Letter from Sigmund Freud to Ernest Jones, April 16, 1916

16 April 1916
Vienna, IX. Berggasse 19

To E. J.,

Lieber! I was pleasantly surprised to have news of you again, having given up the possibility of that idea until the end of the war. I was also very delighted that it was good news, as far as these times allow.

I am glad to let you know that the journals continue to exist; they contain some good contributions and are also prepared to accept others. (Pierce Clark concurs.) The first Nr. of the 1916 volume, which has gone to press, has an international content, including Putnam: “Allgemeine Gesichtspunkte zur ψα Bewegung”; Stärcke: “Aus dem Alltagsleben”; E. Jones: “Prof. Janet über ΨA,” short pieces, and many reviews by the same Jones.1

Rank has been absent for three months editing the Krakauer Zeitung. I have only Sachs with me, who has proved excellent. The lectures I gave this term are to be published by Heller in three parts; the third one next year.2 It is to be hoped the war will be over by then.

Yesterday I received a strange book from America, Holt's The Freudian Wish,3 which I an reading just now. I should naturally like to see Trotter's book as well.4

Fortunately there is little to report about my family. My son-in-law was wounded and is at present home on leave.5 Both my soldiers come to Vienna occasionally, on leave or on duty. Otherwise communication with them is very meager. Oli is employed as an engineer on an important tunnel construction; he got marrried in December, but I have grounds for hope that he will soon be free again.6 Anna is very successful as a teacher. As always I am greatly interested to have news of Loe and Herbert. I hope that his indisposition will not be serious. You know that I noticed he had M. Basedowii?7

They wanted to make my sixtieth birthday a festive occasion; in view of conditions, and being separated from so many of my friends, I understandably suppressed all such inclinations.

With cordial greetings and wishes

Yours,