June 7th, 1918
My dear Mr. Baldwin:
I have gone over the enclosed item with the help of Edith Abbott who feels that it would be useless to write to the President unless we had a very strong case. We jotted down our objections as we went along and I find in reading the typewritten copy over, that it sounds rather blunt. I am sure you know I did not mean to be critical or disagreeable, but I think the facts in the case are quite as we represented them.
I would not like to write to the President on such data. Some of the people [around] him will, of course, be perfect "sharks" for finding out any weakness in the case. There is no doubt that all sorts of propaganda material is being held up by the Post Office department. We know that they held up many things here from Socialist publications to copies of Randolph Bourne's article: "War and the Intellectuals."
On the other hand, it does not seem to me clear that money sent for the I.W.W. trial is being held up in the Post Office, and does not reach them.
If I can be convinced by new material of course I will do my best in the matter. Please don't think me too fussy.
Faithfully yours,
Jane Addams [signed]
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