July 11, 1927.
My dear Mrs. Park:
Miss Addams has forwarded to me your note to her regarding your criticism of this office. I have gone over all the Palo Alto files for the last year and I am quite at a loss to understand your criticism.
There has been a very limited amount of correspondence with Palo Alto which is regrettable indeed, but, nevertheless all communications which have come have been taken care of by this office except in one case. In September of last year when I was in Europe, a Palo Alto member asked for information on opposing military training in schools. In my absence, the office referred the letter to the Committee on Militarism in Education. This is the only case of an unanswered letter in our Palo Alto files.
But a country as large as ours presents a very real problem. Geneva, England, and places where I have been abroad seem closer and more intimately connected with this office than Far Western groups. That will be inevitable as long as we have as little personal connection with each other. I feel just as out of touch with our Palo Alto group as it does with Washington, and I do believe that [page 2] there is no very satisfactory remedy at present.
I am sure you do not realize the situation in Washington. There are three members of the National Staff, an office secretary, my own personal secretary, and myself. The book-keeping, literature distribution, and membership fill all of Miss Patterson's time, and my secretary is entirely swamped with my correspondence. All the rest I must carry. During this past year I have been out of Washington about a third of the time, have helped raise money, lobbied in Congress, spoken at hearings, gotten out a monthly newssheet, kept in touch with the International Office and the various foreign sections, besides having to meet the emergency situations such as Mexico etc., when they arose. It is impossible under the circumstances for the Washington Office to give the attention to branches which it should. I know that far away groups cannot appreciate or understand the physical impossibility of doing all that is in the province of the National Office.
To adequately keep in touch with all the organized groups would require a special secretary. At present we haven't funds for that. But we knew that Anne Martin would be able to pull things together out West, and after all, it was because we knew splendidly she would help this situation that we were so glad that she could be our Regional Director.
On the other hand, I realize how discouraging it is to feel out of touch with the headquarters of an organization. Groups feel quite adrift and not a part of the whole scheme. I'm always conscious of that difficulty and I have tried to meet it as best as [I] could. I am sure you will recognize the tremendous difficulties with so limited a staff.
I hope in the future, however, you will write me directly of dissatisfaction with headquarters. It would seem a little more fair to this office to ascertain the complaints of members were justified before taking them up with Miss Addams.
With regard to your statement that Palo Alto's activities are never mentioned in the [newsletter], I enclose a November issue.
Faithfully yours,
Executive Secretary
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