WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM
Feb. 16, 1921.
Dear Miss Addams,
I was very glad to get your letter of Feb. 1. My first reaction on your encouraging remarks in regard to the Balkan trip was to plan to start in about a month and be gone until May, going the whole round. Catherine Marshall is distinctly opposed to this plan. She thinks I should come back too tired for the work that would then be on hand in getting the Congress under way. I am now considering a modification of the project. There was ↑is↓ a Mrs. [McGovern], an American, an anthropologist studying at Oxford who has done [organizing] work as a speaker and who has [traveled] in the East. She appears to be one of our ↑way of thinking↓. She would be free after March. I am asking our English Section with whom she is in touch to do what they can to size her up. Do you know her? Can you let me know what you think of her? Even if you have a very distinct impression for or against her, by cable if that seems worthwhile. "[McGovern] excellent" or "[McGovern] impossible" would explain itself, but I am running ahead of my story.
What should you think of my going as early as I can get off to swing around a smaller circle, perhaps Rome, Agram, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Warsaw. In the latter place, thanks to Dr. Czaplicka, [things] are moving again. This is the first part of the plan. The second is to ask Mrs. [McGovern] to go to Belgrade, Athens, perhaps Constantinople, Bucharest and Sofia (where we have, what I hope ↑is↓ a good group of women). I think that we could consider Mrs. [McGovern]'s expenses as part of the [organizing] expenses of the Congress and that the money that we have in hand, [with] what I could put in myself and my salary, would provide for me without dipping into our regular funds. ↑[written in left margin] N. B.↓ Now I come to what makes me mark this letter urgent. Any such [traveling] as this is almost impossible without a diplomatic passport or Visa. Mr. Nasmyth had one of course. Prof. Manley Hudson when I saw him here last summer though it was preposterous that I had not one. He raised the question himself as I remember it. He was then so kind as to write on my behalf to our Minister at Berne asking for one for me, but they made no rely, to me at least. I did not stir up the matter further because my going had then become so problematical, but now, if I am to go, the matter is urgent. Could you do anything from your end? I just hate to trouble you, but it seems a necessary condition of my going. If you can get Washington to instruct [page 2] Berne by cable at my expense, please do so and I should be glad to have you cable me also at my expense if you have anything to say that I ought to know.
Now to return to your letter. I have written to Miss Hobhouse to know if she has any names in Rome to suggest and will also write to Miss [Urie].
Since you wrote you have, I trust, received our Circular Letter about the Congress which will answer various of your questions. I am sorry to have to set the Ex. Committee meeting so early, but you see how it is.
As to "two of you staying at the Maison Internationale when you are in Geneva", of course it shall be arranged. Nothing could be nicer, if only we can make you sufficiently comfortable.
Always as you know,
Affectionately yours,
Emily G Balch [signed] [page 3]
[the remainder of the letter is handwritten] The first part of this letter has been revised out of existence and replaced by the typewritten letter herewith but this part still stands I hope you can read it! [page 4]
I think I did not know how uneasy I felt about our financial future till I realized what a relief it is to hear from you that you think the $10,000 I suggested from the United States, can be raised. I did not know at all how it would strike you.
It is a dreadful feeling to see our cash ebbing month by month and to wonder if when this comes to an end there will be more to go on with just as the work is [page 5] getting so much more interesting. It is almost alarming to see how seriously the L. of N. people take us when in it we are such a [stage] [illegible] in some respects at least.
Mrs. Swanwick has had a big operation but "they" hope she will now be better than she has been for a good while. She had an operation for cancer in 1915 but I don't know anything of the character of the present trouble.
With love as you know
Emily G B.
Also with thanks for the most wonderful Christmas candies and nuts from you & Miss Wald. They came very late but in perfect condition and had no difficulty in finding a market. Once more thank you.
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