"As regards your suggestion about Picasso I do not know in the least whether he would be willing to make an emblem for Pugwash, but, if he would, it would no doubt be useful."

"I should be grateful if you would tell me how long my article ought to be ad what you wish the article to have." BR thanks him for sending copies of Schilpp's papers.

"Gladly sponsor Pauling rally. Regret cannot approach Belgian Queen."

"I have communicated the contents of your letter to the Secretary of the 2 Foundations for Peace and he will get in touch with you immediately."

"I shall be grateful if you will convey to the Organizers of the First International Congress on Sociology and Peace my thanks for their invitation and my profound regret that engagements in England make it impossible for me to come to Mexico in November."

"So far as I am concerned, you are entirely at liberty to make any use you like of the papers at the Public Record Office that you mention."

BR would be happy to meet with him and Sra. Allende while in London next week.

Re their refusal to print his article in The New York Times. "... my only way of describing the ideal newspaper and of illustrating and making clear my points was to mention ways in which it would differ from actual present-day newspapers. In order to spare the sensibilities of American readers, I drew almost all my instances from the British press. Though the article doubtless 'tells' my 'opinions on a variety of other subjects', the accurate précis of the article, which I append herewith, seems to show that your editors are wrong in saying that 'there is very little' in it 'on what ideal newspapers would be like'." 

Two pages of notes on what BR did in his article follow.

"I agree completely with what you say about the disastrous consequences of negro violence should it occur on a large scale." BR encloses a memorandum of his reasons against violence, which "If you think best you could send it to Mr. Boggs or make any other use of it that seems to you suitable."

BR encloses a memorandum entitled "Should the Negro Movement in the U.S. remain non-violent?"

"1) I was standing on the bridge over the Rother at the age of about 12. An old countryman came by and I asked him the name of the river. He replied: 'She ain't got no name and she don't want one'."

"2) In the neighing village of Easebourne [sic] there is a tombstone representing a man killing his wife. The man and the wife, in spite of his having murdered her, were buried together. The village, which being given to smuggling, had no love of the police, had combined to keep his crime a secret, but could not refrain from depicting it on his tombstone."

"I should be glad to know of a proof that the propositions of logic are not tautologies. You say that you have such a proof. I should be grateful if you would send it to me."

"I enclose some surtax demands. If they have your sanction, I shall be grateful if you will pay them out of the tax certificates that I acquired some time ago."

"Assuming that the number of things in the universe is infinite, and assuming all observed A's are B's, there will be an infinite number of classes in which all A's are B's as well as of classes in which not all A's are B's. It would seem to follow that, however many A's have been observed to be B's and none have been observed to be not B's, it is even chances that all A's are B's. This does not invalidate the conclusion that induction by simple enumeration is invalid."

BR thanks him for his book The Haunted Fifties, especially for what it says on Cuba. "The Startling Sixties are proving even more startling than they seemed. I suggest that you write two further volumes: The Sepulchral Seventies and The Silent Eighties. This last volume should consist of only one sentence: 'During this decade, nothing has been heard from the Planet Earth'."

"The idea which has been put about to the effect that I am more anti-American than anti-Russian is due to ignorant hostile propaganda."

"I am glad that Flora <Russell> is buying some of the letters and I should like to see all my grandfather's letters collected." (Re Lord John Russell.)

BR has signed the duplicate agreements. He will destroy the originals [it seems he did not]. "To my annoyance the plan which you and my lawyer had concocted on the subject of death duties was decided by him to have tax loopholes. He has therefore concocted another plan, far less satisfactory from a financial point of view."

"I cannot think of anything suitable for your purpose, except possibly some quotation from The Conquest of Happiness. If you find anything suitable, I leave the choice to you, and give you my permission to use the passage subject to the consent of Allen and Unwin."

"It would take me considerable time to look into the matter and I am very fully occupied with quite different subjects. The best book, as far as I know, is Cyril Bailey's The Greek Atomists and Epicurus."

"The course you suggest in regard to the French translation of The Problems of Philosophy has my complete approval."

"I think that Lawrence wanted authority, but only in the interest of an orthodoxy invented by himself. ... I am glad to find that your view on Lawrence is in such large measure in agreement with mine."

"I am much interested by the letter from Calderoni which you quote. I knew Vailati's work only on the logical foundations of mathematics. I had great respect for this work as appears in my Principles of Mathematics."

BR is looking forward to the books that Adler is sending.

"Your support of the Foundation is very comforting and I am particularly grateful for the promise of financial support."

"We follow the peace making efforts of the Emperor <Haile Selassi of Ethiopia> with the greatest interest and approval. Do you think that he would be likely to approve of the Foundations that have been lately unofficially establish in my name? I enclose the inaugural statement about them."

