] to a not bad little hotel that I have patronized before.

By the way I meant to tell you that Paul Kellogg gave me a check for $30 toward my Wash. expenses -- this was the balance of some money got together in connection with Miss Wald's committee.

Col. House was very nice. He thinks Wilson will act as soon as any action is practicable:

Will act without being asked to do so could "act overnight" and even if seemed not to act jointly (per conference or otherwise) with other nations this could be arranged without delay that his action will take the form that the circumstances indicate, i.e. that he is wedded neither to idea of acting alone or of acting jointly.

All this is so [illegible]

Also -- That he has full means of information outside of ambassadorial channels -- This he said was confidential.

All this is so promising that perhaps we ought never to do or to have done anything we but trusted in Providence per W. W.

[written on left margin] I did not talk over with Col. House at all our plan of an unofficial conference.

He & Mrs. House would like so much to see you on your return from Maine.

Affectionately yours & Miss Wald's

EGB