February 20, 1915.
My dear Miss Addams:
I have given most careful consideration to your favor of the 17th, with its request that Mr. [Lochner], Secretary of the Chicago Peace Society, and also Secretary of your temporary peace organization, be invited to appear before the Executive Committee of our Association, but I am afraid that nothing could be gained by such an appearance at this time.
We feel that the sentiment of the business men of this community, and indeed of the nation, is that the present is not an opportune time to strive for peace among the warring nations of Europe. And that to take the action contemplated by the national conference called at Chicago would be premature, and likely to very materially lessen the influence that we as a nation may best exert when the time for effective action arrives.
We have complete confidence in the desire of the President of the United States and his administration to assist if possible in bringing the present war to an early conclusion, and are reluctant to urge upon him any specific plan, for it seems that the best of plans would not at this time be productive of peace.
We beg, therefore, upon these grounds to be allowed to decline to engage in the matter at present.
Very sincerely yours,
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