Grand Hotel

Les Roches Blanches

Cassis-sur-Mer, France

American Guild for German Cultural Freedom

New York City

Dear Mrs. Brandes –

I just returned from Spain and found your letters from August 3rd and 4th. I enquired carefully about Uhse, both in France as in Spain (where U. fought as a voluntary).

With all respect for Prinz Löwenstein: in this case he is mistaken. I do not wish to discuss at present U.’s literary qualities but I feel it as my duty to defend his human honor against attacks which seem to me unjustified and are (as facts prove) unjustified. May I just add, that I know U. only slightly – I met him years ago for a few minutes – that I do not belong to his party – I do not belong to any organized political party – and that I asked people who are U’s friends and such who don’t like him personally at all.

It is true that U. was as a young man member of the Nazi-Party. He left it before Hitler came to power ( not in 1934, as Prince L. writes!) and joined at first the Nazi-opposition then the Communist party. He wrote about his evolution a book in which he described his evolution with utter frankness, he described his faith and his errors, his intentions and his deeds, good ones and bad ones. As Hitler came to power he became an exile and was living in France. There he wrote the book which has been published by a German publishing-house of which the manager was Münzenberg (who never was the chief of the German Communist party in Paris – as the Prince states – and is to-day in disgrace with the C. P.) I really regret that my friend Prince Löwenstein writes Uhse was a dangerous member of the Gestapo and: “Uhse has at present functions in the GPU.” I personally do not believe that a GPU in Paris exists and that the French Government would tolerate it – one has to be very careful to make such statements, the fascist papers in France are generally the only ones which use such indictments – in any case, everybody whom I asked, considered the statement as “ridiculous”. (As you will understand, I never revealed the source of the statement).

Uhse went later to Spain and fought with courage and gallantry. I spoke to his commander, whom the Prince, I think, knows and who as Erika Mann will confirm, is one of the most respected foreign officers in Spain, Colonel-Lieutenant Hans. He praised Uhse as a reliable brave person.

I am convinced that the Prince will understand my objection and that he will be the first to regret his erroneous words. May I be allowed to object also his statement about Paetel. Paetel is not a Nazi – he is a young German with strong national conceptions – he is frankly hostile to Nazism and all his friends are either persecuted or in prison. –

Another question is the question of literary talent and of writers who deserve a scholarship or not.

Until now the Guild had only one principle: the applicant must be a writer or composer or scientist and prove that he is doing creative work.

Besides of it the Guild decided who extend the scholarship for not more than six months.

This is a rather mechanic principle and it leads to the consequence that certain distinguished authors of extraordinary talent who are in need and may remain in need for another shorter or longer period cannot be considered for a renewal.

We all know that generally all applicants are living in misery and that all deserve support. But in my opinion the Guild has the special concrete aim to encourage the production of valuable (wertvollen) Werken and to encourage young artists whose talent is acknowledged by competent judges.

Of course our decisions are dependent upon the amount of money we are capable to distribute. But the time has come where we have to agree to a clearer conception of scholarship. That means: extension and limitation.

I propose therefore to give up the limit of 6 months for a scholarship in cases, where it concerns authors of outstanding talent.

I am sure that men like Thomas Mann, Heinrich Mann and others, will easily come to an unanimous vote for the few authors of whom I am speaking.

Concerning the others it will be difficult to be always just and to recognize the ‘hierarchy’ of talents, to realize which talent is greater than the other, as it is quite possible that the one or the other, whom we considered as a rather “thin” author may develop his qualities considerably and may find “his way”. But there is also a way to select them with greater care. I propose that a committee of three German members of the council may be elected who are as competent and objective, as it is possible under such circumstances and who will carefully choose the scholarships and propose them to the council. These people have no easy task.

There is always a considerable number of applicants – they have to choose the worthy ones and have, if they do not know their former works, to read them.

I myself committed sometimes the mistake to judge by hearsay – this of course is not to justify as more as our tasks grow and our responsibilities also.

I sincerely hope that we will have money enough to help all – but if we have not money enough we must come to a selection on a sound basis and to eliminate wrong decisions or omissions as much as possible. (In case you choose me as a member of this committee I have to admit that, if I have to choose between two persons of the about same qualities and both are “second-rate” writers I shall choose the man who seems to me as Character more valuable. If the one is a writer and an active Anti-Nazi with great moral attitude, he may be catholic or conservative or communist, and the other is just a writer who writes f. e. the average magazine stories, I shall give my vote to the active person. If one of them is an active Anti-Nazi but a poor writer and the other is not active but a Literary master I shall vote for the great writer)

I also propose to appeal to everybody who gets a scholarship to return the money or a part of it for the sake of the others – if success crowns his work and he becomes materially independent. This moral appeal will have, I am sure, an effect in a number of cases. – I am very sorry that I am unable to attend the first autumn-meeting, but I have to stay longer in Europe than I planned. About my efforts concerning “Germany in Exile” I shall write in a special letter.

Yours sincerely

Ernst Toller.

Please do forgive the mixture of pen and pencil and the paper – neither ink nor better paper are available at the moment.

Hotel Les Roches Blanches

Cassis sur Mer

France

Sept 10th 38.

P. S.

I also propose to send a copy of an eventual decision concerning scholarships to all members of the European council. It is often hard not to recommend a man whose personal and family situation is humiliating not only for him and his family but also for the member of this council whom he approaches. But we are no pure charity-organization, this has to be pointed out, therefore we have to find another way for such people of whom nobody sincerely believes that he belongs to that group with whom we are dealing. As we have connections with different other Refugee-Committees, we should recommend these men to other organisations and try to find help for them elsewhere. It may be difficult but it is not impossible – especially if some of our distinguished members recommend it.