BR TO GILBERT MURRAY, 21 APR. 1940
BRACERS 52401. ALS. Murray papers, Bodleian
Edited by W. Bruneau. Proofread by A.G. Bone

212, Loring Avenue, Los Angeles.
21.4.40

My dear Gilbert

It is difficult to do much at this date in America for German academic refugees.¹ American universities have been very generous, but are by now pretty well saturated. I spoke about the matter of Jacobsthal to Reichenbach, a German refugee who is a professor here, and whom I admire both morally and intellectually. He knew all about Jacobsthal’s work, which I didn’t. The enclosed is the official reply of the authorities of this university. I must leave further steps to others, as I am at the moment unable to save my own skin. In view of the German invasion of Norway, I suppose it is only too likely that Jacobsthal is by now in a concentration camp.

Yes, I wish we could meet and have the sort of talk we used to have. I find that I cannot maintain the pacifist position in this war. I do not feel sufficiently sure of the opposite to say anything publicly by way of recantation, though it may come to that. In any case, here in America an Englishman can only hold his tongue, as anything he may say is labelled propaganda. However, what I wanted to convey is that you would not find me disagreeing with you as much as in 1914, though I still think I was right then, in that this war is an outcome of Versailles, which was an outcome of moral indignation.

It is painful to be at such a distance in war-time, and only the most imperative financial necessity keeps me here. It is a comfort that my three children are here, but the oldest is 18, and I do not know how soon he may be needed for military service. We all suffer from almost unbearable home-sickness, and I find myself longing for old friends. I am glad that you are still one of them.

Please give my love to Mary even if she doesn’t want it. And do write again, telling me something of what you feel about the whole ghastly business.

Yours ever
Bertrand Russell.

¹ Murray had appealed to me on behalf of a German anti-Nazi Professor named Jacobsthal. (BR’s note in Auto. 2: 246.)