NEW YORK
July 1st, 1920.
My dear Miss Addams: --
I can quite realize your concern over my failing to reply to your letters about Mrs. Barnett. My only reason for not replying has been my desire to be absolutely certain as to what I could do next season. A tour to be successful must have money invested in it and after my Maeterlinck experience, I am trying to do nothing unless I think I can handle the tour in question in an adequate manner.
I believe from all indications, that there will be nothing to prevent my doing this for her in the Fall. I think it would be just as well for us to go ahead and start the tour, for surely nothing that we can do now will be to her detriment, and yet everything we do will stand for her.
I am willing to undertake the booking of her meetings on the following terms and conditions: --
On all engagements which we secure for flat fees or sharing contracts, wherein we do not assume the responsibility of the meeting, we are to receive our usual booking commission of 25%. For this we attend to all the details of railroading, hotel reservation, preparation of advertising material and the general direction of the tour. Mrs. Barnett must pay her own expenses while filling engagements and must furnish us with, or pay for the required amount of printing and advertising material. This is the customary arrangement, and we usually receive a check to pay for printing we are preparing, at the time that it is decided for us to assume management. The preliminary cost of this advertising material will be about $200.00.
On public meetings in large cities, directly managed by ourselves, we are to receive one-third of the net profits for such meetings, after the immediate local expenses are deducted. In the event of loss, the loss is to be borne by Mrs. Barnett and ourselves in the same manner as we would divide the profits. No such meetings, however, will be booked [page 2] outside of New York City without her personal approval.
It is our intention to book her meetings under the auspices of some large local organization that will assume the expenses of presentation.
If you wish to communicate these details to Mrs. Barnett please do so. If not, I will forward them as soon as I have your approval.
As I understand it, she is planning to come in September and could commence lecturing in October and will continue until possibly the middle of December.
I am very sorry that there have been any delays, but they have been for the best, according to my own understanding.
Sincerely yours,
James B Pond. [signed]
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