May 21/27
In re China
Very dear J A.
Many thanks for letting me see yours of May 10th to M Z D and the Chinese correspondents friends.
Now comes Madeleine Dotys of May 4 with enclosures. The situation has grown rather complicated. I do not see that Madame Drevet will go at present if at all and the [illegible] to send her seems lacking.
I think that it would be fine if Miss Pye or any other English [page 2] woman of her [caliber] could be sent from England and I think Miss Bennett is unwise to urge that if they do so they should help send [Mme] Drevet.
With regard to the U.S. the original vote as I recall it asked us to raise money for an American representative and said that the European delegate would be financed by the rest of the League. Now of course with Mrs Grover Clark in China we are getting a delegate (po if she "sees it" and really acts [page 3] at little expense). I think we must see how things [develop] in London and [on?] the continent. Miss Lathrop & A H may be enlightening when they return. I hope you may feel like writing at some length to London.
I note P.S. to Madeleine Dotys letter of May 4 to members of the Exec. Com that "they (US Section) will undoubtedly contribute to the European delegate if we go ahead with our plans." [page 4]
In re Maison International
I have also written M Z D that I don't want us to buy the M.I. even if we had the money.
I think Mr. [Tailard?] was right. Money held by us should be spent not [illegible]. If there were a big crisis we might utterly regret have any funds locked up where we could not use them quickly perhaps something as Mr Libby used his funds on the Mexican-Arbitration campaign. (I do not refer to Mr. Libby to be). [page 5]
I also think that we have pay such a low rental for the M.I. that purchase with assumptions of repairs and taxes and loss of interest on the capital [put on?] would not even be very advantageous.
E G B [page 6]
In re Lauterbach money.
Mrs. Ramondt has sent me a copy of her letter of May 9th to you with some personal miscellaneous remarks besides.
Of course she will do all she can and I glad to see that she does not shy at this idea of going to Geneva but her letter certainly does not make things look any brighter!
E G B [page 7]
May 21
In re Miss Bennett's memorandum
I have only now "got around" to reading this and I must say I am dismayed. This building castles in the air is dangerous as well as not very uself useful in my view. This wild talk of what "shall be" in all countries when we consider that [illegible] Abyssinia and Siam are sovereign constituents of the L of N. [page 8].
This is probably the matter that lay behind that British questionnaire as to constitutional points as to which I drafted a reply.
I do hope the British will take this in good part. They do so curiously continue a wonderful [illegible] and advanced view with some [packed?] insularities and touchiness (or that perhaps is not the word) -- you will know the thing I mean. [page 9]
This [illegible] for an international economic government; of an Economic Section of the L of N to "take direction of ↑the↓ economic system." How can grown people have so little sense of reality.
I am cabling
Regret cannot endorse Bennett memorandum. Balch.
I wonder if this strikes you as it does me.
I hope that those who attack us will not get hold of it.
E G B
[Written up right margin] I note Madame Ramondt's comment in her letter just rec'd implies [illegible] substantial acceptance of Miss Bennett's paper!
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