age States during the
congressional campaign of 1914 and fought the re-election of some of
the staunchest friends of this amendment, Senator Thomas of Colorado,
for instance, chairman of the Senate Committee which had reported it
favorably and a lifelong suffragist. The press and public not knowing
the difference between the two organizations were holding the National
American Association responsible and protests were coming from all
over the country. Some of the younger members, who did not know the
history and traditions of the old association, thought that there
should be cooperation between the two bodies. Both had lobbyists
actively working at the Capitol, members of Congress were confused and
there was a considerable feeling that some plan for united action
should be found. Miss Zona Gale, the writer, offered the following
motion, which was carried without objection: "Realizing that all
suffragists have a common cause at heart and that difference of
methods is inevitable, it is moved that an efficiency commission
consisting of five members be appointed by the Chair to confer with
representatives of the Congressional Union in order to bring about
cooperation with the maximum of efficiency for the successful passage
of the Susan B. Anthony Amendment at this session of Congress." The
Handbook of the convention (page 155) has the following:

In accordance with the action of the convention, on the motion of
Miss Zona Gale, the president of the National American Woman
Suffrage Association appointed a committee of five consisting of
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt of New York; Mrs. Medill McCormick of
Illinois; Mrs. Stanley McCormick of Massachusetts; Mrs.
Antoinette Funk of Illinois and Miss Hannah J. Patterson of
Pennsylvania, to confer with a similar committee from the
Congressional Union on the question of cooperation in
congressional action. These committees met at the New Willard on
December 17, Miss Alice Paul, Miss Lucy Burns, Mrs. Lawrence
Lewis, Miss Anne Martin and Mrs. Gilson Gardner being present as
representatives of the Congressional Union, all but Mrs. Lewis
(Penn.) of the District of Columbia.

Its representatives made two suggestions: (1) That the
Congressional Union should affiliate with the National American
Woman Suffrage Association. (2) That in any event frequent
meetings for consultation should be held between the legi