Emily Greene Balch to Jane Addams, March 1922 Also known as: Emily Greene Balch to Women's International League for Peace and Freedom's Executive Committee, Consultative Members, and Secretaries of National Sections, March 1922

Geneva, March 1922

Dear Madam,

Since the only members of the Executive Committee who could come to the proposed meeting here on March 25 (besides myself) are Madame Duchêne and either Frl. Heymann or Frl. Baer, it is obviously necessary to postpone the meeting.

This very early meeting was proposed in connection with the Genoa Conference and when meeting in Genoa seemed impossible I suggested Geneva because in addition to being a shorter journey for most of our members, and a cheaper place to stay than Genoa during the Conference, we have here the immense advantage of all our papers being at hand to consult when an unforeseen question arises.

There is no very pressing reason why our Executive Committee should hold its annual meeting quite so soon. It is however important to meet between now and the opening of the next year's winter season, that is either during the summer or in the autumn.

If it can be arranged in connection with one or the other of the Summer Schools that may be the best plan. As there is no interval between them it would have to be either before the Lauenstein or after the Varese School (unless it is thought practicable to meet during the schools term. It seems to be this would be very confusing but it is perhaps worth considering. We might for instance take each forenoon, not attending any of the morning meetings; this would give us the necessary number of business sessions). I think however that at either Lauenstein or Varese there will be difficulty about rooms. In Switzerland I can get pension for 6 francs a day in a lovely place above Vevey (for 5.50 francs if we have a party of 15 or more) in Geneva [page 2] for a little more. At Italian hotels I judge the price would be much more but I will enquire as soon as I know what people desire. Germany or Austria would probably be much less dear.

I enclose a statement as to a modified Agenda, prepared when I expected the meeting to be held this month.

I BEG YOU TO GIVE THIS YOUR ATTENTION AND LET ME HEAR FROM YOU IN REGARD TO ANY BUSINESS WHICH YOU THINK WE OUGHT TO TAKE UP BY CORRESPONDENCE BEFORE THE EX. COMM. CAN COME TOGETHER.

WITH REGARD TO GENOA: I am sending with this a new text of the proposed memorial.

PEACE MISSIONS: I think we should not let the spring and early summer pass unused. I am free to travel if it seems useful for me to do so.

PASSIVE RESISTANCE: I send herewith a copy of Frl. Heymann's very interesting preliminary report and beg National Sections to cooperate with her.

TRANSFER TO VIENNA: the vote stands at present as follows:

JULY DEMONSTRATION: As soon as you receive the material on this subject from the No More War Office please consider whether your section wishes to cooperate and how.

STATEMENT OF OBJECT: I propose the following wording which is based on that voted at Vienna modified to cover substantially the suggestion from Hungary. Please vote on this at the next opportunity. Unless before September 1, 4 Sections have recorded an objection or proposed a different wording, I will consider this wording approved (Unless this way of deciding is itself objected to).

The W.I.L.P.F. aims at binding together women in every country who oppose all war and who desire to promote the following objects

1) The creation of relations of good will between nations and between different nationalities, sexes, classes and religions of the same country, to the end that mutual helpfulness may replace war and violence;

2) The establishment of political, social and moral equality between men and women and equal liberty and equal treatment in all respects for those of different nationalities, classes or religions within a country.

3) The introduction of these principles into all systems of education.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS have been suggested on three points:

The Swedish Sections proposed 1) to give votes, in Executive Committee votes, to alternates elected in countries unrepresented on the Ex. Comm. or one of the two Consultative Members of each country, 2) to hold a Congress every third year at most.

3) At Vienna the Ex. Comm. voted to recommend to the Congress to authorize the Ex. Comm. to exercise discretion as to the basis of membership of National Sections. This matter was not however brought up before the Congress. It is now open to the Ex. Comm. to make recommendations on the matter to the next Congress and I [page 4] hope that it will do so. It may be remembered that a suggestion made at Vienna was to allow more than one society to represent us in the same country.

These 3 suggested amendments to the Constitution ought to be added to the Agenda of the Ex. Comm. when it comes together.

Yours sincerely

(signed) Emily G. Balch.

Annex 1 Circular Letter Series 1922 A5 B4

Annex 2 Passive resistance.

[*] at any rate so long as League of Nations is at Geneva.

[**] raises the constitutional question whether it is not a question that only a Congress can decide.

[***] not a definite "no", inclined against.

[****] We are now having a certain amount of printing and other work done from Vienna by the kind [cooperation] of the Austrian Section (printing of Congress Report, mailing of same, printing of some supplies, manufacture of Pax pins). We hope to do more in this way and to get some of our printing done in France near Geneva but there are difficulties of delay, tariffs and so forth which complicate such arrangements.