"I should be very happy to join the Merioneth Branch of the RSPCA and to contribute an annual subscription of £5."

BR refers her to his chapter in Portraits from Memory called "How to Grow Old" for what little he has to say about death. "Have you read Evelyn Waugh's The Loved One? It deals effectively with your comment."

"As regards your letter to my wife, she agrees with you that the executors of her will should be English and, specifically, should be yourself and Charles Drover if you are willing."

"You will know that you have my deep sympathy in the death of your child; perhaps as a result of the wickedness of governments." BR refers her to Christopher Farley.

"I am willing to do the article for The Minority of One and I should think that the tasks which face President Johnson in the matter of East-West relations would be a suitable subject." BR asks if he should see Halsey Raines.

"Your interesting leader of 29 November on Shakespeare's sonnets prompts me to suggest with all due pomp and solemnity another theory about Mr. W.H. I suggest that, like Melchizedek according to Encyclopaedia Biblica he owes his existence to a scribe's error—H for S. Mr. W.S., after all, was certainly the only begetter of these ensuing sonnets." BR's handwriting is involved in the letter.

"On page 503 of International Relations, October 1963, in your article on 'Summits and Summitry Reconsidered', you speak of 'Lord Russell's ill-considered intervention' in the Cuban crisis. I shall be grateful if you will explain to me why it was 'ill-considered'."

Re whether logic consists of tautologies. "I do not agree with your opinion because I have a different definition of logical propositions from yours. You think of logical propositions as 'abstract patterns of possible classes of tautologies'. I think of them as general propositions from which particular examples may be deduced. Let us take an example: Whatever propositions p and q may be, p or q together with not-p, entail q. I should call this a proposition of logic. I should not call an instance of it a proposition of logic if the instance contained any empirical material. For instance: 'If Socrates was either Roman or Greek and was not Roman then he was Greek'. I should not regard this as a proposition of logic because it contains the empirical words 'Socrates', 'Roman' and 'Greek'."

BR has already praised Khrushchev in various passages of Unarmed Victory. "If I drew up the statement myself, I should find it very difficult not to be repetitious, but you are free to make any use that you care to of the above passages in Unarmed Victory, with or without quotes."

"I am quite willing to do new introductions such as you suggest, but I am not satisfied with the title 'From Legitimacy to Organization' because I do not think that there was less freedom in 1914 than in 1776 (e.g., as regards slavery)." BR suggests titles for the paperback division of Freedom and Organization.

"I am delighted by your public announcement that you have joined the company of infidels and I am honoured that you adopted me as your non-God-Father. Certainly, if the Creator is responsible for some of the politicians who infest this planet, it is difficult to think much of Him."

"We too felt the assassination of Kennedy as a stunning shock. One must hope that Johnson will turn out well. My own feelings are almost exactly those expressed by I.F. Stone in his Bulletin...."

BR thanks her for some Bangkok rubbings. "I wonder if you have seen Stone's Bulletin for ... It expresses almost exactly what I feel on the recent and present state of affairs in America."

"Thank you very much for the three volumes that you sent me and, especially, for the one written by you, and its kind inscription."

"We, too, are having cold weather, a little earlier than it usually comes. I hope you either skate or ski and so are able to get pleasure out of the winter. ... I hear from your mother that they are being merciful about Latin which you ought to find pleasant."

"We are sorry to hear about your throat and hope it will soon be better in spite of cigarettes."

"Thank you for your cheque for £300 in respect of the guarantee that I gave for Mr. Wragge Morley."

This note is written below, perhaps from Edith to BR: "Do you think £50 is right for Charles Ellis or do you think that, in view of his frightful expenses, it should be, as you first suggested, £100?" BR has written "Yes" and an arrow from "£100" to "Yes".

"Thank you warmly for sending me your book on Set Theory and still more warmly for the dedication and inscription ... I am not capable of forming a critical judgment of your book, as it is nearly forty years since I last worked at mathematical logic ... I do not quite understand your classes which cannot be members of classes of classes."

"I found your dedication particularly gratifying because so many logicians nowadays seem to consider Principia Mathematica worthless."

"I have been reading with the greatest interest your broadcasts reported in the Listener. The themes you discuss are of immense importance and your collection of facts is fascinating. I was particularly amused by your disquisition on the international importance of stirrups, a matter which was entirely new to me."

"I note with pleasure in today's Times that you have resigned from the David Brown Corporation because of its decision not to exhibit in Moscow."

Re a granddaughter's illness and gratitude to Lloyd-Williams.

The recipient's name is misspelled Prytterch.

