That’s the sort of low rationalist I am.
You say some pleasant and confusing things about my influence on you and your development. Evidently, it’s still insufficiently strong, while you continue to make such tangled confessions. A clear profanity would suit me better. And you as well. It’s not only when one has nothing to say that one should shut up, but also when one is unable to express it clearly. You will never attain artistic perfection unless, at the instant you reach for your pen and paper, you are as sober as if someone had emptied a bucket of cold water over your head. Your job is to communicate, don’t forget. Even your dim semi-lucid states have to be expressed clearly. In Germany they don’t set much store by that. Only the stammerers are great poets in Germany. But you, like me, are a favorite of reason. Remain true to her, and don’t allow yourself to be seduced by the wiles of sweet German pain. You’ll make — fail to make — your way in life, just like me. But you’ll have your satisfaction.
Reifenberg went to Munich today. He’s staying till Wednesday.
Fill a couple of columns with Christmas stuff. Facts, rather than reflections. No preamble. Start in medias res. Let me have them soon, and I’ll be able to get them set, without anyone’s vetting them.
Keep me in mind, not in heart, and don’t go crazy as a result.
Kiss your dear wife’s hand for me.
Your old
Roth
1. Siegfried Kracauer (1899–1966) was on the staff of the Frankfurter Zeitung in Frankfurt and Berlin. Went into exile in 1933 in Paris, from 1941 in New York. Novelist, biographer, film theorist, and historian.
26. To Bernard von Brentano
Frankfurt, 30 December 1925
Dear friend,
thank you very much for your Christmas letter and present. You’ll understand, I waited before writing back. Well, as far as you’re concerned, Reifenberg says you can go whenever you like. I seem to remember your saying you wanted to be back ca. 11 January. There are no obstacles from the board. It’s possible to get an advance from Dr. Geisenheyner.1 Only you haven’t yet let him have the story he’s bought — he mentioned it to me a couple of days ago. Send it to him now, and with an accompanying letter. The best thing is pick up the advance while you’re here. G. is a primitive-sensuous type, your presence, in person,2 will be a big facilitator. Till then you can take out a loan on the money from Frau Sternberg.
There are some strange goings-on here. As far as I’m concerned, I’m going to have to remain here probably till the end of January. I don’t know what I’ll be doing after that either. Maybe I’ll tour a few German cities. Paris is rather doubtful now, it seems. Dewall,3 who’s in charge of foreign affairs here, has proposed Sieburg,4 instead of Reifenberg’s candidate, Lachmann.5 It’s very hush-hush, not even Reifenberg must know that you know. There may be some anti-Semitic feeling against Lachmann from Dewall. There are no other candidates. Basically, Sieburg, who’s not a political journalist by training, would be another writer. Apparently a better writer than he is a character. They still haven’t made up their minds. Anyway, my Paris stint is under threat, because the firm would say, why have more than one feuilletonist, if he can do political reports as well. I told Reifenberg I wasn’t going to stand idly by while they pulled the rug out from under my feet. He thought I ought to go on the road and do some work. But of course I am far too worried to leave the building, now there’s all these rumors flying around. For the first time in his life Nassauer’s ill. I heard from an indiscreet bank employee that he, Nassauer, applied for a loan, and was turned down. For the first time in its life, the FZ wants to borrow money, and isn’t able to. I see in that the malice of the banks, trying to teach an independent paper a lesson. The paper’s teetering on the brink. Should it move to the right? Throw in its lot with the hopeless Social Democrats? Democracy has vanished in a puff of smoke. Should it woo subscribers? Remain aloof, and let the subscribers come by themselves? The board is naïve, the editors rudderless. The last man, Naphtali6 is leaving, and so is another young person, Dr. Marschek, and Feiler7 wants to take his hat as well. They are the best rats this ship has to offer. Is it doomed to sink? Looks like it.
That’s why there was no Christmas bonus. The company no longer turns a profit. It doesn’t sell. No reason to call it names. The BT8 can afford more than a fortnight’s salary, because it’s already been sold. Whereas we sell our own freedom in return for our bonuses — indirectly, of course.
With things as they are, it’s bad if I stay, bad if I go. Then there’s the fact that Reifenberg needs someone to hold his hand here. He’s not quite a match for Diebold.9 Geck10 and Diebold annoy him, and in the end he’s a rather haughty passive character, whose passivity may well win out, but only at the end of ten years. I wish we could just both leave. Think about it. This place lacks control and direction. I have no idea how that could be arranged. I really don’t want to spend half my time in Berlin. All I know is that someone needs to be sitting with Reifenberg in his office, otherwise things will get worse. I’ve suggested guest writers as star turns. But with the stodginess of this outfit, there’s no sense in even waiting for an answer. We could think of a plan and put it into effect by ourselves. If you were to turn up here one day instead of me, no one would say a thing. While everything’s in the balance, it’s still possible to get things done.
But I’m afraid it won’t be like that forever, and once Guttmann’s regiment has taken over, nothing will be possible any more. He’s just hired another sergeant major. Gradually he’s taking over the building. Nassauer’s powers of attorney have been limited, and Lasswitz11 is turning into a chief under one’s very eyes. Today he’s still glad of a smile and a friendly word from me, but who knows if that’ll still be true the day after tomorrow? He complained to me about your standoffishness. I told him distinguished people were like that, and to prove it to him, I went in the next day to see Nassauer, who was out — as I knew he would be — and I was even more standoffish to him than you are, and told him grand people were painfully inhibited in matters of money, and that it took years of friendship to gain their trust. So he gets the picture, and I’m afraid next time you see him, he’ll probably be all over you.
I keep a thousand ears pinned to the ground, I have confidants in every camp, and I’m noiseless as an Indian. Dr. Simon is in Berlin now, if you should run into him, treat him nicely.
Come soon, and kiss the hand of your dear wife.
I remain your old
Roth
1. Dr. Max Geisenheyner worked on the travel section of the FZ.
2. your presence, in person: a recurring idea with JR in these letters, where he connects it with the Austrian character. (See, for instance, no. 276.) I fancy it is just as true of JR, personally.