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Correspondence from Louis Wilkinson to Karl Germer
17 St. Leonard's Terrace, London, S.W.3.
28th July, 1948.
Dear Mr. Germer,
I received the enclosed letter last night on my return to London from a week-end away and have answered it by today's post, saying that I must refer it to you and Lady Harris [Frieda Harris] as co-executors. There does not seem to me to be anything unreasonable in it, but I must of course know that you and Lady Harris agree with me before writing to the Official Receiver with the assurance that he requires. I take it, from the end of the second paragraph, that a disclaimer of any interest in the copyrights of A.C.'s work is implied, but it may be better not to complicate matters by raising this point?
The Hastings lawyer has not yet replied to my request for information about taking out Probate. The point is whether this is worth doing and that all depends upon the cost, about which I enquired. I had a letter saying that Mr. Beckett was away and would reply on his return. I have not yet paid their bill and, as you know, I propose to ask them to scale it down when it is presented in final form. The bills that I have paid so far are
Mr. V. Symonds wrote pointing out the various losses and expenses he had incurred through A.C.'s tenancy, but I told him that £50 was the limit of my authorization from you, and really I think it is enough. There will be occasion to let you know what he says later pm when it is clearer how the rest of the money in the bank had best be expended. Mr. V. Symonds' attitude was that he would accept what was offered, though he thought he should have the amount he claimed. As I think I said in a previous letter, the money, so it seems to me, is now your personal property, following the Official Receiver's decision, and is for you to do as you wish with. My own feeling is that there is really no necessity for you to pay—at any rate not in full—all outstanding accounts. I am inclined to wait until they are sent in again, and then to suggest a scaling down of say, 25%, if you agree? I certainly think the doctor's bills, which seems to me excessive, should be scaled down. Then something should still be left in hand for any expenses which you feel should be met. The undertakers write me that that will arrange for A.C.'s ashes to be despatched to you, and this will involve some further charge. I consulted with Lady Harris and Gerald Yorke before giving this order. As to the printer, I hear from Mr. John Symonds that he rang him up with a view to making an appointment but the printer refused to speak, making some obvious excuse. Mr. Symonds left a message desiring the printer to write, but he has not done so. I agree with John S. that the best course now is to write a letter threatening legal proceedings for the recovery of (1) MSS (2) paper provided (3) money paid; but of course John S. will not do this without your authorisation. I have just been talking to him on the telephone, and I said that, as I was writing to you, I would pass on to you what he said. Would you reply to him direct? I agree with him, after hearing what he has told me of the printer's extraordinary behavior that it would be very likely to prove a "wild goose chase" to go down to Hastings. Probably one would be told that the printer was away, that there was no one to speak with authority on the matter, etc., etc. It is all most exasperating. Would you please send John S. a copy of the communication you have received from the printer? That would help him. The difficulty is that there is no record among A.C.'s papers of the exact sum that has been paid to these printers, nor of the paper with which they have been provided. None the less, legal intervention seems at this stage the only thing likely to bring the printer to his senses. John S. had a lawyer who, he says, is not expensive. John S. would be very glad to know what you think should be done under these difficult circumstances.
Returning to the Official Receiver, it occurs to me on further consideration that his acceptance of £25 from you for books and MSS involves his abandonment of all claims upon A.C.'s copyrights. John S. is of the same opinion as to this.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Louis Wilkinson
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