D O C U M E N T 9 3 M A R C H 1 9 2 1 7 5
In the same post as the one conveying this letter to you, you will also receive a
mailing of twenty copies of the
translation,[5]
and I would be exceptionally obliged
if you had the kindness to read through the translation and would tell me whether
you are satisfied with my work. As far as the translation honorarium is concerned,
I do receive the 10% that you had demanded for me.
In which city of America are you delivering your talks, and how long do you
intend to stay there? You are doing a highly noble
deed.[6]
Jews around the world
have always had to serve as scapegoats for idiocies and mistakes they had not com-
mitted, and I always found it shocking that rich accomplished Jews were ashamed
of their origins and crouched and bowed before their despisers and persecutors. I
am therefore happy to see one who, disregarding the heights he has reached thanks
to his intellectual aptitude, still stands by the unfortunate ones. Unfortunately it is
not possible for me to be a Zionist because I am convinced that if the Jews had a
fatherland, they would commit in its name just as many atrocities and crimes as the
others. I thank God every day assuming that He exists that He did not implant in
me the drive to know Him better and did not give me any fatherland. Theologians
and patriots have done the greatest mischief in history. The only possibility to mold
society more humanely lies, in my view, ultimately in some socialist form. Not that
the latter had any secret power to change human nature thoroughly. Man will per-
haps forever remain mean-spirited and nasty. But it surely is possible to organize
society in such a way that the means to carry out his bad impulses be taken away
from him. By the efforts of exceptional characters this should to be made reality
someday.–
Now, as concerns Lucien Fabre, I do believe you have a simple means to put an
end to his indecent
behavior.[7]
You can write the publisher Payot (106 Blvd. St.
Germain, Paris) and Lucien Fabre an identically worded letter that in view of the
forgeries that he had perpetrated (you would be well advised to demonstrate this
exactly) you cannot allow that the foreword continue to figure in his book and that
you therefore request of both men not to reprint it again in the next edition. You
would otherwise feel obliged to protest in
public.[8]
—I told you the story about
Fabre only because many of my friends here, who respect you very highly, were
shocked about his actions and asked me repeatedly to speak to you about it. It is of
hardly any interest to me personally. I never saw him in my life. Do me the favor
of not mentioning my name in any way when you write to these two
men.[9]
I hope to receive kind word from you before you leave.
My regards in most cordial friendship and wishing you a safe trip out and a safe
return. Yours,
M. Solovine
My very kind regards to Miss Ilse Einstein.