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Dear Friends:
Before writing this time I waited for Rickman's return from Vienna; yesterday I had six hours' talk with him. There is, however, so much to say on the subject of the Press that I must reserve it for a special memorandum. The situation is certainly very difficult, but if we all cooperate cordially I hope it may yet be saved.
In the meantime Rickman brought with him the Vienna Rundbrief of Nov. 26, which is really a letter from Professor to Abraham and myself. I cannot presume to speak for Abraham, which explains the purely personal note in what follows. Let me begin by expressing my regret that Professor should have had occasion to write such a letter and by giving my word that for my part I will do all I can to further his aim of restoring the original harmony. When Professor rightly contrasts the mutual regard and identity of interest characteristic of our Committee with the relative unimportance of the differences then there can be only one single-hearted answer. Further, I am glad to be able to agree entirely with his opinion that in these differences there is nothing »wirklich Arges«. Still, while there is no danger of overestimating them, it is also wise not to underestimate them, and my confidence in the unshakable solidarity of the Committee gives me courage to discuss frankly matters which perhaps in another circle would be avoided. For while no one could agree more cordially than I with the fundamental aim of Professor's letter, it would not be honest if I pretended to be equally convinced, in spite of all the respect that I feel towards him, of the method he proposes for achieving this aim.
Professor's conclusion is that Abraham and I display a neurotic response to a normal stimulus applied by Rank, so that the remedy would lie in our recognising our neuroses on the one side and the impeccable correctness of Rank on the other. For me, on the contrary, the reaction seems much more a normal, though delayed, response to a long series of instances w