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Correspondence from to Gerald Yorke to Charles Stansfeld Jones
5 April 1948
Dear Jones,
Your 27/3/48. Many thanks for the enclosures, which I am returning as I have made copies. Aud's [Raoul Loveday] article will be of definite help as it describes the house at Cefalù [Abbey of Thelema] and talks of the daily routine. The Life will be illustrated. Could you possibly send the photograph of A.C. and family showing part of the Abbey? I will have is copied photographically, and return the original to you. If it is not clear enough for the book, it will help my scrapbook, which ultimately goes to the B.[ritish] M.[useum].
I too have never worked XI° in that or any way. I agree that I do not think his IX° is the last word, though it seems efficient enough. I have no experience however in trying to use it for material ends.
Germer's [Karl Germer] weakness in my opinion is that he would take what A.C. said about other people as true without further investigation. I knew A.C. better. A.C. had a most peculiar phobia that any possible successor was working against him. No sooner had he designated me as his successor than I had a similar experience as you had about the case of papers or books. In my case I had extracted with his knowledge the more important MSS from various places of storage in order to safeguard them. I was accused of stealing them with a view to profiting thereby. My answer was "once bit twice shy", and for the rest of his life refused to have any dealings with him on any basis except that of friendship. Germer is I think admirably suited to establish the "clerkship"—I had not noticed the change to "clerkhouse". In time I think—am certain—that your full records, both A.C.'s letters to you and your side of the picture, should be united to A.C.'s main archive. Whether it goes there direct or through me is a minor matter—if through me a copy of it all would be kept for the B.M. There is no hurry, but I think you should make a Will now to that effect in case of accidents. You can always revoke it later. There is no hurry. I know now that you will think it over seriously, and I am quite content to leave the decision to you. I do think that as a gesture to heal wounds within the Order you should put a plain statement of the facts from your point of view, and a broad sketch of your plans re. the Order, to Germer. It would not surprise me if he thought that you had sold out to the Catholics. Not knowing you as I do now, I thought it a possibility. Liber 31 is not to hand yet, and so I am not in a position really to judge the matter—not that my opinion is particularly important. I have no doubt that if A.C.'s special Books are of importance for the Order they will turn up mysteriously in due course. I accepted your version of the matter the moment I bought the correspondence with that absurd committee of which VIATOR was a member. Saturnus is undoubtedly misinformed in the matter as he took A.C.'s versions of these things uncritically. His own experience with the old boy should have taught him better. He went through several similar experiences himself.
Yours,
Gerald Yorke.
P.S. Address me as you like.
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