May 12, 1927.
Dear Mrs. Hull:
(1) I am enclosing a "foul copy" of a letter to the President regarding the Naval Conference. If you approve of this step I shall send the letter, which I hope you will correct or criticize. The National Council is writing the same type of letter and if you approve of this letter I shall send a copy of it to some of the other Peace organizations, asking them to take the same action.
I have written the F.O.R., the F.Y.P., the Woman's Peace Union, etc., asking them to ask the President to make a proclamation for Goodwill [Day] and I have already had an answer from the F.O.R. that they have done so. The National Council is also taking this action.
(2) I have had a very encouraging answer this morning from Kirby Page, he says he is greatly interested in our idea of having a special number on conscription. He wants fuller suggestions from us. Also, I believe I wrote you that James McDonald said that he could take up the matter with his staff to get out a technical study by their Research Department.
(3) What do you think we should do about Nicaragua? A letter has come this morning from the National Committee on Relations with Latin America and I think I shall get in touch with them to ask what action they are taking.
(4) I enclose a copy of Mrs. Abrams' letter of the League of Nations Non-Partisan Association.
(5) With regard to the situation here in Washington -- I understand from some of the correspondents the results of the Naval Conference called by Mr. Coolidge have been pretty much agreed on by the three powers, already. The American naval men, it seems, are very anxious for this conference to come off because they believe that they will be unable at this time to get Great Britain to make any drastic cut in her naval armaments because [page 2] of the Far-Eastern complications and if they don't, they believe that they will [raise] the American quota for ships. There is a possibility that Kellogg might be sent as one of the members of the delegation, and of course, nothing could be [worse]. It is believed that it might be a political plum handed to him to let him leave the State Department gracefully. It is a fact that Mr. Hughes was offered the position some months ago by President Coolidge and he refused. This offer, I am told, was made to serve domestic, political ends. If Mr. Hughes were in Europe on a commission of this kind it could eliminate him from the field during the most critical time of discussion and decision of Republican candidates for the presidency. Have you read Mr. Hughes' speech of April 28th in New York? Inasmuch as Mr. Coolidge has already asked him to [go] it might be the best part of wisdom to suggest his name instead of Theodore Burton's.
(6) I enclose a copy of a letter which I hope you will approve that I send to Professor [Moon] and [Earle] of Columbia, Professor Latane of John Hopkins (author of the [new] book called "The History of American Foreign Policy"), Dr. Putney of the American University here who spoke at our hearing and Professor [Shepherd] of Columbia. If you can think of others that this letter should go to beside Dr. Hull, will you please let me know?
By the way, June [18th] will not be a suitable time for the Board Meeting here in Washington as Miss Patterson is to be married that day so I hope that June [11th] will be decided on.
I enclose a [new model] for letterheads. We shall need them very soon. I do hope you will check this over because we have made so many mistakes this Winter on our letterhead that I cannot trust myself about them.
Devotedly yours,
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