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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Charles Stansfeld Jones
63 Washington Square, So. Telephone—Spring 4319
Feb. 11, 1919
C. Stansfeld Jones, Esq., 138 West 11th Street, New York City
My beloved Son:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I have your letter of January 9th. I should first premise that it has always been the custom to allow grand officials an amount equal to their subscriptions. That section of your letter needs no answer. I want, however, to say from the beginning that you are under a misapprehension as to the point of view. For example, in the matter of the outstanding balance, it does not seem quite right to cancel this "in consideration of services." The idea of the Order is service. The proper way seems to be to allow the brother a loan of the amount involved. This seems an extremely trivial point, but it is enormously important, if you are going to sign official papers. To put it in a very cynical English way, you can do more or less what you like, but you have to do it under a terminology which squares with the constitution of the Order and its grand principles. To borrow an analogy from current politics, one must not 'exact an indemnity,' but one may 'permit reparation to be made.' It is of the utmost importance that you should get an idea of how to use the roundabout way of talking, because you will need it very badly if you are negotiating with Masonic and other bodies with a view to alliance, etcetera.
With regard to the main suggestion contained in your letter, I shall not veto this or any other distribution of funds which you may direct to be made. You have complete authority to arrange these things, and you will not be interfered with, so long as you work in accordance with the grand principles of the Order. Of course, it is understood that the first interest of the Order, after its actual necessary expenses have been defrayed, is propaganda and publicity. Although interested in the material welfare of the brethren, we use even the benefits of the Profess Houses, and such things, principally in order that they may be led to appreciate fully the benefits of the Law.
I do not even wish to be consulted about your actions, though I think you will be wise to consult me. At the same time you will find it very useful to be able to say to every one, "Of course, I can't do anything without the authority of the G[rand] M[aster]." You are entering upon what is in fact a diplomatic career, and in diplomacy a diplomatist must be diplomatic. The great art is to avoid being compromised. You should never leave yourself without a way out. That letter of yours which I am now engaged in answering was very foolishly worded in many ways, so much so, that I should regard myself as compromised by answering it at all, save that I am assured by long experience and a study of your magical record that you do not mean all the dreadful things you say about yourself!
I hope this letter will prove satisfactory, and that I may receive a reply tomorrow evening.
Love is the law, love under will.
The Blessings of thy Sire
666.
Baphomet XI° O.T.O.
P.S.—My contract with the Universal Book Stores was made independently of you, and I do not think that you are concerned in it, except amicably. But with regard to the new Equinox, you are in the position of my confidential agent. In order to pay the printer's expenses, we must sell a minimum of a thousand copies, and that will not quite cover it. If we can sell two thousand copies, it will come near to covering the overhead expenses. I should be prepared to offer you 10% of whatever price you can get, not less than for every copy sold to the Universal Book Stores by you. The day of publication being March 21, it is essential that I should be able to place the printing order, which determines the number of copies to be struck off, by noon February 18th, and I shall expect a telegram from you before that time.
A.C.
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