The Letters of T. S. Eliot, Volume 1: 1898-1922 (53 page)

MS
Virginia

23 August 1918

31 West St, Marlow

Cher Monsieur Dulac,

I shall not attempt to respond in the language which you use to decorate so beautifully my exaggerated attainments, lest you perceive how far they are below your praises. But I think it was extraordinarily kind of you to reply so quickly to my plea, and also it is remarkable that on such scanty information as you must have received you could have produced exactly what I wanted.

I am trying to get a non-combatant commission either in Quartermasters’ or Interpreters’ Corps, and am required to send in testimonials. I
hope
to be able to remain in England.

Again with many thanks

Sincerely yours
T. S. Eliot

1–Edmund Dulac (1882–1953), naturalised British artist and book illustrator who helped with TSE’s French poems of 1917, as TSE later told the
Paris Review,
56 (
IMH
, 291). ‘Dans le Restaurant’ was due to appear in
Little Review
5: 5 (Sept. 1918).

MS
Houghton

25 August 1918

c/o British Linen Bank,
Threadneedle St, London e.c.

Dear Henry,

Thank you infinitely for your letter of the 5th August, which arrived yesterday. You have evidently taken no end of pains over this, and I do appreciate your goodness.

It would appear, after examining your report very carefully, that I have as good a chance over here. Since the end of July I have tried several things. There seemed a very good chance for a job, with commission, in the U.S.A. Navy Office here in London. I interviewed several people in the office, and they said they would be very glad of a man like me in the Intelligence Department, and there was another job too, even better, directly under the Admiral. I thought I was pretty certain to get one or the other, and then they got a cable from Washington forbidding them to give any more commissions over here. There was still some prospect of their cabling for special permission in my case, but it is now two weeks and I have heard nothing. I am going once more to enquire, but am not hopeful.

The second thing is that I had an introduction to Col. Schick, Assistant Provost-Marshal, who has been awfully nice to me. I have had a medical examination, passed fit for
limited
service (hernia) and am to send in an application for a commission in the Quartermaster’s or Interpreter’s Corps. I have been collecting testimonials from the most important people I know; the whole exhibit goes to France, and if approved, I am examined by a board here. Col. Schick thinks I ought to get this. If this fails, I see nothing else at present but to try for exemption. Not being fit for active service, I am much more useful in my present occupation than in any limited service job for which I could be conscripted as a private, and with an invalid dependent wife it is obvious that I should suffer very badly on a private’s pay.

I do not suppose that I shall be called up for some time anyway, being in a deferred class, so there will be time to go on trying, but the strain is great. If you hear of any job which I could get over
here without going back
it would be very useful. There
ought
to be places for which a man who knows
England
well, English society, English business,
would be most suitable
.

I am awfully sorry not to have acknowledged the previous remittances of money. It seems awfully ungrateful, but there have been times when I have been so over worked and tired and worried that the idea of writing has been impossible of execution. And at times when one has a great deal more to do than one can do one takes a kind of vicious pleasure in neglecting things and appearing ungrateful and rude and nasty to the people to whom one least wishes to be.

Thank you again and again. I simply cannot write any more, I have written nine letters today and I have two more to write. Vivien will write as soon as she can.

Very affectionately
Tom.

MS
Texas

25 August 1918

31 West St, Marlow

Dear Jack

Thanks awfully for your letter, which is a very useful one, and a departure from the usual form of testimonial. I hope it was not a nuisance to you to write at such short notice, but I thought it might be essential to get it off at once. I rang up Schick in the morning, and he said that the 
difference of a few days would not matter, but that I ought to get as good recommendations to send with it as I possibly could. So I am hoping to see Bennett
¹
on Monday, and if he is well inclined to get a letter out of him on the spot; and turn in my application on
Tuesday
.

Schick said this time that what was most important, when the Board was actually appointed here in London, was to find out anyone I knew who knew any member of the Board and get them to write personally. Lady Cunard would in all probability know one of them, or even if she did not, she could write to someone who did, and the letter could be placed before the member, and this would be more influential than a formal testimonial addressed to no one in particular. If she were in town I think it would be much the simplest thing for someone to take me to see her; but as she is out of town would it not be best if I could meet Nancy and explain to her? Do tell me how you think that could be managed.

You see, Lady C. has been approached about my affairs already, and I don’t want her to get muddled or tired of them, but want to ask some one perfectly definite thing.

This is the only point at present. Of course,
all
the testimonials or letters I can get to put before the Board will be very useful – what I have said is only about Lady C.

I hope you are not having as wet a weekend at Wittering as we are here. I envy you there. With many thanks

Yours ever
T. S. E.

1–Arnold Bennett.

MS
Texas

25 August 1918

31 West St, Marlow

Dear Mary,

Thank you so much for your letter. I do appreciate such sympathy in the present difficulties, though I hate a situation which makes me force my practical personal affairs upon my friends to the exclusion of everything else. I quite feel as you do about khaki; at the same time I think that this is the moment for getting into it to the best advantage, and that nothing else is of much use until this has been tried. Everything else is insecure, though I shall try if and immediately this present attempt fails. I am almost at the point of feeling that nearly
anything
,
settled
would be less unpleasant than the present incessant strain.

