Alys reacts to news of Mary's death.

The photocopy is of very poor quality.

At the foot: "Alas! for Roosevelt!" [He died on April 12.]

"Bertie is very happy at Cambridge, with working rooms in Trinity. He gets £300 a year as a Fellow, and makes other larger sums by lecturing, broadcasting and journalism. His wife [Patricia Russell] is universally disliked, but his son John (in the British Navy), and his daughter, Kate, the cleverest girl they ever had at Radcliffe, a translator for this govt. are perfect characters and altogether satisfactory."

"Santayana's The Middle Span has come from America, and is very disappointing except the chapter 'Russell', all about Frank and his affairs. Bertie's wife [Patricia Russell] has begun her publicity. [She] quarrels in Cambridge, and is thoroughly disliked there, and she has forced him to write to the papers that he wishes to use his title, except in writing."

Another passage, about a broadcaster, may be about BR.

[The photocopy is poor quality and needs to be replaced from the microfilm.]

On the Labour victory ("I am, of course, delighted, Logan less so as he fears socialism will lead to dictatorship, but nothing can damp my spirits. What will Churchill do now, and what will happen at Potsdam, and how will our tame Labour leaders [?] pan out?"

Alys is not hopeful about the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in London this week. "What will they do about the peace settlement for Italy and Trieste, the plant necessary for Germany's peacetime economy, and about all the refugees, and the feeding of Europe this winter? And what will Keynes accomplish over mend [sic] lease in Washington?" "But anyhow the fighting is over, and the bombs no longer threaten us."

The Foreign Office "badly needs reform."

"We are recovering a little from the atomic bomb and the Japanese surrender...."

Laski's indiscretions [no details].

Dr. Halpern is attending the Zionist conference here from Palestine. (Barbara's husband.)

Attlee has "come on or come out very much since he became Prime Minister." They miss Churchill's wonderful speeches.

"Bevin, too, has grown in public estimation, especially by his admirable determination to win a settlement in Palestine by use of reason, and in spite of Jewish intransigeance. He has a simple ethical outlook, and a massive integrity which are very sincere and impressive."

She remarks on the Foreign Secretaries' conference, which collapsed on "procedural" issues.

An imaginative writing, copied by Alys, by Connelly on Logan Pearsall Smith's 80th birthday.

"I enclose an American review [not present] of Bertie's book [A History of Western Philosophy] which has not been published here yet. But Trevy has a copy of the American edition, and promises to lend it to us. I do hope it will sell well, and make some money for him. He wants to leave Cambridge next summer, as the climate does not suit him and his family. They will go somewhere in the country, with a pied-a-terre small flat in London, from where he can go to Cambridge for his lectures, and see his friends, they hope, without his wife. She [Patricia Russell] is an insistent bore, and never allows him to talk. His Cambridge lectures are a tremendous success, and so is his broadcasting in the 'Brains Trust'."

Alys is working as much "as 77 can" for Labour in the election. The Tories "are purely capitalist and anti-Russian in their internationalist policy."

"The Commissar and the Yogi by Arthur Koestler is the only really interesting book we have read lately."

"Trevy has lent us his copy of Bertie's 800 page book [History of Western Philosophy] and we have both skimmed it through, with great interest and amusement. It is very good reading, especially in the character sketches ... slightly malicious and very Bertiean." "He sums up a period or a movement very well."

Logan has become very difficult to live with.

"We feel encouraged about the status and activities of UNO, but wish that Russia were a little more amenable. But Bevin's emphatic "I won't 'ave it!" is a safeguard."

Logan has become vicious towards Alys.

Lucy Donnelly sent Alys A Life of Joseph Smith. She has not seen Logan for 6 weeks.

Alys wants a copy of The Golden Urn for Desmond MacCarthy. Apparently Logan has died.

Logan died yesterday (the 2nd), after a period of euphoria that was wearing him out. The Times has a long and excellent article today (4th).

Alys has had a severe abscess.

"I always felt I had failed with Bertie and then when Logan wanted to turn me out after 35 years together, I felt utterly discouraged and with no prop."

"We have great losses in Keynes and now in dear Simon Flexner."

