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Women’s Cosmopolitan Club, 133 East 40th Street (New York).—Has been writing articles, giving interviews, and discussing her ‘War and Women Campaign’. Refers to forthcoming engagements. Christabel Pankhurst is lying low.

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Transcript

Women’s Cosmopolitan Club, 133 East 40th Street
Nov. 3

Dearest. Just a line to say that I am very well & very busy. This morning I am writing articles for “Harpers”, & for The Survey. And giving material to reporters & interviewees also. One wants a day 36 hours long.

The weather is lovely—friends are delightful. Interests are many & there are vistas of work that could be done. One thing leads to another. Even yet I have no cut & dried plan. {1} Feakins is out of town for days & only makes flying visits to New York. He has rather broken down over my arrangements, but not I think through his own fault. In the meantime he ties me up from answering my own invitations from Suffrage Societies—& going ahead with my own programme.

But I am so busy here that I dont much care. I am seeing people every day & talking my War & Women Campaign & a new kind of organization is getting itself born. Lots of people—men & women quite outside Suffrage Movement are getting very keen.

But of course new things take time & have to encounter obstacles & difficulties. I speak in Boston. Nov. 8. Washington Nov. 15. Have several unfixed invitations & am going to Hull House to stay with Miss Addams. {1} I expect great things from that. I feel absolutely uncertain as to time of my return. If War & Women Campaign is still-born, I should like to fulfil my engagements which (including invitations not yet accepted) {2} would take me up to about Dec 8th & get home for Christmas—but if that new organization passes successfully through the various stages of its initiation then I should like to stay on into the New Year.

Unless you want me to come home, I should like to settle down to this piece of real constructive work. Of course I wouldn’t dream of staying, if it were merely to enjoy myself & have a good time. At any moment of course, the idea may be turned down as impracticable & then I should get a boat straight away & cable to you that I was on my way home. But the knowledge that you can join me whenever you want to, makes me feel that it is all right to go cautiously ahead, & seize any opportunity that may present itself of getting a few constructive ideas launched upon the world if I can.

I am sending you the Century with Miss Doty’s article. {1} You might pass it round. {1} Dorothy especially would be interested as she knows Miss Doty. I am sending a separate copy to Con Lytton. Susan is writing an article on the Police Courts for V.f.W. C. P. is still here in New York lying very low. “Waiting till Mrs P. L is gone” they say. She doesnt come across my path the very least. In great haste

With lots of love. Ever yours
Patz

Sent off circular letter yesterday about morning in Children’s Court.

[Added at the head:] Going to dinner with Mr & Mrs Wells tomorrow night. (E. Robin’s) {3} friends

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{1} Full stop supplied.

{2} ‘including … accepted’ interlined; brackets supplied.

{3} Closing bracket supplied.

† Sic.

Backset Town House, Henfield, Sussex.—Postpones a lunch engagement.

(Steyning Police Station, and) Backset, Henfield, Sussex.—Describes her visit to the police station to register as an American. Recalls her stay with the Pethick-Lawrences in London.

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Transcript

Oct. 30. ’14
Backset, Henfield, Sussex

My dear Mr Lawrence:

You have been wondering—or no, you will have realized why I have not written more than that line of thanks for the cabled news.

I wont† go into any boring details, but I haven’t been up to much. I must put off making any further plans for a few days longer. I had to turn out today—grey & drizzling—for what do you think? To take the train to Steyning & to register myself as an American. Here I sit in the Steyning Police Station waiting for the return of Supt. Airs from Lancing—tho why he is in Lancing after saying in reply to my letter that I was to come with as little delay as possible, I leave you to —

Later

At that moment he came in but has again gone out to see to some one else. I have often won-dered how your book is prospering. Dont you find it very difficult in these days to concentrate yr. thought? I do ‥ & yet the imaginary world is a refuge at times from the real. We are lucky, you & I, to have two.
Oh these Jacks in office! ‥ this creature with the waxed mustachios & the air of being Ruler & Guide to the Universe … has been somewhat impertinent & I am ruffled. I wd have said these were more German than English manners. I wait now for a cab for the rain is heavier now.

