INTERNATIONALE FRAUENLIGA FÜR FRIEDEN UND FREIHEIT DEUTSCHER ZWEIG
My dear Jane Addams, as you know, we had an Executive meeting in Geneva Septh. 9th to 13th. All details of our work and discussion you will get from the minutes that will be sent as soon as possible to you. I was authorized to inform you of the following. The deplorable death of Vilma Glücklich has created a [vacancy] in the Executive. Catherine Marshall and Mrs Larsen-Jahn did [resign], so that only six members remain. This means, that there is no quorum and constitutionally no [business] to be done by the executive. Therefore it was a strong desire of all present members of the Geneva meeting that the executive should be filled up again. In our constitution we have nothing to meet the special case and an election can only take place at a congress. What could be done? I was asked to resign my [honorary] vice presidentship and become active again till the next Congress. [page 2] I consented to do so. Catherine Marshall shall be asked to remain in the executive without an office and we hope that she will consent to do so, as she has really not very much work in this case. As Mrs Larsen Jahn sticks to her resignment, we would ask Yella Hertzka to enter again in the executive. Yella Hertzka was the next candidate on the electoral list at Dublin, and very few votes caused her failure. We all remembered that, although unfortunately the voting-documents of the Dublin congress have not been preserved by our bureau. Please tell us as soon as possible if you approve of our proposals, which can only become valid with your and Miss Balch's consent. In the meantime I go on working as vice president; with or without competence, for the meeting in Geneva charged the executive with much [page 3] work and I think the principles of our W.I.L. is to help where help is needed.
I am sorry to say the W.I.L. is no longer what it has been in 1915, but we must try to make the best of it. Madeleine Doty was no good choice. A secretary must be neutral and discrete, she was too much of a journalist and had not the slightest idea of politics, or at least of European politics.
We are so happy to hear that you are in good health again.
On the 20th of Sept. Anita Augspurg has her 70th year's birthday. We leave Munich in a few days by our own motor car and go to Weimar to celebrate her birthday in silence and in remembrance of Goethe.
All good wishes for you and kind regards from Anita Augspurg and myself
Affectionately [yours]
Lida Gustava Heymann.
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