INTERNATIONAL PSYCHO‑ANALYTICAL ASSOCIATION

«IP0,0»                               14 January 1923  London W1

Dear Professor:

«IP4,0»I was very happy to get yesterday the friendly token of a private letter from you and am sure that you too prefer it to the more official task of writing circular letters.  I was sorry to hear that you had not been well of late, and trust it is only some passing indisposition.  My neuritis is perhaps a little better, for I sometimes get half an hour free from pain; you will remember from neurological days that neuritic pain does not belong to the pleasures of life.  I started work last week, but had to break off and spend a few days at the seaside clearing off a bronchitis which was left after my Christmas illness.

Hiller was here for two evenings before going to his family and I saw him on one of these, there being a long Society meeting on the other.  Your question about my impatience to hear from Rank at this critical juncture is probably explained in my circular letter of yesterday.«FN1.××In his Rundbrief of 11 January 1923, Jones writes that he is astonished, not having been informed personally by Rank, that Rank "had definitely rescinded his November plan of continuing the Press in Germany as part of the Verlag."  Furthermore, he hopes that this may not be "final" and that he is still waiting for a personal word from Rank on the matter.  (Sigmund Freud Copyrights Ltd, Wivenhoe; and Rank Collection, Butler Library, Columbia University, N. Y. C.).»  We could not decide here about the future, whether to continue with the Verlag, etc., by raising more funds, unless we knew if the Verlag was prepared to continue.  It is true that both Rickman and Hiller reported that Rank was tired of the Press and would have nothing more to do with it, but I hesitated to accept this as final, for nothing had altered in the situation since he announced in November his plan of continuing the Press in Germany together with the Verlag (in a letter you do not appear to have seen, for you wrote that there had been "nie die Rede davon"«FN1.××"Never any talk of it."»).  I must now, I suppose, accept this, which coincides also with your judgement, for you say that the only chance is for the English to do the work themselves.  In my circular letter I adumbrated a plan by means of which we think we can continue the work, and I hope this will meet with your approval.  For my own part, painful as the separation is, I see possibilities of a «MDUL»nachkriechende Lust«MDNM», to use Ferenczi's term.  Unfortunately Rank and I have not found it easy to be business collaborators, for we seem to have different ideas about what such collaboration should consist in, but we have had no such difficulties in scientific and personal fields; therefore I have every hope that our friendship, which is quite unimpaired on my side and I trust also on his, will be restored to its former harmony when the business complications are eliminated.

I want to thank you for your outspokenness to me.  You claim the right to say exactly what you think to friends and so far as I am concerned I willingly accord that right.  Rank also has exercised it very freely towards me.  But may I not claim also a little of the same right?  The sole time I have said a critical word in a circular letter«FN1.××Jones's Rundbrief of 1 January 1923 deals with the issue of the future business relationship between Press and Verlag.  He is especially annoyed by the fact that Rank has refused to answer his query about the status of that relationship.  (Sigmund Freud Copyrights Ltd, Wivenhoe; and Rank Collection, Butler Library, Columbia University, N. Y. C.).» I did so after first consulting Eitingon, whose judgement I greatly respect, and he advised me to say simply and honestly what I thought, adding that the members of the Committee ought to be able so to speak to each other.  I shewed him my letter before I sent it, and he can assure you that my object, so far from endangering the intimacy of the committee, as you indicate, was to ensure a closer colaboration, which was the only point of my remarks.  Unfortunately my object was not attained, for to judge from his subsequent behaviour Rank seems to have been seriously hurt.  This I certainly regret, for nothing was further from my intentions, and I must exercise more care for his susceptibilities in the future.

One word about your general judgement of me.  It is doubtless true that the fact of my Keltic blood gives me a quick reaction and that I have not the phlegmatic Anglo‑Saxon temperament, though I have tried to acquire some of it.  It may also be true that I am unduly sensitive; of that I cannot judge.  But when you say that I am insincere and not to be trusted, there I am sure, with all respect, that your judgement is at fault.  I know my own attitude towards you and towards our common interests so thoroughly that I feel no need to make any protestation, or to reproach myself, or to feel any bitterness or resentment, which I suppose would be one of my reactions if there were any truth in the judgement.  I feel nothing but a natural regret that you should think so wrongly of me, coupled with the hope that the future will shew you otherwise.

So let us thus take leave of 1922 and turn to 1923.  I was deeply moved by the generous expression of your wish for a complete restoration of faith and friendship in the coming year, which I echo with a full heart; you can imagine that my wish in this direction is no less ardent than yours, for though it is doubtless painful for you to think badly of a loyal friend it is still more painful for the friend.

Yours always affectiontely  Ernest Jones