Home again

This letter was to be more than anything my warm & never forgetting thanks for those days in that magical island of peace & comfort in the midst of Babylon—tho’ Babylon wasn’t a sea as I seem to be making out. There is something special about 119—I like to remember what you told me of its history . . . & quite sure am I, that the spirit that went to the gift has taken up its abode there, to rest & make glad not only the woman it was dressed for but her friends. And yours, may I say? I am too exhausted to write Miss Start tonight as I intended. But tomorrow.

Yours most sincerely,
Elizabeth Robins.

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† Sic.

Ladies’ Athenaeum Club, 31 & 32 Dover Street, W.—Her departure for Florida has been postponed because she is unwell.

Rounton Grange, Northallerton.—Thanks him for copies of his speeches. Is consulting an American lawyer about some business requiring a knowledge of American law in the far South. Is disappointed that her English lawyer, Frost, has transferred her business to his son.

Rounton Grange, Northallerton.—Thanks him for his letter. Will ask the elder Mr Frost to take charge of the small quantity of legal business she has in England.

6 Palace Gate, Kensington, W.8.—Is sorry to have missed the opportunity of dining with them. She was away from home when the invitation was delivered.

24 Montpelier Crescent, Brighton.—Invites her and Mr Lawrence to lunch.

24 Montpelier Crescent, Brighton 1.—Thanks her for her helpful letter. She will know the date of her arrival at Braunwald within the next twenty-four hours. Is looking forward to her first flight.

Hotel Alpenblich, Braunwald, Switzerland.—Has been received kindly by Marie Jenny-Streiff, who has praised Mrs Pethick-Lawrence’s book (My Part in a Changing World).

24 Montpelier Crescent, Brighton 1.—Discusses the measures taken to obtain a visa for Marie Jenny-Streiff.

24 Montpelier Crescent, Brighton 1.—Discusses Marie Jenny-Streiff’s unsuccessful attempts to obtain a visa to visit England.

Valour House, Southwest Harbor, Maine.—Refers to her hurried departure from England and her delay at Lisbon. Asks how she might best assist the cause of persuading America to join the war.

24 Montpelier Crescent, Brighton, Sussex.—Invites him and Lady Pethick-Lawrence to visit her at the Cadogan Hotel during her stay in London.

24 Montpelier Crescent, Brighton 1.—Their last letter came when she was unwell. Is about to travel to New York, Pittsburgh, and Florida. Dr Martindale is flying to America at the same time.

Confirms her acceptance of an invitation (3/139).

Is pleased to hear of her arrival at Braunwald (see 3/141).

Is still investigating her inquiry as to whether Gladstone made a certain remark about agricultural labourers.

Mrs Lawrence has cabled the results of the suffrage referenda in the United States (see 8/14), which contradict the reports in the English papers. Gives details of Mrs Lawrence’s itinerary.

Mrs Pethick-Lawrence advises that, if the Home Office give permission for Marie Jenny-Streiff to visit Elizabeth Robins in England, it will still be necessary for her to obtain a British exit visa (see 3/142).

Elizabeth Robins is applying for permission for Marie Jenny-Streiff of Braunwald, Switzerland, to visit her in England in order to help her with a book. Asks him to grant the application.

Home Office.—Marie Jenny-Streiff (see 3/152) should apply in the first instance to the British Passport Control Officer for Brussels.

(Signed as Private Secretary.)

Sparrenhof, Heide-Calmpthout, (Belgium).—Thanks him for his efforts to obtain a visa for her. Unfortunately it will not be possible to obtain one in time to make her intended visit to England.

Writes in support of Elizabeth Robins’s application to return to England (see 3/283-4), enclosing relevant correspondence. Suggests that a broadcast by her might be used to promote Anglo-American relations.

Whitehall, London, S.W.1.—Explains why he has rejected Elizabeth Robins’s application to return to England.

Supports the suggestion that, if Elizabeth Robins were given permission to come to England, she might speak and broadcast on Anglo-American understanding.

Ministry of Information.—The proposal that Elizabeth Robins should be brought to England to speak and broadcast on Anglo-American understanding has been rejected on the grounds that she is ‘rather old for as full a programme of meetings as would justify an Atlantic passage at this time’.

Asks him to give sympathetic attention to Elizabeth Robins’s application for a British visa.