Summerhill School
Leiston, Suffolk
My dear Reich,
Sunday, July 16th, 1950I have written to the Ambassador himself stating the facts
and asking for a reason, saying that in a communist country no reason
would be given and to ask one would be fatal, but since U.S.A. and
Britain are friendly democracies it is a rightful demand to know reasons
why. I can't do a thing until I get the reply.
We'll have to cancel our passages now or be compelled to pay the
fares. Unless you have managed to get powerful influence on your
side, there isn't a chance of our coming over.
I keep wondering why, why, why? Are your enemies now so strong
that they can get the State to consider you a danger to national safety?
I should have thought that your strong anti-communist writings of the
past few years would have shown how safe you were. If I was refused
because of myself, why? True, although I never was a communist I did
at one time approve of much that Russia was doing and wrote about
it. But in recent years, partly through your teaching, I saw where the
creed had led, to hate and repression and power and loss of all personal
freedom. No, I don't think I was refused because I was suspect. I don't
suppose we shall ever know. One sad factor is that if ever we wanted
to emigrate to U.S.A. we'd never get visas.
This has been a miserable weekend for both of us; we feel just washed
out and dull and in a way frightened, for State power is always
frightening. However we had one cheering letter from a rich young man
who came to see us some weeks ago. He has sent a lawyer's letter
saying that for seven years he will give £1000 p[er] a[nnum] to S'hill as
a fund to help poor parents to pay full fees. That is very pleasing even
though one has the horrible fear that long before 7 years are over, hell
will be let loose and S'hill gone with the atomic wind, for it is apparent
that the war has begun now and must extend until either communism
wins (and the damn creed has millions behind it now) or democracy
wins, or more likely until both lose.
An odd factor has come in now ... Ena and I have lost our desire to
come over. If we came we'd fail to get rid of the feeling that we were
unwelcome guests. As S'hill isn't England, so Orgonon isn't U.S.A. I
think of your praise of American freedom and democracy when we
talked two years ago. You must have forgotten aspects of U.S.A. that
are not free.