January 19, 1921.
My dear Miss Addams: --
The Armenia America Society has been formed for the purpose of expressing American friendship for Armenia and to further the national life of the Armenians. Those who have been sending relief to the Near East have become convinced that the establishment of Armenia as a nation is absolutely essential if the relief is to become effective and the Armenians saved from total annihilation. Quite apart from their claim on us from considerations of human brotherhood, as allies and as a people which made desperate sacrifices in the late war they deserve every help of this sort.
We realize fully the delicacy of the many questions involved, and we cannot of course forecast the future and outline a complete policy. The whole question of mandates and protectorates may have to be considered: it would not be considered from a political or partisan point of view but rather on the basis of America's part in aiding and saving this stricken people. Among the things that the Society is attempting to accomplish, one is to bring to the attention of the Allied and Associated Powers the fact that Armenia was an ally in the late war fighting Germans and Austrians as well as Turks, and that therefore her establishment in peace is a responsibility resting upon the Allied and Associated Powers. Another object at the present moment is to urge the carrying out of the mediation proposal in which Mr. Morgenthau has been named as the American representative. Still another object is to secure a protectorate of some sort over Armenia so that it may be a neutral state, a second Belgium, in the strategic Taurus region. Since the Soviet troops have control of the Armenian Republic we are encouraging the formation of a provisional national government which may hold the advantages coming to Armenia from the Sèvres Treaty.
I have been requested by the Executive Committee to invite you to become a member of the National Committee. Acceptance of the invitation on your part would not require your attendance at meetings. We would expect to print the names of the National Committee on our letter heads as indicative of the nation-wide range of those who are interested in our work.
Yours sincerely,
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