Vilma Glücklich to the Executive Committee of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, February 11, 1925 Also known as: Vilma Glücklich to Jane Addams, February 11, 1925

WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM

To members of the Executive Committee.

Geneva, 11th February, 1925.

Dear friends,

I have to forward to you the enclosed letter of the President of our German group in Czechoslovakia, from which I gather with great regret that new difficulties have arisen in the [cooperation] of the two groups. I have asked the [Czech] group to give us a statement of the motives for their proposal to [reorganize] the Central Committee, but so far it has not arrived. I cannot understand the situation very well, and cannot even guess why Mrs. Wiechowski thinks that the Geneva office is giving any kind of help to the [endeavor]; I had no knowledge whatever of it until I received her letter.

At the same time, I beg to put before you two suggestions which have come in during the last fortnight:

1) The German group in Czechoslovakia wishes us to unite all women's [organizations] in a protest against all kinds of political terrorism. The governments of the world must be made to feel their heavy responsibility for any kind of illegal and violent methods used against persons opposed to their policy; it is their duty strictly to enforce punishment of political terrorism, this to be directed first of all [illegible] against the instigators of hatred and revenge, not only against the ignorant people misled by them. 

If you want this to be carried out, I would suggest extending the appeal to Peace [organizations], and restricting it to the more progressive [organizations] of women.

2) The Hungarian Section asks whether our League could not intervene with the League of Nations in order to secure representation of the vanquished countries at Council Meetings where the supervision of their disarmament is discussed. The question arose when the Committee of Control of the League of Nations took the place of the Interallied Committee for the control in Hungary. There was no representation of the Little Entente in the Interallied Committee, while in the present Committee they are represented and this makes the Hungarian government very uneasy. It protested against this decision of the Council having been taken in the absence of any representative of Hungary, who could have given the necessary information.

I think you all know that I am not at all in [favor] of the present Hungarian government. But taking the question from a quite general standpoint: should not a State member of the League be allowed to bring before the Council special difficulties that might arise because of the personnel of the Commission? (See the case of the [Mosul] Commission). Is it not easier for English or French or Spanish or Swiss members of a Committee to obtain all the details concerning Hungarian disarmament or the lack of it, than it is for Czech or [Romanian] or [Serbian] members?

If you agree about this, I would suggest a general memorandum asking that the vanquished countries may be allowed to send a representative to the Council Meeting whenever their obligations in carrying out the Peace Treaties are discussed.

I beg to add that the Council -- in answering the Hungarian protest -- says that a Committee of jurists had been consulted before and had [page 2] found the Council's procedure in accordance with articles 4 and 5 of the Covenant. In article 4 I find the following passage:

"Any member of the League not represented on the Council shall be invited to send a Representative to sit as a member at any meeting of the Council during the consideration of matters specially affecting the interest of that Member of the League."

In view [of] the word "shall," I do not quite understand how the Committee of jurists arrived at their decision, but in any case we might say that the articles of the Covenant should be interpreted rather in the spirit of good will and democracy than from a rigidly juridical standpoint.

Will you kindly tell me whether you wish a memorandum to be sent on this question, so that the Secretary General might put it on the list of [nonofficial] communications for the March session of the Council. Mme. Duchêne will be here on the 19th inst; if I have your reply in time, we could perhaps see the Secretary General together.

It is possible that Mme. Duchêne will have the opportunity to represent us on another deputation as well. At the suggestion of the Woman Suffrage Alliance, a joint letter has been sent to the Secretary General of the L. of N., asking for the representation of the International Women's [Organizations] on the Advisory Committee for Children's Welfare. Now Lady Aberdeen wishes a deputation to call on Sir Eric Drummond and to emphasize this claim. So far, the Y.W.C.A., the International Council and our League have signed the letter.

The Committee of our League against Scientific Warfare will meet in Paris the 17th inst., as Dr. Woker's boat is sailing the 19th. Should it be possible for one of you to attend it, will you please give notice at once to Mme. Duchêne.

Hoping to hear from you soon,

very sincerely yours

Suggestion as to the [cooperation] of our two groups in Czechoslovakia: (if any)