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Budapest, March 18, 1924
Dear Professor,1
Rank shared with me the contents of your last discussion with him (the Wednesday before last). Only for that reason did Abraham's step2 not have a more depressing effect on me, because, behind his cautious politeness I always also recognized the signs of boundless ambition and jealousy. For only these passions could blind him in such a way that he—against all reason—could slander the joint work and “The Trauma of Birth” as garbage publications. He did not summon the courage to appear openly in opposition to us—he also waited—again, extremely cautiously—, until, from certain statements from your Rundbrief, he received the—in my opinion, erroneous—impression that you are not in complete agreement with these works, in fact, consider them dangerous.
But with this step he has also evidently sealed the fate of the Committee. Already in S. Cristoforo he behaved rather ambiguously toward Jones and could only be convinced with difficulty that the latter's anti-Semitism is not compatible with membership in the Committee; he also used every opportunity to put Rank in the wrong. And now he has decided upon a mode of operation which makes it impossible for us to work intimately with him.
But I think that with this the question of his presidency is also being reopened, for it is certainly not to be expected of us, precisely in these critical times, to recognize as a leader someone who could misunderstand us so badly and defame us so insidiously. Since only you and Eitingon can be considered “impartial,” I am of the opinion that the latter should become