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Correspondence from Karl Germer to Louis Wilkinson
K.J. GERMER 260 West 72nd Street New York 23 N.Y. Endicott 2-6799
July 20, 1949.
Dear Mr. Wilkinson,
Yours of July 3rd, written from Levishie Lodge. I have noted that the Bank balance has been transferred to your own account, that you paid £2.12.6 to the London solicitors, 5/3s for Bank charges, and that the present balance in hand is £27.7.3. I am frightfully overworked, but will go into the whole account in a few weeks when I expect to get more leisure. I take it that you have not yet had the bill from the Hastings lawyers, and that you expect to hold your present balance to pay them.
I am so glad to hear what you say about Dierdre [Patricia MacAlpine]. I can well understand that A.C. thought about her the way you quote from a former letter of his to her. I wish I knew whether another parcel with rice and things would be welcome and opportune? I have not answered a letter she sent me many weeks ago.—When the next payment of 50 for the school fees becomes due I want to send you that sum in time. I presume early October will be right.
W.A. Guy Ltd sent me a letter direct. It seems to me so funny that they now, when it is all over, want to get their bill paid. When the proper time was and I wanted action in January 1948 they
(a) delayed their answer to my letters for months;
(b) finally they did answer, but did not answer my further letters demanding further details.; at last I got John Symonds [John Symonds] to intervene and they sent galley proofs months later; then they sent paper sample which was the most ordinary paper I have ever seen; they never replied to my last letters. As a result I had to drop my interest in the production of the two books completely; and I don't know how it is possible to resume negotiations, and production.
They are only interested in cash from me. I am only interested in a proposal how they think the two books [Liber Aleph and Golden Twigs] can be completed correctly, in a good typographical way, on good paper, and at times they are able to keep.
I was resigned to forget about the whole matter. And still am until I can find a reliable printer.
I return the letter to you herewith.—I am not answering their letter. I have been too disgusted, and they can't kick for being paid in kind.
We have been having six weeks of rainless baking with temperatures of between 90 and 97°. After a few days of cooler Canadian air we are again in the nineties. So you can imagine my thoughts when I heard of your cool stay in Scotland, with bathing in cool rivers.
My H.Q. is gradually getting into shape. I have bought steel filing cabinets and am hard at work sifting, classifying the material. As I can only do this over extended week-ends the preliminary work will take weeks. It dominates my interests fully.
Kindest regards, yours,
Karl Germer
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