4pQonT

170 THIS DIFFICULT INDIVIDUAL
"As I recall it Mensdorf's first suggestions included specific
recommendation from reprint of Grotius and Puffendorf, but they
seem to have got omitted, along with my 'dynastic intrigues.' In any
case the Mensdorf letter got to N.Y., and was answered by an
underling, as per enclosure which Dr. Matsih forwarded in copy to
me in Rapallo, with ms/ note that it was copy of the Carnegie
Endowment to Count Albert Mensdorf. (Das thust du nicht,
Albert, in Canto whatever.)
"I take it the Endowment will not reply to a request from you to
shed light on further actions, reactions or inactions, but can supply
fotocopy of the two documents, along with the seal of Bundeskanzleramt,
Republik Osterreich, Auswartige Angeleger, if required."
Ezra enclosed copies of the Count's letter to the Endowment and
their reply. The points mentioned in the Count's letter are those
suggested by Pound, and he also had them printed as an editorial
in the last issue of The Exile, Autumn, 1928:
"From Albert Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, member of the
Comite d'Administration, Minoritenplatz 3, Vienna 1, to Professor
Nicholus Murray Butler, Chairman of the Executive Committee,
Carnegie Endowment for Peace, 405 West 117th Street, New York
City;
Sir,
"On page 67 of your Year Book of 1927 the wish is expressed
for suggestions and collaboration of thought. This gave me the idea
that I might venture to suggest certain points as worth while some
study, considering the causes of war, which it might be perhaps
more useful to go into carefully than to investigate the causes of
war.
Some of these causes are:
1) Intense production and sale of munitions; the whole of the
trade in munitions and armaments might be subjugated to contemporary,
not retrospective investigation via trade channels.
2) Overproduction and dumping, leading to trade rivalries and
irritation.
3) The intrigues of interested cliques.
All these are general and constantly active forces toward war.
Further there are particular present subjects which might be clarified
by Carnegie study.