Item 122 - Letter from ‘A. E.’ (G. W. Russell) to Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence

84 Merrion Square, Dublin.—Is happy for his name to be used to help obtain passports for Rudolf Steiner and his companions. Is depressed by the present condition of Ireland. Refers to his forthcoming book, The Interpreters.

—————

Transcript

84 Merrion Sq | Dublin
30 Sept 22

My dear Mrs Pethick Lawrence

Your letter dated 22nd arrived this morning. In addition to our other national troubles we had a national postal strike which concluded today & brought me your letter. I know little or nothing about Dr Rudolf Steiner. Of course I know his name but little beyond that except I once started to read a book on the Threefold State & could not relate it to anything in my own country & so did not study it carefully. I have no knowledge of his mystical books, {1} though friends of mine have spoken to me about them. I read hardly any mystical literature except the Sacred Books. So you see I cannot lend any authority to your invitation to Dr Steiner so far as authority arises from knowledge of his ideas. But if you think it could help to ease the obtaining of passports or the like for Dr Steiners company by all means append my name to the others. We are all very depressed here. I think Ireland will come right in about ten years but just now it is very melancholy being here & seeing the wreck of movements one spent ones life in building up. My wife is fairly well. The new book “The Interpreters” will not I think be published until a little before Christmas or perhaps next spring. It has to be set up in USA as well as in England, {1} and I do not know when the American printers will have it ready. With kind regards

Yours sincerely
A.E.

——————

{1} Comma substituted for a full stop.