May 5, 1917.
Dear Miss Addams:
Professor Taylor sent me your "Patriotism and Pacifists" and I want you to know how much I prize the chance to read it. As you know, we have sort of a truce on pending a meeting of the Board, which has again been postponed. And the long memorandum I sent you last Saturday makes clear how I feel. I tried this on Mr. Glenn, who feels strongly that your address falls within the terms of our understanding, which I want to live up to faithfully so as not to complicate the decision. I hope you will place it in The Atlantic, for large numbers of people should share with the Chicago audience in your counsel and vision.
On the other hand, I feel that it is a crime to bar such a manuscript from The Survey; and that if we denude it of the social message of leaders in our American social movements, when they are thinking most searchingly and in terms of social values, we shall be crippling The Survey irretrievably.
At the same time, because of its nascent possibilities for service in the time ahead, I am anxious to conserve The Survey -- and especially Mr. DeForest's continued interest and participation, in view of his long-time gift of himself to its upbuilding. While his own position on the war issues as they come up has had more in common, I think, with yours and with mine than with those of the extremists of the other camp on the Board, he believes that you and peace are outside our scope, and that they will disrupt The Survey. I do not [page 2] think that necessarily in themselves -- or in all their aspects -- they are ours; but in certain social aspects they are intrinsically so. Whether by throwing aside, as we always have in the past, the attempt to define The Survey's scope in terms of subjects, and whether the organic conception of The Survey which we have held to will afford a basis for continued cooperation, I do not know; but I am hopeful of some affirmative solution, and am anxious to have your counsel and criticism of the memorandum sent you last week.
Sincerely,
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