How can I have let such a long time go by without writing to you. I hope that, unknowingly ↑you are↓ returning good for evil you will have written me much more promptly. I so much want to know how you find things. Whether the League situation is not too discouraging. How dear Mrs. Lewis is. Whether you see Miss Addams and if she is well and how she bears up under the Freiberg plans. I am urging her to come to Europe next summer anyway whether we have a Congress or not.
I do hope there will be U.S. Delegates at The Hague. Miss Marshall is making some very interesting proposals as to its make up -– to the effect that other women's organizations accepting the basis of its Call shall be allowed to send voting delegations. Also that after the Conference W.I.L.P.F. delegates should have a voting session by themselves. If this proposal is voted by the Ex. Com. it turns this meeting into a quasi-Congress of the League and if we are not to have a Congress next summer the further question arises whether the Ex. Com should be elected in Dec at The Hague.
I have just learned that Anne Withington is coming to Germany. I wish she might be induced to attend The Hague Conference and made a U.S. delegate for that purpose. I have written to her about it [page 2]
The Summer School plans are moving. I think you know that [M] Duchêne, Mlle Rolland and I met & talked things over and agreed on [Czechoslovakia] as the place if practicable and on Social Peace as a subject. We asked Frau Ragaz to take on hand the organizing of the "literary [program]" and thought the local [illegible] should do all the rest including what was done last year from the Geneva office. Frau Ragaz refused but the prospects are bright in [Czechoslovakia] where Miss MacDowell -– on her second visit -– met [Mrs?] Vankova & other ladies and interested the Presidents Sec'y. The latter thinks we could probably have a castle! We have already sent out a circular letter to Sections which I hope you have received asking for suggestions as to [program] and bibliography. Our funny mistake got out the English -– exhausting for exhaustive. You probably noticed it.
Madame Jouve seems to be taking hold in Paris.
I think the Quakers will send someone to help Frau [Knischewsky] but that the F.O.R. will not do so. [Oliver Dryer?] was entirely taken up with a plan adopted at their [Sonntagberg] meeting last summer for colonizing reconciling people among the Armenians. It seems to me quite unreal but probably I do not really understand it.
Mlle Gobat is at Gland and I do hope will recover her elasticity there. V. G. wanted her to arrange to come to the office once a week but she did not feel that she could do so. [page 3]
I do hope that you had a good voyage and arrived at home in good shape to find all going on well among the members of your family. The cold I had when you left continued troublesome all the rest of my time in Geneva and more or less afterward and made it rather difficult to push through the [business] clearing of business and getting off -- I finally left however the afternoon of Sunday the 8th. I only went at first as ↑far as↓ Aix Les Bains where it was rainy & chilly. Then on Wednesday (the 11) I struck through to Geneva which I found full of reminiscences of our stay here with Mrs Ripley in the spring and Thursday I established myself in this quite perfectly place which lies about an hour further East between Genoa and [Spezia]. For the first week I was rather miserable with a dragging indigestion which may have been the last chapter of the cold I had but now I am getting into fine fettle I hope. I expect to leave Thursday of next week (the 26) for Naples where Helen Cheever who suddenly decided to come over earlier than she at first thought possible, is to join me on the 31st. She is making the journey with some Boston friends, Mary Thomas & her sister Mrs Thompson who have engaged a villa for the season at Capri! So you must think of us [as] perfect Sybarites. H. C. had her tonsils out shortly before starting I do hope it will prove to have been the right thing to do.
Madame Tunas is only just getting back to work and when I saw her before I left she looked to me a very bad color and generally in poor condition. V. G. seems well and full of courage and to prefer to work out her own problems. Miss Reeder is not coming back and [page 4] I do not know what type of aid or how much aid she will decide to get. The office is running very light at present. Mme Métral doing the book keeping at a fixed rate of 60 francs a month, little Mlle. [Jacques?] in charge of telephone & errands and doing some simple copying, addressing [etc.] (50 francs a month) and Madame Tunas (400) with V. G. salary at 650 this gives a total salary list if only 1110 instead of 2000 or over -- Of course there are the heavy expenses at The Hague going on also. Mrs. Annot Robinson is there and Gertrud Baer.
I suppose the Labour Conference is now going on and that Miss McDowell is there for it. It meets not on our side of the city but at the Kursaal & she is staying at the Hotel Richmond close by.
Did you know Miss Dummer is taking Bertha with her to America. I should have supposed Mrs Elgie would have been devastated but not at all. Bertha is between joy and dismay. I think Miss Elgie is now being very nice to her.
Mr Zueblin who has had a relapse as I think you knew was getting on better when I left. Mrs. Zueblin may come later and stay at the M.I.
Please give my love to the many friends -– of the League and otherwise that you will be meeting.
And you know I am affectionately yours & with sincerest good wishes
Emily G. Balch.
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