Dear Fräulein Glücklich
I have been overwhelmed with writing that had to be done to put off or readjust all the engagements I had made for work in London this week. It is now nearly post time, but I must send you [illegible] as much as there is time for before the postman comes.
[illegible] I forgot to say in my last letter what I am sure cannot have ↑been↓ necessary, that those members of the W.I.L.P.F. Executive who are in Rome will of course consider with our Italian members whether it is desirable to ask for interviews with M. Mussolini, or the Pope, or both, to deliver to them the message of our Hague Conference & beg them to use their influence in support of the demand -- felt & voiced now in so many countries -- for A New Peace. I do not think it is ever good to make ask for an interview just for the sake of doing so, unless we have something quite definite to say, & the right people to say it; and of course our members in the country concerned should always be consulted before taking any action that involves dealing with their governments. But I hope to hear that those of you who are meeting in Rome this week do feel a "concern" [page 2] as the Quakers say, to carry our message to the Italian govt & the Head of that largest ↑& oldest↓ of all international organizations, the Catholic Church, & that you have been able to form a really first-rate & representative deputation to do this.
If you see M. Mussolini it might be well to ask if Italy will not take the initiative in proposing that the L. of N. shall call a special conference of the League plus America, Germany & Russia to consider the [Reparations] situation that has arisen out of the unsolved Reparations problem as a matter that concerns the peace & welfare of the whole world; but do not, I beg you, either suggest, or give any support to the suggestion that the L. of N. Council should itself try to settle the Reparations question. What we learned in Paris, & what the L. N. Council has since done -- the matter of the Saar, makes it practically certain that for the Council to deal with the question wd not only not produce a just solution, but would lead to ↑result in↓ the final & irremediable discrediting of the L. of N. itself -- not of course of the idea of the L. of N., but of the present instrument which embodies that idea. Those who do not want to see the present League scrapped should be the strongest in opposing any proposal to trust the [honor] & credit of the League in the [page 3] hands of the Council of the League, composed & actuated as it is today. All that the Council should be asked or permitted to do is to take the initiative in calling a world conference -- to create the conditions in which it will become possible to arrive at a just solution of the Reparations problem & to lay the foundations of a real peace. You will remember this point was insisted on from the first, at The Hague & after. We never contemplated asking the Council to deal with the Reparations question in the making of a New Peace itself. I cannot understand how the L. of N. Union, led by Lord Robert Cecil, can have arrived at making such a demand. Even that most uncritical supporter of the league, Mr Wilson Harris, said ↑wrote↓ after the last council meeting that the shame of its action in the matter of the Saar had dealt a blow to the prestige of the whole League that it would perhaps be impossible for it to recover from.
I hope you will have some helpful talks with our Italian members & be able to give some help & support to the Italian section whilst you are in the country. They must be having a very difficult time these days. Please give my warm remembrance to Mrs. Genoni and her daughter. [page 4]
I hope also that you may be able to hold a good Peace Meeting, with our message of A NEW PEACE, during the meeting of the I.W.S.A.
You will have heard from Mrs Swanwick of the sudden latest development of the Provisional Committee for a Joint Congress of Women's International organizations. I was unable to attend the last meeting, & Miss Sheepshanks went as my proxy, with Mrs Swanwick. The meeting was to consider the drafts proposed by the various organizations for the [illegible] sections of the proposed Joint Congress in 1926 of which each was to be they were to be respectively responsible. The W.I.L.P.F. was to be responsible for organizing the "Peace Day," having been asked to do so unanimously by the other organizations represented. (I.W.S.A. to organize the "Civics" day, I.C.W. the "Health" [illegible] day, the International Anti-Vice organization (I also forgot its proper name) the "morals" day, the Temperance women etc.) The whole plan was of course still in an embryonic condition, not ready yet to report to the Ex Comtees of the various organizations for their consideration. Well, Mrs Swanwick went to the meeting with [illegible] draft proposals from the [program] of the Peace day -- whose subject was to be called "Prevention of War Causes of War." [page 5]
Only 3 members of the Comee were there besides our 2 representatives -- Lady Aberdeen, Mrs. Ogilvie Gordon (I.C.W.), Mrs. Alys Russell (University Women). After some rather indefinite talk Lady Aberdeen suddenly said it seemed to her dreadful that women couldn't call a Congress on Peace this year. She thought it could & should be done. Mrs ↑Swanwick↓ asked if the I.C. could do it, and Lady A. said "yes!" & that she herself as President had power to do it, & would.
I was dismayed when I heard this; because that was exactly the original proposal made when we first met in the autumn, -- both Lady A. on behalf of the I.C.W. & Mrs Catt on behalf of the I.W.S.A. wanting to call such a Conference. But it was immediately evident directly the project was discussed
(a) that they had not their respective Committees behind them -- opinions were hotly divided (like French & Italian members in particular being passionately opposed to those orgs. becoming responsible for a Peace Congress)
(b) that [illegible] both organizations were prohibited by their constitutions from dealing with questions that were matter of controversy between different countries -- a limitation that as Alice [Salomon] pointed out in a very moving & dignified little speech, made practical & effective discussion of peace problems impossible; and [page 6] for the women of the world to come together, with pomp & [advertisement], at this time of the day to talk many pious platitudes about peace, avoiding all the practical issues, would not only not do any good, but would do positive harm -- would be one more disillusionment for the suffering peoples, one more triumph for the cynics.
However, Mrs Swanwick and Miss Sheepshanks apparently both welcomed the proposal when Lady Aberdeen made it again this time. Perhaps the I.C.W. has come to feel differently about the extent to which its constitution wd limit such a its scope in participating in such a Conference. The way proposed at the last meeting at which I was present wd have been a satisfactory way of meeting the situation -- for the W.I.L.P.F. to be responsible for the [program] of the Peace day because we have no such limitations, & for the other organizations to [cooperate] so far as they could. If the I.C.W. is responsible for convening and organizing the Conf. I am afraid they won't be so free. However, there it is; & they took over Mrs Swanwick's draft wholesale, & Mrs S. is delighted -- thinks it much better the I.C.W. should do it if they will. It remains for us to see to it that [page 7] the draft is not watered down, & that the procedure permits of really full and free discussion of practical as well as theoretical aspects of the question "How to prevent war."
There is to be one more meeting of the ↑provisional↓ Comtee I understand before a report is made to all the constituent organizations. But I send you this account meanwhile as you will doubtless be seeing members of both the I.C.W. & I.W.S.A. interested in the proposal.
I have written confidentially of course, for you & other members of our Comtee; not for you must not show this letter ↑to others↓ as it stands, though you may use the information it contains.
Post.
C. E. M.
More tomorrow.
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