"Thank you very much for your kind and helpful letter of 13 December about Nell. We are glad that she can stay with her brother when she comes out of hospital and that she had the prospect of a house of her own."

"Thank you very much for the lovely animal with splendid horns. ... We have put it on top of the bookshelves in the sitting room where its splendour is adequately displayed."

"I am glad to know there is at least one person at Oxford who does not disapprove of my philosophy."

"Pythagoras would not have been contented with approximation. He thought that a line of finite length was composed of a definite finite number of points and must therefore be measured by the number of points which he thought must be a finite integer. That is why he got into trouble over the square root of two."

BR thanks MacRae for his poems that he sent. "I was touched by your poem to me and glad that you could have such friendly sentiments. I also enjoyed your poem to Skye which is to my mind one of the most beautiful places in the world."

"Many thanks for the lovely fan that you sent me which reached me this morning. The cherry blossom on it is cheering in the depths of a northern winter."

"It is a great pleasure to wish continued success to Foyle's Bookshop which has stand-by and delight to book-lovers (including myself) throughout the sixty years of its existence."

"I am sorry to learn of your difficulties and I enclose herewith my cheque for £150. I accept your suggestion of repayment by three monthly cheques, beginning on January 31st."

"My warmest thanks for your delightful present of Champagne; some of which, at least, we propose to drink on Christmas Day."

"Thank you very much for the lovely blue vase which charms us."

"I am glad the question of the titles of the two parts of Freedom and Organization is settled. I will do the two short introductions as soon as I can and, in the first one, explain the division of the original book."

"There is a vast literature concerning the contradiction that you write about and the subject is still controversial. You will find a good account of the present state of the controversy in Quine's Set Theory and its Logic (Harvard University Press, 1963)."

"I knew Neville well from the time when he was a candidate for a fellowship until I left Trinity in 1916. He and I took the same unpopular view of the First World War and this together with my being an examiner for a fellowship brought us together.... The fact that he was a conscientious objector was an obstacle, throughout his life, to academic advancement in spite of his brilliance as many educational authorities think that a man is not fit to teach the young if he dislikes having them slaughtered."

"Many thanks for the copies of Nightmares and especially for the beautifully bound copy of Unarmed Victory which I treasure."

BR thanks Murthi for the typescript of his book on BR's pacifism. "I have read your book carefully and have found it completely accurate as regards fact and, to me, completely acceptable as regards opinion. I very much hope, therefore, that you will get it published."

"Thank you very much for the kind present of a bottle of Long John whiskey which is very welcome and will be consumed gratefully."

"Your publishers kindly sent me a copy of Nuclear Disaster.... I admire your judicious and scientific weighing of evidence and your careful absence of over-statement. Your chapters on Ecological subjects are particularly fascinating and gave me much information that was new to me."

"I enclose the introductions that you asked for. You said they should be brief but I do not know whether you will consider them too brief.... In the first edition of Freedom and Organization some small corrections were called for.... I should be grateful if you would send me the latest printing in order that I may know whether these corrections were made."

The sender has just come from Dachau, Germany.

"Telephoned to Ralph (taken down by Pam) and taken by him to the Times 2/1/64". On the letter "Steps towards Peace", The Times, 1 Jan. 1964. BR would have signed it if he had been asked.

"I am writing to express my very great satisfaction with the letter in your issue of January 1 headed 'Steps Towards Peace', signed by a number of eminent men, ecclesiastical and scientific. I am in entire agreement with what is said in this letter and should have been willing to be one of the signatories."

"My warm thanks for the beautiful book on Church architecture in East Germany and for your very kind letter."

"I had already written to your Emperor by the time I got your letter, but I have not yet had a reply."

"It is pleasant news that Prof. Egner is publishing a revision of the book Bertrand Russell's Best. The skill and the impartiality with which he made his selections, producing, thereby, a volume which one may hope can be read without pain and without excessive mental exertion."

BR sends his sympathy on the death of Miles Malleson.

BR is touched that Bardoe-Darfor will name his son after BR.

BR thanks Dora (and John Conrad) for the gift of an early Bradshaw.

Thank you for birthday greetings.

Thanks for birthday wishes. "Were it not for Snowden and the sea", BR would envy them the view from their Edinburgh window.

There is also a deleted draft of the reply, this being the fair copy. See document .132716, record 128178.

BR thanks Toynbee for the encouragement that his support gives him.

Edith insists that the Establishment sees BR and herself as jailbirds ("gaolbirds").

She refers to Grace's letter of 28 May, but BRACERS has no letter from a "Grace" on that date. The reply seems to suit Grace Forster's letters.

The note on a tiny slip of paper reads: "Some Letters dictated to ER in 1967-69", The word "some" has obviously been inserted at the beginning, where there was little room.