I think that conditions might arise when Clutton Brock’s name would be very useful.
¹
At present what I want are names which could carry instant conviction to
anybody
– celebrities, and people with official or social titles. Of course Brock knows a great many people, and he might be able to suggest something. But if it is a question of a formal testimonial I think it might be more useful later. I have met him once or twice. He is a good person to keep in mind; thank you for thinking of him.

As for your proposal that we should come to Wittering – that is very good of you. But the fact is that when everything is so unsettled we could not think of going away from town. I might have to come back at any time, and I should feel very restless. Your barn is a charming place! but I simply could not write
anywhere
at present – it’s out of the question. You understand that, I am sure. We should have loved to come had circumstances been different. Thank you very much from both of us.

Yours ever,
T. S.E.

1–Arthur Clutton-Brock (1868–1924), essayist, critic and journalist, author of
The Ultimate Belief,
which TSE had reviewed in
IJE
, Oct. 1916.

MS
Mrs Burnham Finney

4 September 1918

31 West St, Marlow

Dear Rodker,

I return herewith all of your MSS which is in my possession. There is another prose piece which I gave to Weaver and told her she ought to use, and which I expect she will print shortly, and I will ask her if she has anything else. The
Suite
was too long to use under our present limitations, and two other things we judged it useless to try, in view of our mortifying experiences with
Ulysses
. Have you anything on hand that we could have, prose or verse?
²
Also, would you be willing to review a book or two occasionally?

It is true that my affairs have been unsettled, and living in the country as we are, and being absorbed in military matters, I haven’t seen anyone except very much on business. But I am coming back to town toward the end of this month, and as any decision of my fate seems to be in the indefinite future, I expect to occupy my flat myself. Otherwise, I should 
have been glad of a tenant – though the present one would be glad to keep it on.

I hope I may see something of you this winter.

Cordially
T. S. Eliot

1–John Rodker, publisher, poet and novelist: see Glossary of Names.

2–Rodker contributed ‘Hymn to Death, 1914 and On’,
Egoist
5: 10 (Nov.–Dec. 1918).

4 September 1918

31 West St, Marlow

Dear Mr Ross,

I have just managed to get your address, which I neglected to notice the other day, from Osbert – or I should certainly have written to you before, to thank you for speaking to Bennett. I found him extremely kind and sympathetic, and he wrote a charming letter for me without any hesitation.
²
Your having spoken to him made it much easier for me.

I have not, however, put in my application yet. I have found that the Intelligence Dept. is much more suitable and have just got in touch with them. I was able to produce an excellent showing of testimonials, and the chances are very good, only they want three letters from Americans as well – and I don’t know any prominent Americans here. Thanking you again,

Yours very truly
T. S. Eliot

1–Robert Ross (1869–1918), gallery owner and literary executor of Oscar Wilde. Osbert Sitwell had suggested that TSE approach Bennett through Ross. The text here is taken from
Robert Ross: Friend of Friends
, ed. Margery Ross (1952), 337.

2–See Bennett’s testimonial, 28 Aug. 1918: ‘I have pleasure in stating that Mr. T. S. Eliot (whom I understand to be a candidate for a commission in the Quartermasters or Interpreters Corps) has an intimate knowledge of the French language. Also that he is a writer of distinguished merit, for whose work personally I have a great admiration. I may mention that it was my admiration for Mr. Eliot’s work which led to my acquaintance with him, and not vice versa’ (
Letters of Arnold Bennett
III, ed. James Hepburn, 1970, 66).

MS
Houghton

8 September 1918

c/o Lloyds Bank, 17 Cornhill,
E.C.3

Dear Father,

Your letter with birth certificate came Friday. Thank you very much for your promptness in writing and in writing to Pres. Eliot
¹
and to Ada. 

I am in touch with a Major Turner of the Intelligence Service (he comes from St Louis but has not lived in America for many years). He thinks he can get me into that work. My testimonials are
very
good – but he says that to apply for a commission – to satisfy the officials who pass upon these things – I
must
have three
American
testimonials. This is all that is holding me up – I ought to have them
now
, and every day delay is affecting my chances. This is
just
the work for a man of my qualifications and I am the sort of man wanted for it, and my physical disabilities (hernia and tachycardia) would not disqualify me.

I am all the more worried because I have a letter from Ada, dated the
25th
, in which she does not refer to having heard from you or from me. I cabled
her
on the same day I cabled
you
, and asked for testimonials from any Harvard people besides Charles Eliot. What can be the matter? I cabled
again
to her on Thursday last, and have had no reply to
that
.

I have everything required except the American testimonials – my friends here have pushed me in every way possible, and I should hate to be disappointed just for the lack of these. If I do not hear from Ada I shall cable you again.

Thank you very much. I am worn out with trying to do my duty at the bank – which has been so kind to me – and rushing hither and thither as well.

I will write by Wednesday if I have any more news.

Your affectionate son
Tom.