My dear Miss [Addams],
Thank you very much for your letter of Feb. 3rd which came before our Executive at its last meeting. We were of opinion that on the whole the best course would be to stick to constitutional procedure and to consider nominations for the Secretaryship at the congress which will be due in 1926. In this case, however, we should like to suggest that very full notice be given to National sections so that nominations can be sent in at least nine months before the date of the congress. This would not be too much if National sections were to correspond with each other and obtain information about the qualifications of the candidates nominated. After all, even if we do consider the question of the Secretary at an Executive meeting this year, probably it would be impossible to get another appointment made very much before 1926 and the whole thing would be much easier and pleasanter for Miss Glücklich if it came in the ordinary course at the congress.
I hope, however, that quite apart from the question of the Secretary we may be able to have an Executive Committee meeting at a time when Miss Balch can be present. No doubt you are in communication with Miss Glücklich about this but I will make a similar suggestion to her. It would make a very great difference to be able to have the United States representative and one who is so closely in touch with you. [page 2]
I do think it is very important that members of the Executive should spend more time at Geneva. They rather tend, however, naturally to go there during the meetings of the Assembly in September and that is really just the very worst time for getting into touch with the Secretariat as it is quite overwhelmed with business and somewhat inaccessible to people it does not know. It seems to me to be the business of our permanent Secretary to make such connections with the League of Nations Secretariat that through it she can get introductions to the Delegates who are there for the meetings of the Assembly. It seems to me to be a business which must be kept going permanently all the year. It is very disappointing that Miss Marshall has been able to do so little as she has such a genius for getting into touch with people and it would have made an enormous difference if she had been able to be a good deal at Geneva.
I am sending you with this the new statement of our object which was adopted at our Annual Meeting a fortnight ago. As you will see, it follows fairly closely the lines of the United States statement which we took as a model. To try and make it seem a little more actual we have added a brief statement of our immediate [program]. This of course will always be subject to alteration in accordance with the politics of the moment. Since Mr Chamberlain made his statement at Geneva about the Protocol I imagine our business will be to keep the Protocol alive and to try to see that any pact which is proposed could be included in the Protocol and not be an [page 3] alternative to it.
I do not want to be always finding fault with poor Miss Glücklich but we have just had another instance of her failing to act which was rather annoying though not in the least serious. It was in connection with the appointment by the women’s international [organizations] of an Assessor to the League of Nations Child Welfare Commission. She did not answer letters or communicate with us about an English nominee and in the end the W.I.L. took no part in this matter. This is, I think, a pity, as it would have been an opportunity of cooperating with the other Women’s ↑International↓ [Organizations] with whom the British section is in touch. We did of course ↑They approached us & asked↓ them ↑us↓to act but I was anxious to do nothing unconstitutional and said that the matter must be in the hands of our international headquarters. I wonder whether it would be suitable in future in the case of conferences between representatives of the International [organizations] whose headquarters all happen to be in London for a representative ↑delegate↓ from the British section of the W.I.L to represent the W.I.L. We could keep closely in touch with you and with Geneva and would, I think, be able to act rather more quickly than if things have to go to Geneva by way of correspondence when the other international [organizations] are conferring together in person.
Thanking you very much for your letter,
Yours affectionately
↑P. S. The new statement of our object will follow in a day or two↓
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