Item 107 - Letter from Hasan Shahid Suhrawardy to R. C. Trevelyan

1 item

61 Ripon St., Calcutta. - Thanks Trevelyan for his letter: thinks the changes have improved the lines [of a poem?]. Berenson is right about the pronunciation of Yudhishthira. Is very grateful to Trevelyan for having spoken to C.A. [Clifford Allen]. Is finding life hard in India, faced with the 'Victorian dogmatism' which most of the intellectuals affect, with a 'kind of religious mysticism for the sake of the reputation of the country'; human beings are not valued as human beings. Finds the country itself very beautiful though: has been to Ajunta, Ellora, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Lucknow; likes Hyderabad best. Is currently with the Singhs at Bahagalpur, since his father is away from Calcutta. Sees the League [of Nations] as his 'only salvation'; supposes that Allen is right and after the Reparations Conference there will be less economic tension and more posts available. Was nearly appointed to a post in the Information Department of the Secretariat in 1929, supported by Lord Lytton and Harold Williams of the "Times", a close friend because of 'shared Moscow experiences'; Williams' untimely death meant that the High Commissioner's brother got the post. Since then every post has gone to Indians in Geneva, even if they are less well qualified. Feels he will have to stay in India and get some temporary post, to lift cares from his friends in Paris [the Germanova / Kalitinsky household]; hears Julian is going to paint a fresco in their rooms, 'with Osny as the background and Rex [the dog] as the chief motif'; is so glad he visits them.

Pencil annotation dating the letter to 1932.