Alys has moved into 25 Wellington Square, S.W.3. Alys has Logan's income for life. She refers to his "malicious" will. His estate of £10,000 will ultimately go to "that stranger", John Russell, "and not a penny to the devoted Bob Gathorne-Hardy.

Her travelling days are over.

"Barbara is businesslike and a good organizer, like Ray, and manages her life very well."

Alys mentions several obituaries of Logan.

"Politics get worser and worser and do not bear writing about!"

"To-day London is celebrating the Victory parade ... but I shall only follow it by the radio. Most people I know are bored by it and consider it an unnecessary expense, but the soldiers, particularly the colonial and foreign ones wanted it, and the ordinary people love a pageant."

"I don't quite understand what an existentialist is".

Alys refers to bread rationing in the UK.

"Saturday bro't the favourable vote on the [U.S.] loan, about which we are all rejoicing, tho' it will not soften our bread ration...."

Rosalind Murray left Arnold Toynbee, who has now married his secretary.

Alys provides details of Logan's wealth, now that his will has been probated.

Alys refers to Karen's being "almost hopelessly hampered by her constant attacks of depression."

"Alas for the Jewish question!"

"Bertie's book [History of Western Philosophy] is having a great success here—large 1st edition sold out at once, and now reprinting."

"It is still cold, but I am better and very warm in my little flat. The low gas pressure and economy of electricity is a trial, but nobody complains, and I don't really blame Shinwell, who was trying to keep up our export production."

Alys approves of Gathorne-Hardy's reminiscences of Logan, although the book would be damaging to Logan's reputation: "I believe in the truth."

Hugh Trevor-Roper is mentioned.

"I am sending you a copy of Bertie's lecture on 'Philosophy and Politics', with Desmond's review of it. It expresses exactly what I feel about Bertie's great book, The History of Western Philosophy, that it lacks the strain of impartiality of a true philosopher, and is wanting in both profoundity and generosity.

Bertie's writing is so very good in most ways that we are disappointed that it is not just a little better."

Alys refers to her upcoming talk on Whitman on Oct. 3, which will pay her 15 guineas.

Re Harold Laski and his wife. Alys has read The Scared Men of the Kremlin: "deeply interesting and instructive".

This letter is printed out on the same page as her letter of 31 October 1947.

She encloses a letter from Trevor-Roper (not present).

"We miss our plentiful supply of potatoes, but really get plenty to eat. Cousin John Strachey can stand up the Tory complaints very well." Dalton's slip. Cripps.

She mentions BBC broadcasts by a philosopher, "Ralph". From a letter enclosure by Ralph Barton Perry, he is presumably the "Ralph". See record 124280.

"Edith Finch has finished her biography of Carey Thomas, and will send you a copy, I hope. It is well written, concise and interesting, and very fair, including Carey's faults in a most judicious way, and is having a great success."

Alys has reviewed Thomas Lamont's My Childhood in a Parsonage for the TLS. Lamont supported the fascists. (Her review appeared as "Ere the Gate Shuts", TLS, 20 Dec. 1947, p. 659. The book's title was My Boyhood in a Parsonage.)

Perry thanks Alys for all that she contributed to his London visits. He saw Zilliacus, "the leading Labour M.P. rebel."

Almost as soon as Perry arrived home, Whitehead "suffered a severe stroke, from which he died last Tuesday."

"I am so glad you both like Edith Finch's book." She provides Edith's address, new place, Bryn Mawr, PA.

See record 124280 for the letter from Ralph Barton Perry that Alys enclosed with this letter.

Morgan Phillips, secretary of the Labour Party, did great good for the anti-Communist parties during his recent Italian visit.

Alys likes the new Roosevelt statue in Grosvenor Square.

Alys had visit from Judith and her two pretty babies.

"Yes, thank goodness, the Communists did not win in the Italian elections, and you can stay on at I Tatti."

In Beatrice Webb's Our Partnership the praise of Alys "makes me blush".

Re B. Webb's Our Partnership: "She praises Bertie and me in our early life. His later wives do not come into it!"

Alys has "just been recording two short B.B.C. talks on the old-fashioned factory girls and revolted daughters of 60 years ago. They are for the Women's Hour, and are very short, but are fairly lively."

"I am getting rather muddled and forgetful."

Alys had a U.S. tax refund.

