Letter from Sigmund Freud to Ernest Jones, September 21, 1913

21 September 1913
Eden Hotel, Rome

My dear Jones,

I am glad to be here, yet most thankful for letters if they contain so much of information and of good prospects as yours. We are to expect much, very much of your zeal and energy and hope to be able to give you something for it in return. Your principles about the selection of members seem to be right. In no case could I advise you better than yourself.

Putnams letter was very amusing. Yet I fear, if he keeps away from Jung on account of his mysticism and denial of incest, he will shrink back from us (on the other side) for our defending sexual liberty. His second-thought pencil-written question is very suggestive about that. I wonder what you will answer to it. I hope no denial that our sympathies side with individual freedom and that we find no improvement in the strictness of american chastity. But you could remind him that advise plays no prominent part in our line of treatment and that we are glad to let everyman decide delicate questions to his own conscience and on his personal responsibility.

I am allright here at Rome, like it better every year. Not so much sightseeing this time on account of my sister in law, but we cannot help enjoying [old]1 ancient Rome and I am filling up gaps of my experience. So I am