16th Feb. 1925  

Dear Friends,  

We have finished correcting the proofs of Vol. III of the “Collected Pa-  
pers” (Krankengeschichten) so that it should appear in less than a month’s  
time. The revising of the translation of Vol. IV should also be finished in  
another month. The Institute represents little more than a change of title from  
the old Press, brought about by Rickman’s perception of some obscure legal  
advantages. The Institute is incorporated by the Government as a scientific body  
and thus it does not rank as a commercial firm. Its aim is to set the Society  
free to purely scientific activities, by dealing itself with all the external  
aspects of the movement. Thus it will be the body undertaking the organisation  
of the clinic. Unlike the Press it is empowered to receive trustee bequests and  
legacies.  

From the last remarks it will be observed that the Berlin letter arrived  
this morning. There are two other matters mentioned in the letter on which I will  
comment. The proposal to hold the Congress in French Switzerland was for several  
reasons extremely acceptable to us and it is disappointing to hear about the change.  
Just because the Swiss are so difficult and aloof it was particularly important to  
come to some understanding with them, so that if Abraham, who has special gifts in  
this respect was unable to accomplish this, it means that the outlook is obscure for  
the future. This is such a serious matter that we would gladly hear details from  
Abraham of the actual difficulties they raised. In regard to the date of the  
Congress I may say that for the English and probably also for the American members  
it would be most convenient if the Congress finished before the first of  
September.  

I find Abraham’s letter to Stern entirely tactful and correct and I quite  
agree with his diagnosis of the original source of the trouble. It is unfortunately 
far from being the only instance in which a lack of tact on the part of the  
Continental analysts has placed their colleagues in England and America in consid-  
erable difficulties. Several instances have arisen, for example, where the  
analysand reserved many of his resistances for his own countryman, so that the  
highly favourable impression received by the analyst, with the recommendations and  
advice based on this have been difficult to reconcile with the bad impression  
produced in the other country. Scepticism in the latter place thus naturally  
tends to increase resistances and make the situation still worse. There are many  
advantages in a person being analysed in a foreign country, but there are also  
some special features in the situation which it would be desirable for us all to 
discuss sometime from a technical point of view.  

Congratulations for the symbolic act of the Berlin Medical Society. I have  
officially thanked the Berlin group for the honour they did me in electing me to
 

honorary membership, but should like to record here also my warm appreciation  
of the act.  
From the previous Berlin letter I see that Wulff replaces Ermakow as  
President in Moscow. Apropos of this I should like to ask who is really  
responsible for the title-page of the Zeitschrift, whether Professor, Ferenzci,  
Radó or Storfer. I have made every endeavour to make the title-page of the  
Journal conform with that of Zeitschrift, but with imperfect success. Some  
time ago, Professor, who is director of the Journal, gave me permission to  
omit the names of Frink and Rank, as they were to be omitted also from the  
Zeitschrift. To my surprise Heft 3 of the Zeitschrift contained the names of  
Ermakow and Adolph Stern, about which no arrangement had been made with the  
Journal. So with whom should I correspond to reach accord in the matter?  

With my cordial greetings to you all,  

Yours always,  

Ernest Jones.  

P.S:  
There was one point with which Abraham did not deal in his letter to Stern.  
He says that Miss Newton has never solicited admission to full membership,  
so that no consequences whatever for future cases need result from this one.  
By the Rules of the International, however, such a member, unless she has  
special permission from the President, is automatically transferred to the  
group in her country of residence. Thus Miss Newton is now actually a  
member of the New York group and no longer of the Vienna one. What happens  
when, as in the present instance, the Rules of two groups conflict with each  
other (e.g. lay members) has never been decided and should be discussed at  
the next Congress.  

                                      E.J.