Brief von Ernest Jones, 16. März 1922, London1

Dear Friends:

The pressure on one's time is so great that there seems to me no option but to accept the Vienna proposal of 14 days' interval, much as I regret the necessity.

Dr Cole2 nearly died this week from pneumonia and heart failure, but she rallied well and is now out of danger.

I had four interviews with Blumgart and two with Oberndorf on their way back to New York. They both made the impression of intelligence and devotion to Psa; perhaps O. is the abler of the two, but very limited and fixed. We established good contact that ought to bear fruit for the Journal, etc. I was truly amazed to hear how little progress Psa had made in America in the past ten years, in spite of the flood of writings there, books, magazines, newspapers, etc. It is a strong confirmation of the preference of the native American for superficial sensationalism, and his dread of public opinion. Outside this handful of foreign Jews in N.Y. there appear to be only three Americans who practise Psa, and these three date back quite 12 years; since then not one new one. It confirms what the other men say of Brill's bad leadership, though of course this is only one factor. To pacify some of our more urgent members we have formed a Sub-Committee for Propaganda, but they have no power to take any steps without consulting the whole society. I will report of their activities from time to time and think that some good will come of it. I have sent a counterproposal to the British Assoc., but the matter is still sub judice. We had a remarkable success this week at the British Psychol. Soc., where I read a paper correlating adolescence and infancy. Professor Hunn, the chief educationalist in London, called it the most important contribution to the theory of education for many years, and this is only one example of the respect with which Psa is being received in the leading educational and psychological circles. If only physicians were as accessible! But their turn will come.