Showing 12 results

(Palo Alto, California.)—George is unable to travel any more, but is happy in California working on a history of Japan.

(Air letter, postmarked at Palo Alto.)

Hoover Library, Stanford University, California.—Thanks him for his card. George has been appointed an advisory professor on Far East studies, and is writing a new history. She visited Geoffrey (Young) before leaving England.

(Dated 16 Jan.)

(Tucson, Arizona.)—She and George are wintering in Arizona. ‘George is very happy in this Far West, where there is much serious study on Japan in the universities.’

(Air letter, postmarked at Tucson.)

El Conquistador Hotel, Tucson, Arizona.—She and George have been wintering at Tucson. Their permanent residence is now Stanford University, where George has been appointed an advisory professor.

(Tucson, Arizona.)—They are spending a few weeks in Tucson.

(Undated. Postmarked at Tucson on 5 Mar. 1956. The postcard bears a photograph of the Hacienda del Sol Ranch Hotel. The direction is an unfortunate error, the first Lady Pethick-Lawrence having died in 1954.)

Chandos Lodge, Eye, Suffolk.—She and George have recently returned to England from the United States. Expresses sympathy on the death of Lady Pethick-Lawrence.

(Dated at the British Embassy, Washington, D.C. Illustrated with a pencil drawing by Prentiss Taylor of Tudor Place, Georgetown, with a black man holding a guitar in the foreground.)

5 New End Square, N.W.3.—Is living at Freda Utley’s house in Hampstead, waiting to learn whether George (her husband) will be allowed to resign his present post and take a professorship in New York.

Is pleased to have renewed his acquaintance with Mr and Mrs Geoffrey Young. Reflects on the progress of the Sino-Japanese crisis. Gives news of Mary Higgins.

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Transcript

26th. August, 1937.

Dear Sansom,

I am very pleased to get a letter from you again and to know that your wife’s sister is Mrs. Geoffrey Young who is now our neighbour and whose acquaintance together with that of her husband we have had the pleasure of renewing.

I am much interested in your views on the Sino-Japanese crisis, which, since you wrote, has broken out in full conflagration. {1} My own view is that it might have been prevented if wiser counsels had prevailed at our Foreign Office a few years back. But now it will not be stopped until very grave events have taken place. But I cannot believe that in the long run China will become a prey of Japan.

You ask about Mary Higgins. She has been living with her husband at 5, Cokeham Lane, Sompting, Nr. Worthing, for several years. Her husband appears to be now permanently bedridden—though to tell the truth—I do not know exactly what is the matter with him. Mary remains her own buoyant self in spite of all her troubles and difficulties, and in some ways she looks as young as ever.

All best wishes to you both in which my wife joins. I remain,

Yours sincerely,
[blank]

G. B. Sansom Esq.,
British Embassy,
Tokyo,
Japan.

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{1} The Second Sino-Japanese War is usually considered to have begun with the Battle of Lugou Bridge (also known as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident), which took place on 4 July, but China and Japan did not formally declare war against each other till after the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.

British Embassy, Tokyo.—Has heard news of him from Mrs Geoffrey Young (his sister-in-law). Asks for news of Mary Higgins (formerly of the West London Mission), and discusses the crisis in Japan, which appears to be leading to war.

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Transcript

British Embassy, Tokyo
July 30, 1937

My dear Lawrence,

I have been hearing about you lately from my wifes† sister (Mrs. Geoffrey Young) who lives near you: and of course I have often seen your name in print—the latest occasion not political, but as a puzzle expert in the “New Statesman”. Anyhow, I have always very happy memories of your kindnesses during the war, of walks together and of the Capital Levy. But I am a bad correspondent, and an overworked official—which means that I lose touch sadly with my friends—though I don’t forget them!

One friend I have been worrying about lately—Mary Higgins. I got a magazine from her some time ago, from Spain, but no address. And now I wonder how she is faring. Can you give me any news, or put me in touch with her. I hope all goes well.

We are in the middle of a crisis here, which may develop into war of a serious kind. At present the Japanese seem to be crazier than the average of humanity, which is saying a good deal. They are on the verge of the kind of hysteria which I remember as a boy, during the early part of the Boer war. But they are worse off than we were then, because nobody dare utter an anti-war sentiment.

My best remembrances to Mrs Pethick Lawrence, please.

Yours very sincerely
G B Sansom

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† Sic.