voice of interests, and until you get a Utopia in which all workers will
have nothing to kick against, you'll have grumbles and men to air
those grumbles-the professional politicians.
By a miracle, loosen all the adult stomachs of the world and you
can have Work Demy. Until that happens, what? Only the slow process
of education. But of course if this war forces the pace, condenses 100
years into five as far as movement is concerned, the masses may come
quickly to your truth that the Caesars and Hitlers of life leave nothing
behind. But already the reaction forces are very busy preparing to keep
the status quo of 1939, to keep the old world alive on the same basis of
rich and poor, worker and drone.
Rest of journal good. Feel proud and humble to see my name quoted
so often as an authority.
On the whole every journal is a bit heavy. You have got something
new and fine and it ought to be dished up in the best way. I spent two
years of my life editing an encyclopedia * which had to be condensed
in one volume, and got into the way of using as few words as possible.
[James M.] Barrie said to a young writer: "Cut it down by half, leaving
nothing out."
I know it is difficult to make translation run easily. Why don't you
write in English? Your letters to me are perfect English.
Orgonon
Rangeley, Maine
My dear Neill:
- I •
June 24, 1944I was glad to have your letter and your note on the subject of
work democracy some time ago.
The objections which you bring forth in regard to the practicality of
W[ork] D[emocracy] are the same as those I have put up against my
self when I realized the existence of the natural W.D. interrelation
ships of working human beings and the babylonic tower of ideologies
and messy institutions of the same species. As you have well understood,
* Neill's first job after graduating from Edinburgh University. In his own words:
"The work was extremely useful in one way: it gave me a dread of superfluous
words."