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1920
368F
Vienna IX, Berggasse 19
6 January 1920
Dear Friend,
I had my first business conference with Rank today and promised to write to you immediately. All your arguments in favour of holding the Congress in Berlin are sound, and yet I have to decide in favour of Holland.1 You neglect the most important factor in the situation, the pressing need of the Verlag to win over the Americans to the English Ψα journal. Failing that, we shall not be able to keep the German journals alive for more than a year. Jones now assures us that there is no chance of getting the Anglo-Saxons to come to Berlin, and that is decisive. We obviously do not have a correct picture of these people's state of mind. What is at stake in this reorientation is not a question of scientific precedence, but one of practical profit. In comparison with that, our own travel and exchange difficulties dwindle into nothing; they will in any case be partly balanced by events organized by the Dutch. I hope you will not turn a deaf ear to these considerations and will not allow the war that is soon to be wound up to flare up again in the bosom of the committee.
Perhaps there is an underground passage connecting this subject with my next. As far as I know, Schmiedeberg was directly charged with telling me the secret of your chances, and I do not see why I should not have my share in the fore-pleasure when the end-pleasure will perhaps not materialize. I too say that it would be splendid, and that it would cause the whole of Germany to collapse, but I am afraid it is too good to be true. Just think how disoriented a man must be to consider Simmel for this post besides yourself! It is too reminiscent of Ferenczi's ephemeral professorship in Budapest. For my part I shall be happy if a lecturership comes out of it for you. In the long run the faculty would not tolerate anyone imposed on them.
The questions you put for the memorandum will be partly answered by Rank. I will answer you on the first points:
My contribution