D O C U M E N T 3 2 0 J U L Y 1 9 2 6 3 3 1 will not under any circumstances allow you to resign because of him.[4] Without going into the points mentioned in your circular letter[5] —which I am not compe- tent to judge due to my absence from the Munich meeting[6] —I have gone further and drawn his attention in very serious terms to the general indignation over his au- tocratic administration and constant pounding on the American moneybags, and I told him quite plainly that it would be more dignified for the university not to ac- cept such donations rather than be perpetually dependent on the whims and threats of the donors. I think he will understand my hints, and I regard it as highly likely that when he gets your letter and mine he may decide to resign. As I told you in Berlin, I am firmly resolved to stand behind you in this controversy, even though, for the reasons I explained to you verbally, the matter is in many aspects rather in- convenient for me. Still, I am prepared to do so because I am convinced that your diagnosis of the situation, that things cannot go on with Dr. M., and that sooner or later one must definitely get rid of him, is absolutely right. But if you now withdraw your proposal and, instead of urging Dr. M.’s resignation, now withdraw yourself, what can I do then? I must then stop halfway, because I cannot personally lead the attack against Dr. M. in view of my political responsibilities, and the result will be, of course, that Dr. M. will remain in power—but this time for good. And what, then, is really to become of the university? Surely we cannot leave it in the hands of Dr. M. and his Palestinian clique.[7] As for Prof. Warburg’s remonstrations,[8] there is one thing I should like to say: Prof. Warburg is held in high esteem by me and by all of us for his integrity, his noble and attractive character, but these char- acteristics are often allied with a certain ignorance of human nature. Also he lacks a general appraisal of the situation as a whole. As to the dispatch of your letter, we did indeed consider whether we should beg you to postpone the matter until the meeting.[9] However, as things look now, after your letter, and in view of your determination not to take part in the meeting, I think it will be best for you to send off the letter unabridged. For it is absolutely unac- ceptable to us that you should withdraw and leave Dr. Magnes in possession of power. I truly wish to spare you any struggle, and I also do not want to dissuade you from your decision to stay away from the meeting. But if you are resolved to resign, you must after all show us clearly the way in which we may prevent your resignation. That is why I consider it right, despite all my earlier misgivings, that you should send off the letter as intended. Your remaining on the Board of Gover- nors is, today more than ever, a vital necessity for the prosperous development of the university. With warm regards, sincerely yours, ChW Translators’ note: Based on translation from The Letters and Papers of Chaim Weitzmann, Vol. 13, Series A (New Brunswick: Transaction Books, 1977), pp. 66–68.
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