Philadelphia, March 25th, 1924.
To the Members of the Executive Committee --
Please give your attention at once to the following facts:
The Executive Committee and the Chairman have taken definite action in supporting Miss Woods as the person in actual charge of the work of organizing the Congress. This necessitates my resignation as Chairman of the National Committee, International Congress which will be placed before the National Board tomorrow.
I must urge each of you to realize that this does not settle the question of how the work for the Congress can go on.
My statement in relation to the work and those of Miss Edgar and Mrs. Jones and the statements of many others deeply interested in the success of the Congress show that Miss Woods' failure to cooperate is not the only difficulty. She believes that she alone can direct and carry out the whole plan and that she is responsible for making all decisions on matters of policy and on matters of detail.
The plan is international in its scope and demands prompt action in relation to the W.I.L. in all parts of the world as well as careful management and hearty cooperation with the W.I.L. in all parts of the United States. It cannot be done by one person. Most decidedly, it cannot be done by Miss Woods.
Three months' daily experience in Headquarters has left me with no doubts on this question.
The Congress must go on. As you well know, it is not possible to "cable to Europe on April 7th" that the invitation is [canceled].
How it shall go on must be decided by the National Board.
Yours very truly,
Mary H. Ingham. [signed]
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