THE INTERNATIONAL PSYCHO‑ANALYTICAL PRESS

1O April 1922

Dear Professor:

I shan't be able to write the Rundbrief until after the Easter holidays, so will not delay in answering your important letter which came this morning, especially as time is of the essence of some of the points raised.

I will do my best to think out an address for the Congress, though I fear it won't be in dashing German; among whatever qualities I may possess linguistic fluency is not one of them, at least in a foreign tongue.  But what I should like to know is whether the theme of "The Relations of Psa to Medicine" would be of sufficiently general interest to be suitable; to the English and Americans it certainly would, but I am not sure about the Continentals.

I see that you agree with me that Mrs. Riviere certainly deserves a title if she desires it, and there can be no objection to the proposal she makes.  As she makes so many claims that can't be granted it is a pleasure and relief to be able to find some that can.  She is, as I told you, a most valuable and capable person (it is this undeniable fact that complicates the situation), but whether she will work as easily for me as she doubtless would for you remains for time to prove; it will depend largely on the result of her analysis.  As to your other proposals about sub‑editors, they want a lot of thinking over.  In the first place I can't shift people about, install them and dismiss them, with the freedom that your commanding position could enable you to, and it is I who should get the odium of any resentment, as with Forsyth and Tannenbaum.  My position and age are not secure enough for me to neglect careful consideration of other people's susceptibilities, even if I wished to, which I don't.  For instance, Bryan and Flügel are both men of very sound judgement, which I value highly and also find most useful.  Then they are certainly the two leading analysts in England.  Further Bryan has done twenty times as much work for the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» as Rickman and Strachey together, apart from what these may do in the future.  He gives every single minute of his time to it and is constantly improving in his weakness (writing of English), so that I am bound to feel loyal to him.  Flügel is certainly not so self‑sacrificing, but he does very well what he does and is our best reviewer.  On the non‑medical sides he is invaluable and uses his influence constantly for Psa.  In any case I think that such important changes should be discussed, or at least announced, at the Congress, to give some form to the whole matter.  The same applies to the Americans and I think we should consider carefully before making definite promises to Frink.  The present staff has only been appointed six months, and I feel we should give it a fair trial of a couple of years before making irrevocable and far‑reaching changes, especially after our promises at the last Congress.

Coming now to the working of the Press, I note that Rank agrees with my diagnosis of Hiller's unfitness for the outside relations with printers, etc., and that he is kindly burdening himself with this side.  The change is too recent for us to expect results as yet, but I am sure that the main delay lies there, as I have urged months ago to Rank.  But, as you say, we must also see what can be done to hasten matters at the London end and there I shall be very grateful for any definite suggestions, for I can think of no more myself at the moment beyond what is already in the process of being done.  The only one you make, of leaving all but the final proof‑corrections to Vienna, I have already put into force some 18 months ago.  Not since the first numbers of the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» have I seen any proofs except the last final "printing‑off" ones, and the same is true of all the Press books, from the first to the ones now being printed.  Hiller, with occasional help from visitors, has done all this on the spot.  Of course I could give up seeing even the final proofs, but the expediency of doing so is rather doubtful; still I should like your opinion on the point.  I don't think Rank would feel happy if he never saw a single proof of the «MDUL»Zeitschrift«MDNM» unless he had more trustworthy workers under him than I have.  On this matter of proofs, therefore, his information seems very out‑of‑date, and probably relates to the beginning of the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» when there was no English person in Vienna and the printers were quite unused to the work.  At that period, it is true, Hiller and I had to see all the proofs in London, and when we omitted to do so the results were deplorable.  But now, and for a long time,  I do exactly what you suggest, rapidly look through the final proofs, the first I have seen, and return them on the day of their arrival.

I have no love at all for detailed work of this sort, on the contrary, and have feared I have been too complaining in expressing my strong desire to be relieved of routine work wherever possible.  After initiating Hiller into the business side I refused to have any more to do with it and have left him to make all his own arrangements, e.g. with American agents, etc.  Similarly I insist on his attending to all publishing details, arrangement of lines, headings, etc., without consulting me, and I am glad to say I am satisfied with the way he does this kind of work.  What trouble I have got into is due rather to my deputing too much.  For instance, it was physically impossible for me to revise all the translations that have appeared, and so I deputed some to Flügel, Stoddart, and Miss Low (Mrs. Riviere was not then available, as she was fully occupied with the «MDUL»Vorlesungen«MDNM»).  The results, as Mrs. Riviere will tell you, were the reverse of promising, but I had to be content with inferior work.  Hence my intense sigh of relief when Mrs. Riviere offered to take over this irksome part of the work; I wrote a most grateful letter to her.

