1O April 1933  81 Harley Street  London W1

Dear Professor,

It was a special pleasure to get a personal letter from you, and to hear again your manly and firm tones in these difficult times.  So far as I can judge, my opinion about the situation in Austria is the same as yours, though I should attach more value to the national‑patriotic desire of the «MDUL»Heimwehr«MDNM» people«FN1.××"Home defence forces."» to retain the personality of old Austria; they must have noted how swiftly Bavaria allowed herself to be swallowed by Prussia.  I am in touch with the Austrian Embassy here and know how strong a fight they are opposing to the Nazi‑Anschluss movement.

I was deeply moved by your offer, even in these difficult days, to help the Abraham family,«FN1.××Karl Abraham's wife Hedwig, daughter Hilde, and son Gerd.

» and am sure that we shall be able to do something practicable in this respect.  I have had to be extremely careful in what I write to them, but I told her in a recent letter that she could always find shelter with us.  I am negotiating with a friend of Eder's to find work for the boy and with van Ophuijsen over the girl's future.  I should imagine it impossible for Mrs. Abraham to continue with her pension, both because of the flight of all guests and because of her brother's ruin.  She appears to have no other friends or support in Berlin, so that presumably she may also come to England.  There are formidable difficulties in the way, both as regards admission to residence in England, especially when earning a living, and even to leaving Germany.  The German solution for what they regard as superfluous Jews appears to be, not to send them away, but to keep them in a cage until they starve.  At the same time their guilt gives them a certain sensitiveness to outside opinion.  I know, for instance, that an interview between Lord Reading«FN1.××Rufus Daniel Isaacs (1860‑1935), 1st marquess of Reading, politician, lord chief justice of England (1913‑1921), and diplomat; brief term in 1931 as foreign secretary in James Ramsay MacDonald's coalition government.

» and the German Ambassador here produced a deep impression.  Therefore the furor will surely die down.  But in the meantime the positions in medicine and law will be occupied by Gentiles, so that the harm cannot be undone.  There is intense indignation in this country among all classes, and I should think also among many Germans.

The Abraham problems seem to me the most urgent.«FN1.××At top of the page, Jones appended to this last sentence the following words: "With the exception of personal ones: my wife has two sisters and a brother in Berlin!"

»  Eitingon will of course stand firm and his Polish nationality should give him security; in the worst case he should find a good home in Paris.  So many of the others have already left the country that their problems are of a different nature.  We are at the moment trying to get permission for Schmideberg«FN1.××Walter Schmideberg, who had arrived in England the previous year, was the husband of Melitta Schmideberg, the daughter of Melanie Klein.» to live in England, and hope to be able to do the same for two or three other colleagues from Germany.  Our Society is unanimous in wishing to help in every way it can.  In the meantime we must all remain in good contact and send any information that may be useful.  I need hardly say that letters here are never opened.

With my warmest greetings,  Yours always affectionately  Ernest Jones