15 February 1914  69 Portland Court  London W

Dear Professor Freud,

You must have received my long letter, with the enclosures, on the day after you sent yours.  You are exceedingly kind to write to me so constantly, but I do not want to abuse your time or to set undue claims on you in this way, and should want you to feel as free in this respect as you would want to be.  Especially is this necessary at times of concentration on an important work, and I am happy to hear you are giving so much interest to the «MDUL»Jahrbuch«MDNM» article, which will be historic as well as historical, and treating it in such a detailed manner.«FN1«MDNM».××Freud (1914d).

»

I was sorry to hear that Loe still has attacks of pus in the urine, as in the old days.  The pyelitis was always thought to be on the left side, but the last operation showed nothing visible to the naked eye in the pelvis of the kidney (which was thoroughly explored), so we hoped it was slight; in any case it would account for only a minimal part of the pain.  I wonder if she will cross over to London from Paris?  Is Herbert going to consult the lawyer about the marriage fiction,«FN1.××Jones and Loe Kann, throughout the course of their relationship from at least 1908, had paraded around as husband and wife, although they were not legally married.» or is it dismissed as nonsense?  I should like to hear of her marriage plans, etc., when they are definitely made, which I suppose is not yet.

I should much like to know the «MDUL»reason«MDNM» why you give me the personal advice about women just at this juncture?  I will not say it was not necessary, for I realise the danger of my feeling over‑sure in such matters, but I honestly think I have become a very different man in the past two years or so ‑‑ at least so far as the practical question of self‑control and self‑knowledge is concerned.  I keep in contact with Ferenczi about my analysis and have been able to give him good reports every time.

We had a meeting on Thursday, when Bryan read the case whose notes he had sent you; it evoked a good discussion.  He and Forsyth are promising men.  Hart was also present, but contributed little.  Constance Long was there, having returned from her five weeks' "analysis" with Jung, which she said she greatly enjoyed (Fancy «MDUL»enjoying«MDNM» a real analysis!).  The case, you will remember, was that of a man thoroughly successful in all the affairs of life, but with a sexual fixation to masochistic phantasies that left him no desire over for relations with women.  We learnt that the true explanation was: he was shirking his "task" of having a house of his own instead of living at home, and was concealing this by pretending to suffer from a sexual disability, which was merely symbolic and had only a secondary meaning!!  She was so thoroughly stupid, and repeated Jung in such a parrot‑like way, that she may do good by discrediting him in the eyes of doubtful men like Eder and Hart.

«IP4,0»A disagreeable thing has just happened here.  Mercier, a celebrated psychiatrist, has written to the «MDUL»British Medical Journal«MDNM» a violent letter of vulgar abuse, protesting against the "phallic worship" and "pornography" of "Freudism".«FN1.××See «MDUL»British Medical Journal«MDNM», 1(1914):172‑173, 276.»  Unfortunately he is an annoying antagonist, for he has nothing to do (is retired) except conduct controversies and has such a «MDUL»Streitigkeit[s]«MDNM»‑complex [quarrelling‑complex] or «MDUL»Querulantenwahn«MDNM» [complaint mania] that he generally tires out his opponents who have less time at their disposal, and again he is entirely unscrupulous and dishonest, twists words and sentences so as to make verbal quibbles, being entirely uninterested in getting at the truth; also he has an unusual skilful and witty pen, for all of which reasons he always "scores" off opponents, especially when he can arouse prejudice on his side.

«IP4,0»I went to see Eder, who had already composed an absurd letter (|×/ was the greatest Mount Pisgah«FN1.××East of the Jordan, from where Moses beheld the promised land, «MDUL»Deuteronomy«MDNM» 34:1.

» of the centuries, etc.) that would have been out of place in this connection and only given Mercier plentiful opportunity for his mocking wit.  We talked matters over and decided to wait a week to see if anyone else wrote on either side, and if not, to let the matter sink into the oblivion it deserves.  We shall surely before long have other opportunities for controversy, and probably more favourable ones, or at least less degrading.  Still if anyone else accepts Mercier's challenge, or writes to support him, we shall have to step in.  What do you think of all this?

I am working hard, and have done nearly a half of the Ferenczi translation.«FN1.××Jones (1916b).

»  Abraham wants my contribution for the «MDUL»Jahrbuch«MDNM» by the end of February, but I don't think this will be possible.«FN1.××See Jones (1914a, 1914h).»

Yours always  Jones.