LEAGUE of FREE NATIONS ASSOCIATION
3 WEST TWENTY-NINTH STREET, NEW YORK CITY
March 11, 1921
My dear Miss Addams:
You will, I believe, be interested in the enclosed copies of letters from Lady Courtney of [Penwith] and Mr. George Young. I should particularly like to have your judgement on the suggestions made by Mr. Young as to the possible development of the League of Nations. I take it that Lady Courtney's suggestion of official American mediation between the Allies and the Germans in the reparation controversy is at present politically impossible and probably undesirable. I should be glad, however, to know if you disagree with this opinion.
Mr. Bass is coming on to New York for our meeting Saturday, a postcard notice of which I am enclosing. We are delighted that he is going to take part in our public discussion and hope that we may have some private conferences which will enable us to take some constructive steps. Personally I am convinced that the march of the Allied troops into Germany was a political move; that George has either received a quid pro quo elsewhere or has been maneuvered by Briand into an impossible position. It is too early, I believe, to know what the outcome of this latest move will be, except that we can be sure it will not result in the payment of anything like the terms demanded under the recent Paris agreement.
In Washington last week, I received very definitely the impression that we cannot expect any very positive or constructive measures soon. However, the negative measures which are proposed, a resolution declaring a state of peace and negotiation of a "supplementary" treaty of amity and commerce with the ex-enemy states, are good as far as they go. If with these they will couple, as is not unlikely, a definite policy of non-participation in European affairs until Europe learns to [page 2] live together, we shall at least in this way bring pressure in favor of some measure of sanity over there. Of course I wish we might do more but at present it seems impossible.
Tonight we are having a very interesting conference on Mexico, at which four or five people, representing different points of view, and knowing a great deal about the situation, will speak. If any striking developments are brought out I shall drop you a note about it.
Very sincerely yours,
James G. McDonald [signed]
Chairman
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