Through a blunder my letter to Roggenbach only went off to-day, so that it will not be in his hands before Wednesday. Passy wrote me to-day a delighted card about the bonne nouvelle from Berlin,—as if I were not aware of it! Your letter came too late, because it was addressed to the Chamber of Deputies. His address is Frédéric Passy, de l’Institut, Neuilly, near Paris.
It is too bad that Schlief stays out; but the Union could not be political. If on the outside there is formed a political party devoted wholly to the interests of peace, that would be fine, of course. It is good that the A.-L.[[45]] question is passed over in silence; but it must be real silence, not saying in the appeal that we say nothing of it because we do not recognize it; that would render the international relations of the new society more difficult. The solution must be, “We do not say where the right lies in the pending conflicts; we only desire that a system of law and a tribunal should be created in which those who are competent and in authority (as we are not) should settle the conflicts without violence.”
November 9, 1892
Grelling’s words in the first meeting give me great pleasure. Let Schlief just form his political party outside; all the better.
November 13, 1892
Virchow’s sympathy is valuable. I would propose to make use of this sympathy in this way,—to add to the appeal something like the following:
“Prevented by professional obligations in other departments from taking an active part in the management of our society, but penetrated with perfect sympathy for our aims, the following persons have permitted us to use their names in this appeal and so to make known their agreement with what is here said:
“Virchow. Schönaich-Carolath. Etc.”
The page proofs of this appeal must be sent to such of the persons concerned as we wish to draw in further. To-morrow I will let you have a sketch; to-day no time.
If so be that the appeal is already made, I hope it is as brief as possible. That avoids contradiction. It does not need to make converts before it can do its work. Only sympathizers come in, anyhow; and they are—God be praised—numerous.