Emily Greene Balch to Elise Lathrop Lewis, July 9, 1924

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July 9, 1924

Miss Elise L. Lewis,
Chairman of Publicity,
"Y" Unit, W.O.S.L.,
521 West 122nd St.,
New York City

Dear Miss Lewis:

Your letter of June 5, to Miss Jane Addams, has been handed to me for acknowledgement. This letter you may recall contained a copy of a resolution adopted at the "Y" Unit dinner of the Women's Overseas Service League on June 4th.

I regret very much my delay in responding but I have only now been able to have ready an authorized statement dealing with the points that you raise. A copy of the statement is sent you herewith.

I have not the least doubt of the good faith and good patriotic intentions with which the resolution was passed but it does appear to me that it would have been both more prudent and fairer to have first made an attempt to verify the statements relied on, by consulting those against whom they were aimed, before giving them further currency.

You will kindly note that the W.I.L. never has asked of its members any pledge or promise as to what they would do in case of war and that it has no sort of connection with Bolshevism, being diametrically opposed to class warfare and violence.

May I ask you to give as much publicity to these facts as you have given to false allegations? [page 2]

The propaganda of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is not "insidious" but open and above board and I cannot suppose that ↑if↓ your organization had been better informed, it would have wished to "thwart its purposes" which are to bring about a world of friendly and cooperative peoples which I suppose is really the Kingdom of God on earth. Doubtless we should differ on some of the methods of working to realize this but I must believe that the goal we desire is the same.

Sincerely yours,

Emily G. Balch [signed]
Member International Board of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom --
Vice Chairman of Section for the United States of the W.I.L.P.F.
National Office of Section for the United States,
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom,
1402 H. Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C.