March 26, 1927.
Dear Jane Addams,
I didn't have a minute to write to you while I was in Liège or during my weekend in London but I am getting a letter off to you now to tell you briefly the events at our Executive meeting.
I know you will be glad to hear that the spirit of the meeting was much better than any of the Executive meetings we have been having during the last year and a half. There was much more rapprochement between the sections and an evident desire to understand each other. Of course the question of the object never comes up any more and there is perfect harmony in that direction. The only friction was that everybody worked so hard they were completely exhausted and worn out and Gertrud Baer and Frida Perlen as usual attacked the international office and me in particular on various points. But otherwise, in spite of spending two hours every morning going over the Minutes of the day before, we really did accomplish some work. I hope you will be pleased with the resolution on China and the letter to the Chinese women and the plan to send two delegates to China. You will, I think, have received copies of the ↑Chinese material↓ because a set was sent out immediately to the Executive Committee by Catherine Marshall. Also I think you will be interested with our stand on the French conscription law and our protest and letters concerning it. We also endorsed the work of the American Section and the stand you are taking in regard to Mexico and Nicaragua. A letter will be sent to the U.S. Section to this effect saying that you have the backing of the international Executive and all the National Sections.
We also did much detailed work concerning matters of administration, etc and Mary Sheepshanks was chosen as the new International Secretary. Her term is to be only one year and then to see at the end of that time how her health has born up under the strain of the position. You will be [page 2] pleased, I think, to hear that the English Section have come quite around on their opinion of "Pax International" and that Dr. Clark and Miss Chick very generously acknowledged that they had discovered that "Pax" was popular with their local groups and that some of their local groups had even suggested that the English news sheet might take a leaf from "Pax." I thought it was very fine of the English to say this before the Executive Committee. The ↑British↓ Section has asked me to go on a campaign through England of several months when I leave here rousing interest and raising money. I begged off this -- I felt not only I would be too tired but that my capacity to raise money is connected closely with the work I am doing. In other words if I am enthusiastic about a piece of work I can inspire interest and people often give me money without my asking for it but I would not want the task of just being a money raiser and going around asking for it.
I am hoping you will also be pleased that excepting for the French and German Sections, all were in [favor] of having me continue "Pax International" editing it in America. Dr. Jacobs proposed that I should do it for a year and see how it went. This matter is not to be finally decided until September.
I had lunch with Mary Sheepshanks in London and she felt it would be impossible for her to edit a monthly paper and do all the other work at Headquarters as well. Also neither she nor the English Section were ready to raise the money for a monthly paper. So unless I do continue to write an international paper from America it looks as though there would not be one. This, of course, would be a pity for we now have 12,000 readers and are spreading our propaganda ever wider and wider.
Mary Sheepshanks seemed to be much in [favor] of having me do "Pax" (of course raising the money for it in America) and then she would get out a middle page to insert in "Pax" whenever she felt moved to do so. Louie Bennett thought it would be a pity not to have me continue to keep this link with America for otherwise, of course, the European Sections are not very closely in touch with the U.S. since it is very rare that our American Executive members can attend the international Executive meetings.
Mary Sheepshanks is coming on here for the Summer School and we ↑will↓ work together here during September and October, that is if I keep on with "Pax" as an international paper. Otherwise I will probably leave on October 1st.
You may be interested to know that Mary Sheepshanks' salary was raised to 900 francs. I tried to get them to make it 1000 but that was as high as they could go.
Our propaganda in Liège was most successful. I arrived several days ahead and with Lucie Dejardin's help we stirred up a lot of interest by having large posters made and pasted all over town announcing our two meetings. [page 3] One was to be in the University, but at the last moment on the day of the meeting, the University people refused to [illegible] ↑let↓ us to have our meeting because we had a German speaker, Gertrud Baer. The director of the University said it would cause trouble with the students. It seems that Liège has not had a German speaker since the war. We hurriedly had placards made announcing this fact and I with one of the Liège women stood at the University door holding up our placards when the audience arrived. There evidently were a lot of students who were still hostile to the thought of any German entering the sacred portals of the University for 100 or more students gathered and called us all kinds of names and pelted us with orange [peels]. However, this was extremely good propaganda for it caused great indignation and we had a huge meeting in the Peoples' House two days later with an audience of 1000. On this occasion Gertrud Baer made a very fine little speech and the audience was quite swept off its feet and I am sure Lucie Dejardin will be able to found a very strong section in Liège.
I ↑left at 4 P.M. on the 17th and↓ got to London on Friday, March 18th and left Vilma Glücklich to finish up the tail end of the Executive meeting for it was still not over though scheduled only to run until the 17th. I went to spend the weekend with Roger for he was only allowed to stay in England 14 days and had to leave that following Monday, the 21st and I could not have seen him if I had not gone then. England would not consent to extend to him even one day of grace. It is all rather ridiculous for it is doubtful if he gets a passport to Russia. However, there it is. He is evidently a "dangerous character." I am glad he is not kept out of Switzerland and he will probably be back here to spend a couple of weeks with us the end of April. [written up left margin] ↑Gertrud Baer was very severe on me for leaving a half day before the ex meeting was over, but Mrs [Lloyd] gave me 5 pounds to give to Vilma Glücklich so she could stay and do the work for me, and I put it up to the ex. as a whole and, they voted to let me go. I wonder how good they'd be if they hadn't seen a husband in 15 months.↓
I mustn't take time to write more now but I shall get out the Liège Minutes as soon as possible, and in the course of the next month the April edition of "Pax" which will give you much news.
I know you will be sorry to learn that I did not win the scholarship from the Guggenheim Memorial but there were 600 applicants and I imagine I am a too fiery brand though I had a very nice letter from Mr. Moe, the director of the fund. ↑Many thanks for endorsing my application.↓
I hope you received the copy of the Resolutions and the Dublin Congress Report which I sent to you to Biloxi, Mississippi. I will at once make sure that your name is on our mailing list. It certainly would be a big joke if it wasn't. Please thank Mary Smith for her letter and with my love to both of you,
Affectionately,
Madeleine Z. Doty [signed]
Comments