Dear Madam Wanner,
It is very difficult to obtain a definite decision about the Congress because our members are separated from each other and cannot consult. Everyone wishes to thank you for your suggestion and appreciates very much the fact that you are willing to undertake the necessary hardwork, but some of us believe:
1) that the atmosphere in Alsace would not perhaps be sufficiently calm and neutral to make possible absolutely frank political discussion; for example the press would probably bust itself in attacking our german members and would throw suspicion on our program. What do you think about this? Would we be able to discuss the minorities problem frankly, the racial problem?
2) The other difficulty is of a techncial nature. Are you aware of all the preparations which must be made for an international Congress? Do you have enough people in Alsace who would help you? It is obvious that if we decide on Strasbourg, Anne Zueblin and I will go there at the end of July to help with preparations, but before that there must be someone on the spot. We can count, I believe, on about 120 members for whom it will be necessary to find hotels and pensions at various rates. For the congress itself we must have a room which can hold at least 200 people and this room must be bright, neat, comfortable, and away from the noise of the street. We must have in the same building 8 or 10 places for all the office work, the duplicators, translations, committee, and one of these rooms must be large enough to serve as an information office for all the members. Would it be possible, for example, to have it at a university, as at Dublin? Mme. Drevet regrets very much that the congress will not take place at Warsaw but the underlying idea for this year is to have above all a working congress which can take care of internal problems of the league and to discuss them at length, very frankly, without publicity and without any press. This will not be a propaganda congress although, if we decide on Strasbourg, we will arrange some public meetings.
As many of the Executive Committee members are going to meet in Vienna, it seems to me that it would be more practical to decide then as to the site of the Congress. It is absolutely necessary to make a definite announcement in the April number of "Pax".
I would be very happy if you could reply to me by return mail because I am leaving for Vienna on the 22nd. If this is not possible for you, please contact me at Miss. Hertha Lenzberg, Hauer Frauenklub, Tuchlanben 11, Wien 1.
Recieve, dearest Madam Wanner, my sincere regards.
MARY SHEEPSHANKS
International Secretary.
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