WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM
Sept. 28, 1920.
Dear Miss Addams,
I enclose copies of ↑a↓ [letter] to Mrs. Park and Mrs. Villard, the former in reply to a letter in which she asked whether the W.I.L. is committed to a pledge such as her Palo Alto group are circulating and a copy of which I enclose. I have never felt very happy about the rewording of the statement of our objects. Is it making trouble for you in America or does nobody take it seriously? I think it should not be allowed to keep anybody out, but if there are troubles about it, it should be said that the whole matter can be reconsidered at our next Congress. All creeds and statements are apt to lead to ↑[hair-splitting]↓. I think there is no greater waste of time than discussions over forms and ↑of↓ words. Of course in any such movement as ours, there is always the question of how wide to strain the inclusiveness of a group and how to prevent the extreme right and left from breaking the [apart]. I rather dread also the zeal of some of our European members to be too exclusive. On the other hand we have certainly had our full share of Laodiceans in our American Branch!
I do very much hope that you and Frau Hertzka are seeing one another and that your contact may be a fruitful one.
Always affectionately yours,
Emily G. Balch [signed]
↑Enclosed is copy of letter to Mrs. Park↓
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