January 11, 1923

Dear Friends:

The Budapest letter has not arrived. As in last month, I am writing a few days  
earlier than usual because of the urgency of the questions (this in answer to Abra-  
ham’s question).  

We have held various meetings of the persons directly connected with the Press;  
with the following results. I will discuss the business and financial sides apart.  

First the Verlag’s deficit through the Press. I had not seen the „Abrechnung“ when  
I last wrote, and even now cannot say anything in detail about it, for it is obvious-  
ly a preliminary document that has not yet passed the auditor. But whatever the final  
sum may be I give my promise that it shall all be made good to the Verlag, so that  
it will not lose one penny through its English activities. If possible this shall be  
done before Hiller leaves Vienna in March.  

Incidentally the financial situation shows how right Hiller has been in demanding  
so often that accounts be rendered, so that someone should have some idea of how the  
balance stood. How vague the situation has been up to the last minute is seen by the  
fact that both Rickman und Mrs Rivière were assured by the accountant only a few days  
before the „Abrechnung“ was made that there was no Press deficit whatever, and then  
the large sum of £700 is found to be missing.  

In reply to Rank’s telegram, £50 was sent last week, and the rest of the sum  
needed will be sent before Hiller leaves London.  

Now coming to the future. Rickman on his return to London reported to me that  
Rank had definitely rescinded his November plan of continuing the Press in Germany
 

Faksimile fehlt!

as part of the Verlag. I could not believe that he would not let me personally know something about his second decision, and in the hope that it was not final wrote my Rundbrief of Dec 8. definitely asking for his view. This has not yet been answered, but from the two last circular letters from Vienna (one in Professor’s name and one in Rank’s) I must reluctantly infer that Rickman was correct and that the Verlag does not see its way to continue the Press. In spite of the difficulties that have at times arisen between London and Vienna one cannot but regret this decision and hope that the relationship will continue to exist, though in an altered form.

We are all agreed that it would be a serious set-back if the Press were to dissolve and psa publications be left to the disinterested hands of other publishers. In particular it would mean that the Journal would in all probably cease to exist, for such Journals are only possible in England with private help, no publisher wishing to take the trouble for such a small and doubtful reward. Flügel advised this course, but the rest of us were desirous of making another attempt to carry on, provided we can get the sympathetic help of the Verlag (on which I am sure we can count), and have formulated the following plan. This is that a Private Limited Liability Company be formed and money raised in the form of shares. To begin with this would consist of Bryan, Flügel, Rickman, Mrs Rivière, and myself, and I am also inviting the three American assistant editors, Brill, Frink3 and Oberndorf4 to join us. We would then employ a pub- lisher, Bernard Cape, of whom Rickman has already spoken, to produce the Journal and books solely in our name. He would be paid ten % of the costs of production and fifteen % of the receipts from sales. In the Com- pany’s articles of Association it is proposed to insert various clauses assuring a relationship to the Verlag, e.g. that no Director (Leiter) can be appointed without the consent of the Verlag. Naturally the details, on which Hiller and Rickman are now at work, are not yet prepared in full, and I should be very grateful for any suggestions from any member of the Committee, particularly from Rank, in regard to these.

There are of course many complications to be overcome on the way, of which Hiller  
will give the details on his return. For instance, Unwin has refused to release us  
from his contract, so this must continue until the end of this year. We think that  
the first two numbers of Vol. IV of the Journal should be printed in Vienna.  

I will of course fulfil Rank’s request to inform our donors of the financial  
situation. It will be not be easy to make it clear to them, for only those who have  
been in Vienna seem to be able to distinguish at all between Verlag and Press. It  
took us some time the other evening to persuade Bryan that the Press did not publish  
the „Zeitschrift“! In reference to this I should like to ask the meaning of the  
remark about „die von den Engländern festgehaltene Meinung, daß der Verlag die  
Press ausnütze“, for it is strange that I have never heard of such a thing.  

May I ask for opinions, especially from Professor and Ferenczi, about the question  
of admitting Eder to membership of the Society. Personally I am rather opposed to it,  
for the following reasons. He has deep religious, mystical and ethical complexes  
which interfere with his intelligence and results in a complete muddle of the most  
anagogic kind. He broke up the old London Psa Society by not resigning his position  
as secretary, after he and his anagogic friends he had introduced as Freudians had  
made all discussions, and consequently all meetings, impossible. There was no other  
solution than to dissolve the Society and start the new British one, in 1919. Even  
Jung was more honourable and, after some hesitation, resigned on realising his diver-  
gences from Psa.
 

Berlin. You will find the address of the Indian officers in Z., S. 522. 

With cordial greetings to all,

Ernest Jones.