1 April 1922  111 Harley Street  London W1

Dear Professor:

«IP4,0»Your very welcome letter came safely.  As usual, you hit the nail on the head in the matter of the change in name.  Such questions are never easy when there is no strong outstanding motive either way, either for or against.  Logically I still think the wiser thing to do would be to change, but the decision is so evenly balanced that I haven't enough motive impulse to take the trouble involved in such a change.  So I must continue to assimilate the pinpricks involved in being called Jones or E. Jones.

I have not said anything of late about the money from my Father, for it is only this month that the law's extraordinary delays have permitted the definite division of it among the different relatives.  Unfortunately the result is far below what I had expected.  Owing to the almost complete standstill of trade in England the value of the various stocks and shares is on the average about one fifth of what it was two years ago.  It would be madness to turn them into cash by selling at their present value and I have succeeded in carrying through a division of them without doing so.  What their value may be in a few years no one can predict.  In the meantime, in case of accident, I have inserted into my will a suitable provision for the Verlag, alias Press, on the basis I had already promised.

A day or two ago I received a handsome offer from Mrs. Riviere to take over the revision of translations for the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM».  There is no one who could do it as well, and there is no work that I would more gladly be relieved of, for it is physically impossible to do it adequately alone.  The delicate problem arises, however, about Rickman, whom I should like to see as assistant editor.  He is far easier to work with and will also become a man of standing.  But I have also to realise that this particular work he cannot do well.  Owing, doubtless, to some remaining infantilism, he makes extraordinary mistakes in spelling and even in grammar, not the mistakes of an uneducated man, but those of a schoolboy, so that his work would all have to be checked carefully.  I had known this previously, but forgot it in my urgent wish to find a good fellow‑worker, and it was brought vividly to my mind in some recent manuscript he sent me.  So Mrs. Riviere would logically have the better claim to the title so far as work is concerned.  On the other hand I should not care to give such a slap in the face to the Americans as to put another lay person on the official staff of the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» immediately after their strong representations to me on the subject of lay analysis.  As you know, I am on the side of the lay analysts, but I hope to change the American view by some more persuasive method than this would involve.  I also doubt whether Mrs. Riviere would attach any weight to the title.  She speaks a lot about "recognition", but it seems to mean on the part of yourself, myself and a couple of others, rather than on the part of the outside public.  I am glad to be able to shift this delicate matter on to your broad shoulders!  I will write to her gratefully accepting «MDUL»your«MDNM» offer (Verschreiben«MDUL»«MDNM» for "her" because I know it is thanks to you that she has made it), but saying nothing about a title.

I am not surprised that she is shewing her best qualities at present, and she certainly has many, but I only hope that she will have an opportunity to bring out and overcome her bad ones.  As she will not be with you in the critical ninth month, when she changed with me, it is a question if it might not be possible later on to regard her as an advanced patient, which of course she is in every respect, and provoke the feelings of disappointment by active therapy?  As you remark, the feminine side does not lie far beneath the surface, but that fact I can honestly claim as a result of the analysis with me: the change in such ways, and also in her attitude towards children, has been very great indeed.  I was surprised at your suspecting any sexual relations between us and think it must have been a Verlesen of the expression "declaration of love", which was of course on her side only.  To satisfy her vanity she has always maintained the theory that I also was in love with her but was not honest enough to confess it, but I have never been able to confirm this in my self‑analysis.  She is not the type that attracts me erotically, though I certainly have the admiration for her intelligence that I would have with a man.  But, speaking more generally, you need never have any fear about me in such respects.  It is over twelve years since I experienced any temptation in such ways, and then in special circumstances; even should it arise in the future, which is very unlikely now, I have no doubt at all of my capacity to deal with it.

I am sorry you are not satisfied with the first two volumes of the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM».  Looking through the contents I see that of 27 articles half are translations, and of the others three only can be described as poor.  Then the reviews have a good standard on the whole.  Still it is better to be dissatisfied than the reverse, and I have every hope that by collecting a better staff of helpers we shall be able to improve steadily.  Among English and American periodicals we already take a fairly high standing, so I gather.

With the rate of work in the Press I also am very dissatisfied, but I think I can detect where the difficulty lies.  In London nothing can be done except to provide manuscripts and correct proofs with the maximum of speed, and this is done already; proofs, for instance, are nearly always returned corrected on the day they arrive.  Hiller is an excellent fellow for detailed work, but he is lacking in two important qualities.  One of them, Übersicht über den allgemeinen Zusammenhang,«FN1.××"Overview of the general picture."

»  I can remedy.  The other, inability to press other people, only Rank can remedy.  Hiller has no capacity to force the printers, to supply the necessary bullying, and also with the other tradespeople, supply of paper, type, etc.  He too readily accepts their assurance that it is impossible and that no more can be done.  It is in this respect that Rank is so wonderful, better than anyone I know, and I wish he would not leave this side so much to Hiller.  I know he is extraordinarily occupied in his time, but if it were possible for him to devote some of his energy to dealing with the tradespeople concerned with the Press I am sure it would accelerate matters more than anything else.  The state of «MDUL»Jenseits«MDNM», for instance, of which only two Bogen have been printed since I sent it to the printers last May, is nothing short of scandalous.

I hear that Armstrong is still on his way to you, and has got as far as Frankfurt.  In every town he develops some new illness, asthma, indigestion, etc., which does not negative the diagnosis of neurosis!

Has Tansley started yet?  I think he is a very able and careful thinker, and shall be glad to hear your impressions of him.

My family is making excellent progress.  Gwenith, who was away in the country, was carefully introduced to her little brother this week.  Various emotions flitted over her face and then she decided to react to the situation by offering him her hand to kiss, like a true Viennese lady.  Since then she has been remarkably fond of him and has shewn no signs of jealousy on the surface at all events.  The youngster is ugly but looks as if he will be intelligent.

With my kindest regards,  yours most affectionately  Ernest Jones

«IP0,0»P.S.  I wanted to ask you, if I may take a further demand on your time, for the following advice.  Will I be expected to give a general address at the Congress, or to read a technical paper like the others?  I want sometime to say something about the relations of Psa to Medicine,«FN1.××This piece appeared much later, see Jones (1934).» which must be done sometime, but do not know if that would be as interesting to continentals as it certainly would in England or America.