22 January 1916
We beg to send you under separate cover an invitation to become a member of one of the nine International Committees of Research, mentioned in that invitation.
Allow us to draw your attention to the fact, that the presidents of each Committee will be neutral persons, belonging as far as possible, to the different neutral countries. You will however see, that no American is designed as president of a Committee.
The slow communications with America nowadays and the frequent holding-up of the American mail for shorter [illegible] or longer period by the military authorities of the belligerents are the reasons, why we do not think it advisable that the president of a Committee lives in America.
As you will understand, we regret very much this necessity of a practical nature. Confident that the interest of our work demands, that the Americans should be properly represented in [page 2] the Committees above-mentioned, we decide to invite more American representatives than any other of the neutral countries will have.
Hoping your answer will be a favorable one,
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