November 22, 1926.
My dear Mrs. Hull & Miss Addams:
I am writing you this joint letter because there is information which I feel that you both should have.
When I made application to take this office in the Allies Inn you will remember that they insisted on a 3 years' lease, and we then had the partition put in which I wanted. When it was already and [I] came to move in and [came] over to sign the lease the director of the Inn, Miss Hahm, had been taken ill and had gone away for three weeks' rest. I suggested signing a tentative lease to a Miss [Webster], with whom I then had my dealings, but she felt that she could not get up anything like a lease until Miss Hahm came back. Before the latter returned I had gone on my trip west and so the matter hung fire until I returned. Ever since my return I have tried to see Miss Hahm about the lease and have in fact, been to her office three times. This morning she made an appointment to see me at one o'clock. When she appeared she had an item in her hand, a letter and a telegram. The item [was] the one about the Legion man in Illinois attack on Miss Addams, [which] also, as you will remember, involved the W.I.L. Miss Hahm told me that this item had been sent to her anonymously and she wanted me to explain the attack. I explained as best I could and then Miss Hahm said that she realized how unfounded were such attacks usually, but that the matter was somewhat serious then.
It seems that a number of army officers, according to Miss Hahm, who have been accustomed to eat at the Allies (which is perhaps the finest cafeteria in the city and is a part of this whole establishment in which we have our offices) have [refused] to continue to eat here if the Allies Inn continues to house us. I asked Miss Hahm to give this to me in writing and the names of the officers, which I think she might do if I pressed her to do so. She said that as far as she was concerned that it did not matter, that she would just as soon [page 2] defy the type of person who acted on such a judgment as these army officers, but that her partner, Mrs. Shearer, felt differently, hereupon Mrs. Shearer was sent for and we had a three cornered conversation.
I have learned from Mrs. Morgan since this interview that Mrs. Shearer is the wife of an army officer. Mrs. Shearer was very pleasant, but [very] certain that the "hear-say" which she had gleaned about the [W.I.L.] was based on research and study by those who really had gone into the matter. I found that for example, the thing to which she continued to return was that we were "communistic" ... Perhaps some of us were nice, sincere people, but that our organization was being used as a tool, etc., etc., etc., the old argument that we are sincere but fools. And so to make a long story short, she suggested that a three-year lease was much too long and the only lease that she was willing to have us sign was a month to month one. Whereupon I said that under no circumstances would I sign such a lease. I was sorry that if we should have caused them any financial embarrassment, but [putting] us out would certainly cause us financial embarrassment of the same kind -- that there was an agreement to a three-year lease, which they suggested, and with which we concurred, and it was a three-year lease which I intended to sign. Mrs. Shearer then said that if she did put up such a lease it would have in it that we could remain, except of course, "in case of damage." I said that word "damage" would have to be interpreted and that it would depend upon the way it was [written]. As there had never been anything in writing about the sign in front of the door, and as there is no legal foot that I can stand on apparently there I agreed to have the sign taken down and put inside the door. I did this in the interest of being amiable and, of course, [I] do realize that we do not [want] to cause them any kind of financial loss. However, I said it was just this sort of thing which we could not tolerate any longer and that [we] would not consider moving under any circumstances.
One of the objections that Mrs. Shearer had to the [W.I.L.] was its connection with the National Council for the Prevention of War. I told them that our connection was the same as the [Y.W.C.A.], the [illegible], etc. She then said that Mr. Libby's reputation [was] so bad and I asked, of course, bad with whom and what kind of a bad reputation -- did she mean moral, for example? Of course [she?] didn't and didn't know what she meant. The up-shot of the matter was that Miss Hahm, because she believes in fair play, because she is so grateful for having nice people in the building like ourselves, because to her the loss of a little money is not nearly as important as the truth, she would like to even leave the sign up and defy anyone who questions us. She said that she was quite ready to defend any organization in which Miss Addams was the leader. She was also very nice when Mrs. Shearer, during the conversation had attacked Miss Addams because of the old Ford Peace Ship idea. They were both surprised when I said that Miss Addams had not gone, but to Mrs. Shearer's remark that the idea was ridiculous. Miss Hahm said that she was willing to accept even things which might seem ridiculous if they were done for fine, splendid motives, which an attempt to stop the war really was. [page 3]
The up-shot is that they will submit to me a lease and I told them that I would not sign it until my lawyers have seen it. Do you not think that this is wisest under the circumstances? Do you feel it is best to get a District man, who knows the District laws?
Mrs. Morgan, whom I have talked to about this, tells me that if they have [cashed] a check for our rent that that binds them legally. She also knows Mrs. Shearer, whom she says has been friendly and feels that this is the result of General Staff interference. Of course, that is just our supposition, but so many things seem to [point] in that direction.
I am quite worried but feel that this is almost a final straw, and wanted both of you to know all about it.
Faithfully yours,
Comments