Ralph Pinker , Esq.

9, Arundel Street

W. C. 2

London, Nov., 17th, 33.

Dear Pinker,

You will find enclosed the ratification of our agreement on the book-rights of “Eine Jugend in Deutschland”.

I deeply regret to let you know that I do not consider a future collaboration between us as desirable. Allow me, please, to give you the reasons for that decision quite frankly. I appreciate you personally very much and I could imagine to make friends with you. But I do not feel satisfied with our commercial collaboration.

I disregard the fact that you accepted the original suggestions by Morrow, which I considered as improvable, without asking for my agreement. Meanwhile it has been proved that I was able to get far better terms myself.

I called your attention to the fact that without the Dollar-Pound-Clause I was running a great risk. I told you that it happened to me during the German inflation that I lost the most royalties owing to the absence of a corresponding clause. Morrow cabled that he would accept your draft-agreement. Only by an accidental telephone-call I was able to prevent your sending of the draft-agreement to America without showing it to me beforehand. When I got it finally, I discovered with consternation that the by Morrow accepted clause was absolutely missing, so that the dangerous possibility arose that in case of future changes in the rate of exchange the advance could be considered as to cover already future royalties. Only after my intervention this clause has been included and, as you have seen, once again it has been accepted by Morrow.

You promised to me the day before yesterday to forward to me £ 50 à conto of the cheque which Morrow had sent to Mrs. Wilkinson. I had explained to you that I urgently wanted this money to pay off some bills. I was really surprised that you did not want to allow me to accept this cheque from Mrs. Wilkinson because following our agreement you should draw your own royalties but from the last instalment of the advance. You have not sent the £ 50 to me so that I was forced not to forward the cheque from Morrow which Mrs. Wilkinson gave to me, to your address but to take the cheque directly to the bank in order to be enabled to obey my obligations.

I do not want to refer to other incidents. Let me just mention one more thing. When I asked you to send to different theatres copies of the “Blind Goddess”, you told me that you could only do so if I were going to pay the expenses for the necessary copies. I cannot understand that in the least since I think you have to do something for the fees you get. I do not think it necessary to mention that you have had no trouble at all with the book-contract besides a telephone-call from my flat since I brought the final offers to you.

Perhaps just one more point should be made clear. I promised you 5% for the English book-edition but I especially mentioned that I would only give you the rights for England. When Mrs. Wilkinson phoned with you and asked if you had got the book-rights for America also, you replied in the affirmative although that – pardon me if I express that frankly – was not in accordance with the facts.

You will agree that under such circumstances the conditions for a real collaboration which I always wanted and still want, have not been fulfilled. Please, excuse this frank letter. I was always of the opinion that it is best to call the things with their names. I rather prefer that since you have answered me on my question if we should not make a contract that you did not like to make special contracts with authors. You preferred the author to cease calling upon your services if he is not altogether pleased.

I hope that our personal relations will remain friendly.

Yours very sincerely

Ernst Toller.