BR TO ARTHUR KOESTLER, 13 MAY 1946
BRACERS 57926. TLS(X). Edinburgh U. Library
Proofread by K. Blackwell

Trinity College,
Cambridge.
13th May, 1946.

Dear Koestler,

Thank you for your letter of May 6th, which clears up some of the points concerned. There are, however, still some things that remain to be said; in the first place it was not “complications of a personal order” which prevented my agreeing to the draft; the issues were entirely of a public order, and there was no question of hurt feelings, except in so far as concerned your refusal to believe that Peter was representing me correctly. I think perhaps your impression to this effect may have been due to the fact that my misgivings increased on reflection. But I must again emphasise that my original objections were concerned with important matters of principle and policy, and not, as you say, only with formulation. I do not think that psychological disarmament could be made part of a bargain against territorial concessions, since the latter would be irrevocable and the former not. There was no objection on our part to the use of the term “psychological disarmament” per se, but only to what seemed a failure to make plain that this must be demanded of all powers and not only, if chiefly, of Russia. What I think can be said is that the Russian policy of censorship and iron curtain greatly increases the difficulty of negotiations on other matters.

The difficulty that you and I have had in reaching agreement has brought me back to my earlier opinion, that men who are writers do better work as individuals than by collaborating in groups. Why do not you make the document exactly as you think it should be, and sign it as an individual, in the expectation, which I think would not be disappointed, that others will write giving general support to your point of view without committing themselves to detail?

Yours sincerely,
<signed> Russell.