Dear Jan,

many thanks for your communication. I deplore the fact that it is one of very few - I do hope we may be able to improve on them, especially as from now I am expecting many new inquiries to come from European publishers, once Welten is a success.

If perhaps you read again my long letter of Nov. 28, I have to add very little to the points you make in yours:

If I had acted but as an agent, it might have meant little to me to let things slip out of grasp. But primarily I acted as a friend.

It is very unrealistic of you to believe a Swiss publisher (covering the German and Austrian markets, too) could have been found at all, after Scherz had withdrawn, and just to have footnotes at the bottom of the page. Conditions have changed tremendously since the fifties, and even the sixties’

To give Umschau an option only on a title would not change a single condition once they take it up: so why not rather make a sale? An option would be an advantage to the publisher only, not to us.

Umschau is quite aware of the attack on Velikovsky, I have shown them Sagan’s paper etc., and Mr. Curths has come to the same opinion as I, namely that this “American” way of “scientific” attacks will not have any influence on sales, at the utmost providing some useful attraction.

Of course I shall take responsibility regarding the German translation, and on all other points I am free to act on.

Is it true that the Glasgow meeting has been cancelled due to Dr. Velikovsky’s ill health? Please do remember that I have to rely on you even for unwelcome news. So let me hear from you!

With kindest regards to all,

Chris