October 2nd, 1917
My dear Mrs. Cumberson:
Your letter in regard to the next Board Meeting of the Woman's Peace Party was received after the letter was sent to you in regard to holding the meeting near Chicago at the home of Mrs. Wilmarth.
Of the three people coming from the East, Mrs. Post defrays her own expenses and Mrs. Mead and Mrs. Spencer have each said that they may be obliged to accept a certain amount of help but will largely defray their own expenses also. This is very fortunate because our Treasury is quite depleted. We counted upon finishing the year with the subscription of one thousand dollars which was cut in two owing to war times.
We have reduced our office expenses to a minimum, Mrs. Karsten taking only half [her] salary for part time, and the Chicago Branch paying half the office rent.
I am afraid this means that we would be unable to pay your ticket from California although I feel embarrassed to write this after my first letter which assumed a treasury of at least five hundred dollars more than we have.
This, of course, is not the Annual Meeting, but merely a meeting of the Board which we hope to keep altogether out of the papers. The question of the Annual Meeting will have to be taken up then and I would be very grateful if you would write to the Board, addressing the Central Office, your reasons for your strong impression of the advisability of holding an Annual Meeting in December [or] January, with delegates from the various Branches; also your suggestions in regard to changing the name and any other questions which should come before the Board.
Feeling quite sure you will understand the predicament in which we are placed and hoping you will do your best to make up by correspondence what I feel we shall lose by your not being able to attend the meeting, I am,
Faithfully yours,
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