191
CARTA N.º 24
44, Park Street, W.
1.
11th August, 1938.
My dear Ramón,
I understand that the British Council have sent you a letter to your Biarritz address. I hope you received it all right and that all goes well with you.
Yours ever
Van
Senor Don Ramon Pérez de
Ayala,
11 bis Avenue de Londres, BIARRITZ.
192
CARTA N.º 25
44, Park Street, W.
1.
25th August, 1938.
My dear Ramón,
Many thanks for your welcome letter of August 15th.
I don’t think any harm has been done by the delay in replying to the proposal of the British Council. I hope that we shall see you here in the near future and that everything will be satisfactorily settled.
With love from us both, and looking forward to seeing you soon.
Yours ever
Van
Senor Don Ramón Pérez de
Ayala,
11 bis Avenue de Londres, BIARRITZ.
193
CARTA N.º 26
44, Park Street, W.
1.
22nd September, 1938.
My dear Ramón,
Many thanks for your letter of September 18th. I was glad to hear from you.
I have been making enquiries about the matter of a «safe conduct», but our Home office say that it would be out of the question for them to issue such a document. I feel, however, that it is unlikely that any difficulty will be placed in the way of your coming to England whenever you like, since your Franco passport is, as you know, regarded as satisfactory evidence of identity by our Immigration authorities.
If you are genuinely apprehensive that the situation which you describe may become a reality, your best course would be to come here now. It is impossible to imagine that His Majesty’s Government would ask you to go anywhere against your will, and it would be discourteous to the French Government, whose guest you are, if we acted on the assumption that they would do such a thing.
Yours ever
Van
Senor Don Ramón Pérez de
Ayala,
11 bis Avenue de Londres, BIARRITZ.
194
CARTA N.º 27
FOREIGN OFFICE, S. W.
1.
26th September, 1938.
My dear Ramon,
You will remember that you recently left with me a note regarding a certain Don Jose Camon who is at present at Barcelona.
I now write to say that our Minister at Barcelona is being informed of your desire that Don Camon should receive such assistance as may be possible in an emergency. At the same time I regret that Embassy has no authority to provide refuge for individual Spaniards.
Yours ever
Van
Senor Don Ramon Perez de Ayala.
195
CARTA N.º 28
44, Park Street, W.
1.
27th September, 1938.
My dear Ramón,
Thank you very much for your letter of September 24th. I am glad that you were not disappointed to hear that we could not send you any official document in the nature of a «sale conduct». What I now enclose may seem to you to fall far short of that, but it may be of use to you if you wish to get into touch with any of our people in your neighbourhood.
With all good wishes,
Van
Senor Don Ramón Pérez de Ayala,
11 bis
Avenue de Londres, BIARRITZ.
196
CARTA N.º 29
44, Park Street, W.
1.
21st October, 1938.
My dear Ramón,
Many thanks for your letter. I quite understand your position in regard to the articles, and I am sure that the Council will appreciate the position to.
I was very glad to have news of you again. I am leaving at once for a month’s holiday which I had meant to take a long while ago but which had to be deferred owing to the crisis. I hope the change will do Sarita good; she needs a change even more than I do. When we get back I shall hope to have news of you again, and possibly the matter of the articles will bring you over here again. It would be a great joy to us both if it did.
With our warmest affection to you and all yours as always.
Yours ever
Van
197
CARTA N.º 30
44,
Park Street, W. 1.
25th March, 1939.
My very dear Ramón,
I was delighted to get your two letters; we were so glad to have news of you again, and I need not tell you how much we both appreciate and share your feelings and hopes for the future.
I will write at greater length soon; at the moment it is impossible as this week has been more than full with the political crisis and the French President’s visit. In addition to everything else I have had to devote much time to the organisation of the theatrical performance which was given at the Government Reception on Thursday night, and now I am immersed in the inevitable aftermath of correspondence.
We both send much love to you and Mabel, and with every good wish, believe me, my dear Ramón.
Yours affectionately
Van
198
CARTA N.º 31
44, Park Street, W.
1.
15th June, 1939.
My dear Ramón,
Many thanks for your letter and for the cheque which you have returned to me. I am very sorry however to learn that you had no opportunity of using it for the purpose for which it was intended. Perhaps better and, to use your word, riper days will come. But all this must be a great tax on your patience. I hope at least you are not letting it affect your health. Not that I have any real fear that this might be so; you are far too great a philosopher for that, and have too wide and luminous a mind to be infected with post-hunger.
I am most interested to hear of the probability of your going to Buenos Aires. Is there any likelihood of your coming here first. That would make the idea a better one still.
Sarita joins me in sending our love and every possible good wish to you both.
Yours ever
Van
With love from Sarita and all the heart (’) of good wishes.
199
CARTA N.º 33
44, Park Street, W.
1.
25th September, 1939.
My dear Ramón,
Many thanks for your most welcome letter. It was good to hear from you again, and though I needed no assurances of your support and friendship, it has cheered me enormously to receive your letter.
Sarita and I send our love to you and Mabel; we speak of you often and wish that there was some prospect of seeing you here again soon; but I’m afraid that travelling is likely to present great difficulties for some time to come.
With many messages from us both.
Yours ever
Van
200
CARTA N.º 34
Denham Place, DENHAM.
Bucks.
29th December, 1939.
My dear Ramón,
Many thanks for your letter and good wishes. I was delighted to hear from you.
I send to you and yours my affectionate good wishes for the coming year. And in particular do I share your wishes for the destruction of Hitler and Hitlerism.
Sarita also wants to be remembered warmly to you both.
Yours ever
Van
Senor Don Ramón Pérez de
Ayala,
11 bis, Avenue de Londres, BIARRITZ.