May 3rd, 1927
My dear Miss Balch:
We have received your letter of April 30th, 1927 enclosing an affidavit signed by you and one signed by Miss Addams. On May 2nd, 1927 we sent you a telegram which we confirm as follows:
AFFIDAVITS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NECESSARY WHERE SHALL WE ADDRESS YOU
ALEXANDER & KEENAN"
On page 3 of your and Miss Addams' affidavits the following quotation appears:
"For convenience sake all funds are deposited in a League account kept in the Union de Banques Suisse at Geneva, subject to withdrawal, by checks signed by the International Secretary, resident at the Bureau of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in Geneva, Switzerland."
Although this quotation states that "all funds" are deposited in this bank subject to checks of the International Secretary, we want to ask if there are any other bank accounts where League funds are kept on deposit, and if so by whose signature are withdrawals made? We note on page 197 of the report of the Dublin Congress that a special fund is kept in the savings department of the bank which you mentioned and to withdraw money from this account requires the signature of Madame Hirschmann, Miss Baer and Miss Marshall. We should like to know the name of the account which you mentioned in the affidavit and the exact signature required on checks. Does Miss Doty, the resident Secretary, sign Madame Hirschmann [page 2] followed by her own name? Does Miss Doty act under a power of attorney from Madame Hirschmann? Is the International Secretary, whom we understand to be Miss Doty, an assistant Treasurer? Can funds be withdrawn from the account which you mentioned by checks signed by Madame Hirschmann?
It is possible for the Treasurer of an Institution to sign very few checks personally. If Madame Hirschmann does not sign checks, it does not necessarily mean that for that reason she cannot be Treasurer of the League, but usually one of the duties of the Treasurer's office is to disperse funds and for that reason we are requiring more information regarding the exact situation; the authority of the International Secretary to sign checks and in general, how the bank account of the League is handled.
On pages 160-169 of the report of the Dublin Congress, is printed the report by Miss Doty, International Secretary, from November 1, 1925 to November 1, 1926. At page 164, subdivision ["7?"], entitled "Finance," there is the following statement:
"We also send out a receipt and keep a duplicate for every penny received. We still keep up the monthly statements prepared by the book-keeper which gives the accounts in lump sums but not the detailed statements described above."
Will you kindly inform us what receipts are referred to, and how the receipts are made out and in whose name? We should also like to know to whom the monthly statements are referred, and at whose direction they are prepared and passed upon.
By this time, we presume you have received our letter of April 28th, 1927 enclosing the copy of a letter written the same date to Miss Addams and a copy of Miss Addams letter dated April 27th, 1927.
We note from your letter of April 30th, 1927 that Miss Addams desires Mr. Tibbetts to go to Geneva rather than to Amsterdam, as she believes that the records are kept on file at Geneva. We believe that Mr. Tibbetts will be willing to go to Geneva rather than to Amsterdam, but if possible we would like to have sufficient information to write to Mr. Tibbetts in Paris that the records which he desires to examine are to be found in Geneva. [page 3]
We are temporarily holding back Miss Addams's letter to Madame Hirschmann until receipts of answers to questions in this letter and in our letter to Miss Addams of April 27th, a copy of which we sent to you.
We would appreciate what information you are able to give us as soon as possible so that we can write to Mr. Tibbetts who sailed for Paris last Saturday.
Very truly yours,
Alexander & Keenan
P.S. -- 4:50 P.M. We have just received the following telegram from Miss Addams from Chicago:
"PLEASE ADDRESS MISS BALCH AT [SEVENTEEN] ROANOKE ROAD WELLESLEY MASSACHUSETTS."
We received no reply to our telegram to you to Cleveland and presume that you left before its receipt.
Comments