Dear Miss Addams,
I enclose Miss Hobhouse's letter in which she refers to Norman Angell and to various matters that may interest you.
Dr. Nasmyth is Pres. Garfield's main stay in Washington and is doing a marvelous work in organizing and bringing the coal barons to terms. He has hopes that their whole movement may lead to a new cabinet position after the war and permanent control of mineral or coal land. He says the President seems very vigorous and he feels that he has [a great] [page 2] ambition to go down in history as having done great work for world organization. He thinks his reply to the Pope and other papers have not yet been comprehended and that the country needs great educational work.
As to our annual ↑Ex board↓ meeting, I can not be in New York on the 15th of Oct. but could attend a meeting here. Mrs. Post says she could not attend the "first or second" and I suppose she means the week. I ought to make plans for you and save you thought and trouble but I feel unable to think out just what is the wisest thing to do. I am distraught with family cares and uncertain about every thing as to my plans. I imagine there are millions in [page 3] the same condition. We must however meet and I agree with Mrs. Post that the meeting should be here or in New York. I am inclined to think the annual meeting should not be in Washington and that we should not attempt the type of mass meeting that we have hither to had, [though] how we are to raise money otherwise I do not know.
I have just written ↑Later↓ to Mrs. Post to inquire whether she referred to the week or the day and said I hoped we might meet not later than the 8th of October.
Our head quarters in Boston are so small, they would be suitable for an annual meeting of only half the size of the last one. The locality is noisy, but of course I can get them for you if we have to meet in [page 4] Boston. Personally I prefer it, but it would limit our numbers largely to New England delegates or else be a burden on many from a distance.
How far will the People's Council people want to influence policy? I feel sure the New York and Mass. people will clash on that, and I do not know just what is to be done. This must be threshed out at our annual meeting. We can't accept their anti conscription policy I am sure. But I hope we can present something positive and make some protest against the ban on freedom of speech as well as carry out in the main the idea presented in our statement.
I think the Fourlights is to adopt a new scheme and will improve.
Yours, ever,
Lucia Ames Mead.
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