INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHO‑ANALYSIS

«IP0,0»                             29 September 1924  London W1

Dear Professor,

«IP4,0»It was a long time since I had seen your own handwriting, so this feature added to the pleasure of today's letter.  Abraham had sent me a good account of your health and spirits after seeing you and this week a letter from Hitschmann reported you as "«MDUL»frisch und arbeitsfreudig«MDNM»" [fresh and eager to work], but it was best of all to find this confirmed from your own hand.

I am glad to give you the good news that the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» may be regarded as safe for some years, as the response to the appeal has been excellent.  The next thing will be to increase the circulation, especially in America, until it is self‑supporting, which I think it will be before long.  From Part 3 you will have noticed that we employ a medical publishing firm of good standing (Baillière) to do the work, and that (mainly to please some whim of Rickman's) the name of the Press has been changed to Institute.  This Institute has Government powers to do various things, e.g. found a clinic, as soon as we get funds, and we have just decided to make its membership co‑terminous with the full «MDUL»medical«MDNM» (for political reasons) members of the Society, not Associates; in this we were all agreed, including Mrs. Riviere.  What the American representation will be will depend on their wishes, which we shall respect and welcome.  Part 4 of 1924 should be out before the end of October.

Mrs. Riviere and I sacrificed most of our holiday to be in a position to fulfil our contract with Woolf of providing translations of the four «MDUL»Collected Papers«MDNM» books by Sept. 1, and I proudly handed them to him on that day.  I have now finished the final «MDUL»revision«MDNM» of the first three, and am to do the fourth by Xmas, though it is doubtful if this will be possible.  We expect every day the proofs of Vol. II.  The first two volumes are to appear in public by the end of October, the others only next year.  After that comes «MDUL»Das Ich und das Es«MDNM».  You do not propose to invent another term (? Greek) for «MDUL»Es«MDNM»?  It cannot be permanently used in psychology in that form, surely.

Frink has certainly come a bad cropper.  After his discharge from the Psychiatric Clinic«FN1.××In the previous May Frink had committed himself to the Phipps Psychiatric Clinic in Baltimore.» he has gone to Texas, where he again behaved badly.  It is more than doubtful if he will ever return to N. Y.  His wife is applying for a divorce.  He has alienated the N. Y. members not so much by his psychosis as by many dishonourable acts, and his name on the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» can do us no good in America; what do you think about removing it?«FN1.××Frink's name was removed from the titlepage of subsequent issues of the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM».»

I understand your attitude towards Americans, and largely agree with it in so far as it relates to the general characteristics of American civilization.  But I remember Pitt's saying: "One cannot indict a nation".«FN1.××William Pitt (1759‑1806), British statesman, prime minister (1783‑1801, 1804‑1806), lead the diplomatic offensive against revolutionary France, and later against Napoleon.

»  They are human beings with the same potentiality as others.  They vary greatly, and you have had few typical specimens to deal with.  Then in fifty years they will be the arbiters of the world, so that it is impossible to ignore them.  At all events, I shall persevere in my endeavours to strengthen the slight foothold | / has there.

The event of this week has been Brill's arrival.  He spent the week‑end with us and we had a heart‑to‑heart talk.  I find him much improved after an eleven years' interval.  He is certainly a gifted analyst, though I cannot agree with some of his technique.  His | / work is interfered with by his psychiatric work as well as hospitals, lectures, etc., but his central position in N.×Y. is unquestionable.  His resistances against you and me I found to be unimportant and easily cleared away.  He admitted his unfortunate Verlesen in inserting the word Semitic into my letter to him about Rank (luckily I had kept a copy of it).«FN1.××See note 2 to letter 406.»  The sore point was of course his translations, though he is getting used to the knowledge of their being poor.  Against me his only grudge was that I had apparently coupled him with Tannenbaum at the inception of the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» (though I had immediately dismissed the latter when Brill answered my inquiry about him).

What shall I say about Rank?  What we all feel.  There is a man whom we have all been fond of personally, whose unusual capacity no one has ever doubted, and whose position it would be extremely hard to replace.  Yet the meaning of the situation cannot be overlooked any longer.  The manifest neurosis of 1913,«FN1.××Rank appears to have been in the throws of a deep depression at that time, in fact, considering a personal analysis with Jones.  He wrote to Jones on 24 December 1914: "Subjectively, I feel quite badly, and would like to come to you earlier than you expect, if I could." (Archives of The British Psycho‑Analytical Society, London.)  » which disappeared in the war, has gradually returned in the form of a neurotic character and is running its normal course ‑‑ denial of the Oedipus complex.  The part played by the father, and the sexual wishes towards the mother, are minimized and re‑interpreted.  As there is no one he would allow to analyse him, I can see only one outcome, though this may be possibly postponed by compromise.«FN1.××The fact that Rank had considered going to England to be analyzed by Jones in 1914 has a touch of the ironical.

»  From four or five sources I hear reports of his doings in America and am sorry to say they are none of them agreeable ones.  His disparaging remarks about both your person and your work are the most painful, though the most comprehensible ‑‑ simply a regression of the hostility from the brother (myself, who had been useful in this role for some years) to the father.  It is thus not personal against you ‑‑ only the father imago.  Politically I am disturbed by his liaison with Jelliffe and White (he is analysing the latter).  To publish the paper he did in «MDUL»their |×/×Review«MDNM»,«FN1.××Rank (1924a).» which is the refuge of all malcontents, is «MDUL»«MDNM»something he would never have dreamt of two years ago; he was asked to send it to the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM», but refused.  I have much reason to fear that the other members may repudiate the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» in favour of the «MDUL»Review«MDNM», and that his influence will not be used to prevent this.  He tried to negociate «MDNM»with Jelliffe and White that they publish your «MDUL»Gesammelte Arbeiten«MDNM» in toto, but the plan fell through.

Ferenczi and I have twice exchanged letters in the vacation, and I shall certainly continue as close contact as possible.  I am very fond of him and know him well.  I do not trace any suspicion of anti‑analytic tendency in his work, but cannot refrain from the diagnosis of narcissism combined with poor judgement.  No doubt you saw Tansley's review of his work in the «MDUL»British Journal of Medical Psychology«MDNM».«FN1.××A. G. Tansley, [Critical notice of «MDUL»Versuch einer Genitaltheorie«MDNM» by Dr. S. Ferenczi,] «MDUL»British Journal of Medical Psychology«MDNM», 4(1924):156‑161.

»

Sachs left last week after two months in this country, where he made a very good impression.  The course of lectures he gave, all of which I attended, were excellent and were highly appreciated.

We were horrified at the dreadful news about Hug. Hellmuth, and fear you must have felt it badly too.«FN1.××Dr. Hermine Hug‑Hellmuth was murdered by her nephew, Rudolph Hug, on 9 September 1924.»

Your capacity for work in the past, dear Professor, has been so extraordinary that it is not fair for you to measure your present output by such a standard.  If the quality renmains as high, or if possible is even higher, cannot you be content if the quantity is somewhat less.

It is cruel of me to trouble you with such a long letter just when your session is re‑opening, but I had so much to say.

With my warmest greetings  Yours always  Ernest Jones

«MDUL»P.S.«MDNM»  I should be interested to know in which year the chapter in These Eventful Years was written.

«IP4,0»My wife is having some photos prepared and will have pleasure in sending them herself.  We are all very well and happy.