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Dear Friends:
The odd date of this letter is explained by the urgency of the problems we have to consider. I trust I may assume that, as is certainly so in my own case, no unpleasant aftertaste has been left by the discussion of personal matters, so that we can proceed to the far more important concrete questions that lie before us having only one thought, namely how best to further the interests of Psycho-Analysis.
That the Verlag, except the Redaktion, is moving to Berlin may, I understand, be taken for granted. I have never expressed or held any opinion about this, for it concerns problems quite outside my knowledge. I do not think anyone can have the slightest doubt of the wisdom of Rank's judgement in such a matter, and we can only wish the new arrangement all good and do what we can to help it in every way. My single adverse thought was a general political one, that as the Allies are certainly more prejudiced against Germany than against Austria it is quite possible that in two or three years' time the economic situation in Austria may be better than in Germany. But of course this is no argument whatever against moving now; in the worst case we could move back again.
The Press problem is on a different footing and is really very serious, for the very existence of our English undertaking is at stake, and I need not lay stress on the importance of England and America for the future of Psa, even in financial respects. To gain a clear perspective for judging of our immediate action I must return to some fundamentals. When the Verlag was founded our hopes and intentions in regard to it were, I believe, identical – that it should not only serve the function of assisting writers in the publication of their psa work, but should also have the function of helping the public to know what was reliable and what not. I looked forward to the day when the sign I.P.V. (or its foreign equivalent, Press, Bibliotheque, etc) should be a mark that would guarantee at least the seriousn