"18 Oct. 1863 - 18 Oct. 1873. 193 letters to Amberley and to Kate including a letter dated 21 May 1872 congratulating Amberley on the birth of B. R."  Amberley was Lord John's son John, and Kate his wife, née Katharine Stanley.

The range of document numbers is .076251 to .076444.

"You will be glad to hear that in London we have sold 200 copies of Russell's book whereas Miss Cook has just told me that their sales in Chicago are only 170. I think ours is a very good figure considering the war."

BR thanks Schuck for her letter of 1950/09/25 (record 65423). BR suggests "Living in the Atomic Age" as a more suitable replacement for "Can Hydrogen Think?".

Source: Mount Holyoke College Archives, MS 0841 74/4/1.

"I am glad to learn that you have sold about 200 copies of the Russell book. I intended to read it, but I have not been in a condition to read it, mainly because my left eye bothers me greatly...."

"I do not think that we have any article from Mr. Russell for the April Monist. Is this particular series of his concluded?"

"I have written to Mr. Russell asking him about the continuation of his series. I expect the next article of his series will be sent in time for the July number."

Jourdain's parcel with "Sensation and Imagination" was received.

"... will you please let us know the exact state of things with regard to De Morgan's Essays and Russell's Lowell lectures, and any other book which may be in preparation in England at this time."

"Dr. Carus has an unbound copy of Mr. Russell's Lowell lectures, but has not yet seen De Morgan's Essays on Newton."

"I shall be glad to receive Russell's letter on the war. So far I have not received anything, and I fear that it has been confiscated in the British mails.... The policy of England is to cut off all information from the continent that might reach the United States and also the English people.... I would not have believed that a censorship could be established in England … the same kind as the censorship of Russia."

Blake sends a joke letter about the prevalence of venereal disease among soldiers.

The second page of the letter is missing.

Source: Columbia University, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Peter Blake Papers, Fol 19:20-22.

Blake has been sent by the U.S. Army to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, despite being assigned to Massachusetts. He is still waiting for the letter the Russells sent to him to be forwarded, but reports that he is doing better than the last one he sent and hopes he didn't worry them. He mentions Raoul Mitchell, who is helping him to keep his sanity, and a number of other references to missing Europe and not enjoying the army, but regularly also insists he's okay.

Blake asks if Conrad is taller and whether Kate is out of her cast "and very beautiful". He asks if they have Ann Fremantle's address as he is only 25 miles from Washington. Finally, he asks Peter to tell Pam he loves her.

Source: Columbia University, Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Peter Blake Papers, Fol 19:20-22.

Jourdain sends Carus BR's article to be published in the July Monist.

"For the October Monist I shall have the first part of the translation by Stachelroth and myself of part of Frege's 'Grundgesetze der Arithmetik'. Only those parts are translated which do not contain any awkward symbolism and it is important to read Frege by the side of Russell, because Frege's work was much earlier though it is not so appreciated."

Carus is anxious to read more of BR.

"I learn that Bertrand Russell has expressed his dissatisfaction somewhere of the English having entered into this troublesome war, and I have to say that I share his opinion fully."

"I am trying to get Russell to write an article on the war for the Open Court."

Jourdain saw BR yesterday and they had a long talk on the war. "Russell is of opinion that Grey is a very unscrupulous person in fact he described him as a 'devil'.... With regard to the violation of Belgium's neutrality, Russell is sure that Germany violated it first and with no provocation on the part of France, but that if France had violated it, England would not have interfered."

"... Russell's own grandfather, Lord John Russell, was Prime Minister of England, and Russell himself has always had a strong leaning toward politics. I have asked Bryce to send Russell and some other people copies of the October Open Court ... Russell from short reading did not think much of Haeckel's article."

[Carus seems to have marked the whole first paragraph for use, perhaps in print. See record 128200.]

"When sending your proofs a few days ago, I included also a set of the proofs of Mr. Russell's January article. This is a duplicate set because we mailed proofs to him direct to his Cambridge address. Since the printers pulled the extra set, I sent them to you in case you might know of any reason why Mr. Russell would not receive his proofs at his ordinary address."

"Perhaps I shall reprint also Mr. Russell's letter and some other statements from English papers. While I am convinced that the war will bring great disappointments to England, I believe that the English people are innocent of the war, they would not have ventured into it, but I see no chance to justify the deeds of the British government."

[Carus has in mind for the December Open Court the account of BR's views in record 128198.]

"I am paying Russell £20 for his article in the July Monist and that quite pays him up to the present date."

"I am sending you ... an advertisement of Russell which Bryce inserted in the Publishers Circular and I am inserting in Nature; It gives some idea of the way the press has spoken of the book."