December 17th, 1918
My dear Miss Balch:
I can well understand the impatience of the New York branch but I do not think they in the least realize the difficulties involved in an International meeting at this time.
I am enclosing a copy of my reply to Miss Vincent and a copy of the letter to Mrs. Spencer.
I do hope that something may be done in the way of a convention. I have tried to express in my letter to Mrs. Post what I feel about moving prematurely in the matter. I am sorry to seem so slow and stubborn ↑about the International Congress,↓ but after all one can only decide as best one can and I think you will see when Mrs. Post sends you the letters from Australia and England that the women there are by no means as impatient as the New York group.
If you could get your passport and go over in advance, it would be fine and I am sure you know how glad I would be if you were there in communication with that splendid Scandinavian group. I really think the preliminaries will have to be carried on largely by the neutrals. I have had no replies to my cables and I would think the cables to me were being held up were it not for the fact that the enclosed cable from the Finnish women came Saturday and that we have been told that some of the cables are eight days coming over.
↑A. Hamilton is not one of the "five," so think of a good young radical for Mrs Kelleys place. Yrs↓ J. A. [initialed]
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