| Description | 'Many thanks for your letter. It certainly is not an easy decision you have to take and I'll try to write what I think about the matter. First I must say that there is one point which is not clear to me. If you accept, does it imply that you give up your Edinburgh position? Or are they prepared to continue it after the two years? And would they pay part of your salary so that your family could live comfortably?
The latter point is really not important, as I quite agree with you that going without the family need not be discussed very seriously. But the first point is important., To give up your present position for that very modest American one would imply the admission that you believe the war is lost for England.
This latter impression may even arise in the case that you could continue after the two years, as the salary in America is definitely on the lower limit. 1800-2000 Dollars is the salary which one offers to a man who has just taken his degree and is taking up his first position in industry. You alone could live on it very modestly, with your family only on a proletarian basis. It is, of course, better than nothing and very good to have for an emergency. Very probably additional funds would be found for you very soon, once you have arrived there with the family, it is true, but leaving here under the above conditions (2000 Dollars) might easily give the impression that you give up hope for England. Taking the whole evidence, I agree absolutely with you that it would be best to accept it for the case of emergency only.
I hope you will have a good time in the Lake District. I shall stay here, Oxford in summer is very nice. To-morrow I am going to see Thomson and I hope to see Lindemann also.
I had good news from my family. They are on holidays on an island in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, and the children enjoy it immensely. My wife, of course, cannot enjoy things so thoroughly nowadays, although the people are extremely nice and understanding.
Yesterday I had a long talk with Oliphant, one point was the jewish question in this country. He told me that Harteck was very busy in influencing Rutherford and other people against the refugees and not at all without success. He did it in a very clever way, I must tell you the story which I see you the next time, O. spoke of the growing feeling in theis country and reported news from America where the situation seems to become more and more difficult every moment in this respect.
With kind regards to your wife and yourself. ' |