So that you see my anxiety coincides with your advice to relieve myself of burdens, and is not at all, as Rank mistakenly thinks, the desire to keep control of details.  I had better write fully to him describing the procedure of what happens from the reception of work to its appearance and ask him to suggest some modifications, of which I should be only too glad.

Coming back now to the actual moment, and the help available in Vienna.  I do not know who helps Hiller to correct the proofs.  That is his affair and he probably gets whoever is accessible at the moment.  The three people should also have enough to do with the work I have given them: Strachey with the «MDUL»Krankengeschichten«MDNM», Mrs. Riviere with the Technik articles and revision of Abraham's book,«FN1.××Freud, «MDUL»Collected Papers«MDNM», 2:285‑402.  Abraham (1927) was translated by Douglas Bryan and Alix Strachey.» and Rickman with Einleitungsartikeln,«FN1.××Freud, «MDUL»Collected Papers«MDNM», 1:9‑283.» of which he has four, besides the revision of Roheim.«FN1.××Possibly the short piece by Géza Róheim, "The Significance of Stepping Over," «MDUL»Journal«MDNM», 3(1922):320‑326.

»  I do not know how much «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» work I can send Mrs. Riviere while she is in Vienna and must discuss it with her; I do not think there will be so very much just at present.  Hiller has long had the Spiegel and material for Part II of the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM», which I hope he is having printed already, and we have several articles already for Part III.  With regard to the revision of translation I should like to make an exception with your own work and also do not think that Mrs. Riviere would care to undertake the sole responsibility of this, though she might do an intermediate revision. At present I have no fewer than thirteen people translating the «MDUL»Sammlungen«MDNM», scattered from India to America, and progress is being made.  By the way I am glad to say that your niece's work is good,«FN1.××Judith Bernays (b. 1885), daughter of Eli Bernays.» though not so good as your daughter's.  If Anna shews a liking for the work she could in time supplant Hiller in Vienna and he could return to England, but this is a far subject.  You know how sorry I am that your translations are not more advanced, but they constitute a good case in point.  You rightly complain about the two brochures, «MDUL»Jenseits«MDNM» and «MDUL»Massenpsychologie«MDNM».  Well, judge from them.  I revised the translation of the former a year ago and sent it to Vienna to be printed last «MDUL»May«MDNM».  Since then I have had nothing to do with its existence except to receive last December the first two Bogen (after which a further unbroken peace!) and to make repeated inquiries about its fate.  So much for my interfering with details.  The only information I can get from Hiller during these [ten]«FN1.××Crossed out in the original.» eleven months is the repeated message that he has been held up for lack of type or of paper but that he hopes things will soon be better.  I am quite helpless except to keep writing him and Rank about it.  Similarly with the «MDUL»Massenpsychologie«MDNM».  I finished the revision last August, and Strachey took it with him to Vienna.  This week I get the first of the proofs. And I have left every detail whatever to Hiller and the others in Vienna, choice of paper, kind of type, etc., beyond expressing my general opinion, such as that the type of the War Neuroses was too small for such a small volume.

I am sorry to trouble you at such length, but the matter concerns us all, and I wanted to put the true situation before you since you have been so good as to take deep interest in it all.  You know that it is essentially for you that we are all working, which is why your inspiration and approval means so much to us all.  If I can produce a Collected Edition of your works in my lifetime and leave the «MDUL»Journal«MDNM» on a soundly organised basis I shall feel that my life has been worth living, though I hope to do more for Psa even than that.

Yours devotedly  Ernest Jones

«IP0,0»P.S.  I have forgotten to comment on another matter which has made me very uneasy, my Madonna essay.  In general Mrs. Riviere is rather timid about the possibility of provoking opposition, but in this case it certainly would.  I should not mind this if it had no legal consequences, and believe that our blasphemy laws do not apply to works of this class.  But to make sure I am taking legal opinion on the matter.  I would not have published the Essays without this chapter, as it is the longest and most original part of the book, especially since I re‑wrote and extended it.  The book is now half printed, so the position is an awkward one, but we must wait till after Easter and see what the lawyer says before deciding anything.«FN1.××The revised version of Jones (1914a) did appear, see Jones (1923a, pp. 261‑359).»

                                                E. J.