Ursula Darwin refuses to live with Julian Trevelyan any more, to Robert Trevelyan's dismay.

"[Bernard] Shaw [in a letter to Alys] is too flattering, as I never had any offers of marriage after Bertie left, but then I didn't want them as I always loved him and still do. I hear that he says the newspaper story of his Norwegian swim was much exaggerated."

Berenson's letter about Alys's BBC talk was the 65th she received. Now she will do one on "The Early Fabians".

"But I shall never understand why such clever men were friends with me (before I married Bertie,) a raw Amer. girl with no knowledge of history or economics or politics. None of them were in love with me, tho' Sidney Webb once went for a buggy-drive with me to Midhurst, talking economics all the time...."

Her BBC talk brought her many letters, reporters and photographers, and she mentions one in the Evening Standard.

"Judith was here on Saturday for the share out of Lucy Donnelly's clothes, sent to me by Edith Finch, and she had just been to lunch with 'Peter', Bertie's wife, after not having seen her for years. After lunch, a reporter rang her up asking for news of Bertie, who was reported drowned in that terrible Norwegian plane crash, and the poor woman was nearly distracted.

"However, reassuring news soon arrived that he had escaped with a short but icy ducking, tho' 19 of his companions were killed. I am thankful he was saved, as I still love him, and I think his life still has a value for the world, and I hope for himself".

Soon she is to broadcast on "In My Experience", life over 80.

Hiram J. McLendon quotes part of BR's letter to him in his (McLendon's) typescript, "The Philosopher among Philosophers", RA1 710.052829, pp. 26-7: "I had written him, as I often have, about points in his philosophy, also, on this occasion, about techniques for handling a graduate seminar I was conducting at Berkeley, and had expressed the hope of returning to London, where he then was still living, to visit with him again, and had inquired about Wittgenstein's abrupt retirement. In response after replying to points of inquiry and advising me on seminar procedures, and welcoming my proposed return visit, he then abruptly said …"

BR finds arrangements to be satisfactory and perhaps Dr. Schultz would have lunch with "us" on the 3 days concerned.

BR will talk over the topics while Wyatt is staying with the Crawshay-Williamses.

"No".

"No".

BR has admired the work of the WILPF since WWI. He wishes their forthcoming meeting(s) "all possible success".

BR cannot meet with him and his only upcoming public meeting is in Manchester on May 1.

BR is too busy to review the book that Meynell writes about.

"No".

BR is glad Simon approves his statement. Will he come to tea on April 19th? Khrushchev did not know that German Social Democrats oppose German nuclear armament.

"RSVP".

BR declines to speak to the Eton Political Society, although he would have liked to do it. BR would welcome another talk with Collins and suggests times.

BR looks forward to seeing Foulkes on Easter Sunday.

BR encloses (not present) a statement of his present views on induction to substitute "for one of the two older statements that you mention", and should supplant the quotation from The Problems of Philosophy. BR is sending the statement to Egner and Denonn, too.

Re title: "I somewhat shrink from the word 'definitive', chiefly on the ground that I am not yet dead."

BR sends his new note on induction.

About a book by BR that is published only in the US.

Foges is being sent the letter from the Times Educational Supplement and the reply (record 124312).

"May's bill".

BR provides Martin with "The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" and 8 headings for the different verses.

BR and Edith enjoyed Martin's visit with Miss Woodman.

BR thanks Hyland for extracts from the Washington Post.

BR sends 5 guineas to The Athenaeum.

BR won't be reading his book on the laws of thought: "I have quite given up work on logic and my time is fully taken up with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament."

BR has nothing to add to the "Inconsistency?" appendix (on preventive war) in Common Sense and Nuclear Warfare.

BR supports Simon's choice of Wayland Young to write a book (presumably on nuclear disarmament).

"No".

"Enclose message".

"No".

"No".

"Third person refusal".

BR will autograph Morel's Truth and the War, "but I make a point of not adding anything beyond my autograph on such occasions."

"Russian letter about Common Sense and Nuclear Warfare".

BR provides possible sources for a statement about a confessor and a nun (Pascal or Coulton).

BR thanks her for her "admirable letter to the children's mother".

A letter from Egner is to be sent to Unwin.

BR refers Hacker to My Philosophical Development, to be published next month.