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Committee for the Renewal of International Relations.
I., Opernring 3.
Vienna.
For: Your Excellencies
The Committee for the Renewal of International Relations which has the desire to realize pacifism through practical work has responded to the request of the Austrian-American Children Aid Program to support its efforts with the most zealous cooperation.
We are honored to provide you with this information in the enclosure and ask you for your kind advice by answering the following questions:
1) Would you be able and willing to provide us with addresses of women’s organizations or their members?
2) Would you be willing to promote the campaign within your organization? If so, how could we count on your kind assistance?
3) Would you be inclined to inform American women’s organizations of our efforts and ask them that some of them, such as the “American Peace Society” in Washington or other organizations suitable [for this purpose], collect money and keep the money in their custody until the American Bureau of the “Child Welfare Mission to German-Austria” is operational?
In this case, we kindly ask you to receive and send to the American organizations the factual and [advertising material] that we are working on in the meantime.
We request your kind reply at the address “Committee for the Renewal of International Relations”, Vienna I., Opernring 3.
With the expression of great respect
sign. Alfred Grünfeld. [page 2]
INFORMATION
The American Government has generously supplied food for the hungry children. This is distributed by an [organization] Deutsch-osterreichisches Jugendhilfewerk (Germanaustrian Assistance for the Young), of which President Seitz is the head, with a branch (sub-division) American Action for Assistance of Children. President Seitz has entrusted the direction of this Assitance to Dr. Professor Clemens Pirquet, as Commissioner. Dr. Pirquet has repeatedly and urgently called attention to the shocking effects of famine and underfeeding as observed in his Vienna clinic. According to the wish of the Aermican government nothing is considered in this distribution but the physical condition of the children and no sort of national, religious or class distinctions are made. The value of the food, so very helpfully given by America (including the additional amounts still expected) comes to almost two million dollars, i. e. about 50 million crowns.
Through this munificence the American government has assured to itself a feeling of deep gratitude sketching far beyond the boundaries of it continent among all who in spite of the horrible occurences of the last years have retained a feeling of humanity. The government of the United States is however no longer in a situation to give further help on government initiative beyond the limits of the amounts already supplied. It is therefore with deep concern that we see that the children will soon again be in need as the food hitherto supplied would last only till September and there is no present prospect of solving the problem of an adequate supply of food stuff of our own. At the suggestion [page 3] of the representatives here of the American Food Commission we are endeavoring to find a way to secure a continuance of help with food. The collection of money in America for the purpose of getting food might be undertaken. To accomplish this from here is, under existing conditions, a proposition beset with infinite difficulties. A well-organized and active [organization] with many branches (and a central committee in New York) would need to be promptly created and set at work. For this are needed:
(1) An office (or commitee) to receive and take care of the funds collected, to see to their expenditure under public supervision and to buy and send across the provisions.
(2) A press-committee in New York to give publicity to the matter supplied by us -- facts and appeals -- in newspapers, appeals, circulars, etc.
(3) A committee to collect money with especial cooperation of those women who are at the head of corresponding organizations or are willing to work socially in this direction.
We turn to everyone that we suppose may have any relations with America either woth individuals or corporations. We ask for names and addresses and also for suggestions which might help us.
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