Jane Addams to Emily Greene Balch, June 15, 1925

WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM

My dear Emily Balch:

I am replying at once to your letter hoping to catch you before the Executive Committee meeting but I really feel that advice given by anyone so far away from the local situation is of very little use. I was rather inclined to think that the proposition of English secretary would be a good one for if the League of Nations is the reason for our being in Geneva, an English person would probably patronize ↑[fraternize]↓ much more easily with Sir Eric Drummond and the rest better than any one else would. However, as you know it all depends on the individual but I suspect that having a secretary from the "other side" does not make the Geneva situation easier. I have always liked Mde. Gobat very much as you know and I imagine that in many ways she would be acceptable and you know her much better than I.

As to financial arrangements I am sure the United States can continue to send 2500 Swiss francs per month until the next Congress when we will again of course try to raise more money. I do not believe we can give a penny more than that and the arrangements with the International office are at last running smoothly.

It does not seem to me that Prague would be a good place for the Congress -- the whole situation at Vienna makes me dread trying to hold the Congress in a complicated atmosphere. I do not very much trust Y. H.'s judgment.

The disapproval of the statement of the object is so widespread that I should certainly advise a consideration of it, that at least the Executive Committee advise certain changes to the next Congress.

I am enclosing a letter [from] [Madeleine] Doty which shows what we finally decided to do in regard to the Washington office. In regard to the post-script I should think that such an arrangement would be necessarily short-lived and we certainly need continuity. [page 2]

I was enormously interested in what you wrote about Greece and Constantinople. Wouldn't it be fine if we could have the Congress in Constantinople but I suppose we would then really know what complicated atmosphere really is.

We had a very interesting sojourn in Mexico. The Labor Government was very genuine and attempting to play a difficult role. They were enormously kind and hospitable to us.

I am getting this letter off hurriedly because I want to catch you, although I suspect [there] may not be the least bit of use to you.

With affectionate greetings to the old guard, I am ↑always [& forever]↓

devotedly yours,

J A [initialed]