D O C U M E N T 1 3 3 J A N U A R Y 1 9 2 8 1 4 3 Warburg will approve of your proposals, and doubt that Dr. Magnes will accept them, but I want to do everything I can to facilitate acceptance and have, as you see, therefore avoided anything that would make acceptance by him more difficult. If he rejects them and reaps the consequences, that is his affair. I am very anxious that we, on our part, should treat the matter completely objectively and strictly ac- cording to its merits, and believe that your proposals can be objectively justified to any impartial judge. It seems to me also that precisely from this point of view your letter has been written in the correct tone. Should, however, Dr. Magnes reject your proposals, nothing remains for him to do but resign his office in any case, I shall under no circumstances continue to participate in the matter if your proposals are rejected and you leave the administration of the university. I have explained this quite clearly to Dr. Magnes in our conversation.[4] Whatever the reply to these proposals will be, their implementation depends, naturally, on whether we are able to find a suitable person for the position of aca- demic head. Of course, I would like negotiations to proceed along lines of princi- ple, and for the debate not to be reduced to terms of the personality of a proposed candidate. But once matters of principle have been settled, everything depends, in- deed, upon whether we find the right person. In accordance with your suggestion, I had a detailed discussion with Dr. Brodetsky the day before yesterday and have asked him whether he would be willing to ask for a vacation from his university and accept the proposed position for a year at first.[5] Naturally, I did not ask for an immediate answer, but I am under the impression that if the other aspects of the matter can be arranged he will not be disinclined to risk the experiment. I also be- lieve that it ought not to be impossible, if the necessary approaches are made to the administration of Leeds University, to obtain such a leave for him. Many other things have, of course, to be considered, but I think that it will be possible to ar- range the matter for a year, at first. I also believe that Professor Brodetsky, who has been dealing with such matters for a long time now, possesses the necessary intel- lectual level and has, particularly in the last years, accumulated quite a lot of expe- rience in the field of university administration,[6] and as one to whom the matter is close to heart, would be very suitable for the position in question. At least at present I see no other person who would come into consideration to an equal degree. I have therefore asked him to consider the matter. In the meantime, I will hear from Dr. Magnes and Mr. Warburg and then be able to decide whether, and what, further steps should be taken in the matter. In any case, I want to prevent, for the time be- ing, Professor Brodetsky’s name from being mentioned in any way in the debate. The matter would be particularly unpleasant for him because the entire proposal about the appointment of an academic head came originally from him, and because he fought for it with great energy and, naturally, must now not be suspected of having stirred the matter pro domo.[7]