Oct. 6th 1924
My dear Miss Addams:
When I returned last week I found your letter of August 10th awaiting me. I must confess, Miss Addams, that I hate saying "no" to you, in reply to your search for funds for the W.I.L.P.F. but some time ago I decided not to give any contributions to peace organizations which do not take the right stand on Non-Resistance. I feel this strongly in the case of W.I.L. as [page 2] there are so many, many members who individually take the non-resistant view, but who think it advisable to stand by that principle in a body.
When one considers how many attacks are made on the W.I.L. on the basis of the "Slackers Oath" etc etc. it does seem a pity that in reply to these attacks, the W.I.L. could not come out with the ringing response: Yes, that is exactly where we do stand and we are proud of it.
Much of the work of ↑done by↓ the W.I.L. seems to me to lie quite outside the [page 3] field of peace and freedom. For instance, why should the W.I.L. make a report on the disinfection of horse-hair and troops? Is this a new method of attaining world peace?
I hope -- and presume from the heading of your letter -- that your summer has been ↑a↓ happy and a health-giving one -- [though] I fear that no matter what secluded corner of the earth you choose for a retreat that some international problem [page 4] is bound to poke in its nose.
Please do not bother to answer this. Perhaps when next we meet you will explain to me about the disinfection of "hair, wool, and troops"!!
As ever --
Ellen Winsor
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