Olga Popper Misař to Jane Addams, August 19, 1921

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INTERNATIONAL FRAUENLIGA FÜR FREIDEN UND FREIHEIT
ZWEIG ÖSTERREICH

WIEN 19th Aug. 1921.

Dear Miss Addams,

Yesterday Miss Balch, Miss North and I met, to begin writing at the report of the Congress. Now hearing that it was your particular wish to have one report in all the three languages, I should like to tell you that I think it would be better to have three different reports, one in each language. My reasons are the following: --

1. It would save much money to have them [smaller] as they could be in one language and each country would order only as many as it was likely to sell.

2. It is much more agreeable reading in one language while it hinders, if in turning over the pages, you always get another language. At a Congress it is always a strain on the patience of the hearers that they have to hear the same thing over and over again in the translations, but in the report I think it could be avoided.

It seems to me that the reports in one language would be more interesting reading and easier to all.

3. Apart from the translation, people ↑in each language↓ have rather different ideas of how books should be written and arranged and if we had each language separately, we could meet these ideas, by which again the reports [page 2] would be more read and sold.

4. I can quite see the idea that having the three languages next to each other seems an expression of the international spirit, but I think it is only an outward thing and the practical advantages are on the other side. If we were having the minutes printed in full, I should agree with you, but having decided to shorten the report, we must have some connecting text and that will read better if it is done separately for each language.

Please, will you just think of these reasons a little and write to say, whether you think them justified or prepare the one report? Miss Balch and Miss North think as I do, so please write to one of us. --

I don't like sending this business-letter off without telling you what a great pleasure and privilege it was to me to see you at the Congress. I had quite the feeling that your spirit and your way of looking at things was like a piece of a better world and I am sure it is not possible to work with you for a short time without feeling a little better for it, and without hoping for some improvement in one's soul from your good influence. I wish to thank you ever so much for this feeling which you gave me and to send you my very best love and admiration.

Yours very sincerely

Olga Misař

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