A.J. AYER TO RUPERT CRAWSHAY-WILLIAMS, 10 MAY 1962
BRACERS 132475. TLS. McMaster
Proofread by K. Blackwell

<letterhead>
FROM PROFESSOR A.J. AYER
NEW COLLEGE,
OXFORD
10 May 1962.

Dear Rupert,

The present score is as follows: 50 acceptances, including the Russells and ourselves; 2 probables (Clive Bell and E.M. Forster); 48^a refusals; 23 replies still to come in. The replies to come include those of Schoenman and Tinker, who may be assuming that they are included automatically. If you see either of them, please disabuse them of this idea. I have not included in the totals of either the refusals or the replies to come the people whom we invited from abroad. If the people who have not so far replied divide in the same ratio as those who have, there should be between 60 and 70 of us for dinner; assuming that at least a majority of the people you are inviting come. I hope this will be enough for the Café Royal. There are also two people, Professor Catlin and Flora Russell, who can not come to the dinner, but who will come to have drinks beforehand.

I am not having much luck about the speakers either. Julian Huxley is away, and won’t be back until the middle of next week. But his wife thinks that he will consent to speak: I infer that he nearly always does. Maurice Bowra can not come. Michael Scott has not answered. And in some desperation1 I have written to E.M. Forster, but I am not very hopeful of a favourable reply.

I will try to see the Café Royal people over the weekend, and try to make at least some provisional arrangement about the seating.

Let us hope that all goes well.

Yours,
Freddie

This largely repeats what I said to you over the telephone but I thought I might as well send it anyway. Since dictating it I have had six more acceptances.

• 1

  desperation mistyped desparation

• a

  48 above deleted 50