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Title
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Letter to K.W. Kapp
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Date
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1937
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Date in document
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yes
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Formulas or calculations
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no
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Inventory number
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NL-RtEUR_TBCOR01_007K001
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1015
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Storage location
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Specifiek Magazijn
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Filename
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CDM1015_NL-RtEUR_TBCOR01_007K001.pdf
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Provenance
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Jan Tinbergen
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Accrual Method
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donation
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Rights
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Revised transcript
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en
Copy for Dr. Tinbergen.
Dr. K.W. Kapp, 2 Rue St. Leger, c/o M. Giacometti, GENEVA.
April 1st, 1937.
Dear Mr. Kapp,
Please excuse my delay in answering your letter of March 16th, which delay is due to our Easter vacation.
Even though there is nothing very encouraging that I can suggest to you at the present moment, I would like to say that the contents of your letter have interested me very much, in particular the fact that you have been working of late in preparation for a report by the Economic Committee of the League of Nations, particularly by the Committee concerned at present with an investigation into the problem of the distribution of raw materials, as, ever since our 1931 World Social Economic Conference in Amsterdam, we have been occupying ourselves with the whole question of natural resources and raw materials in their relation to standards of living. In 1933 we had drawn up an interesting program for a study conference in which some authorities on the subject and some interesting groups would have been collaborating, but our plans for that conference, which was to take place in Vienna, were called off by the very unsuitable political situation prevailing at that moment.
Meanwhile we have continued to concentrate on this subject, but, although we have held several intimate study conferences since, it is only this summer that we are hoping to arrange for a meeting of a group able and interested in studying this question, which we consider as basic in the present stage of social economic development.
Since we are, by choice, an independent Institute composed of individual members, we, of course, have been suffering during the latter years from a considerable reduction in our income, which fact, needless to say, has seriously restricted our work. For that very same reason I regret to say that at the present moment there is nothing which we could offer to you even though I am almost certain that we would have need of your services.
In a month or two we shall probably have formulated our program for this summer's meeting sufficiently for you to see the line which we are adopting.
Meanwhile may I ask whether there is any material available at the present moment which might be of advantage to us in establishing our direction? I am in touch with Mr. Schnabel of the League of Nations for any material which may be made available at present, or shortly, by the Committee on raw materials but this probably only concerns material which is going to be made available to the public. If there should be anything for more private circularisation which you think might be of advantage to us, we would be glad to receive or purchase it and we would be very much indebted to you for drawing our attention to it.
Dr. K.W. Kapp. 2. 1.4.1937.
I realise that instead of assisting you I am asking you to assist us. Nevertheless, I have sent a copy of your letter to our Associate Director, Miss Mary van Kleeck, who is Director of the Department of Industrial Studies of the Russell Sage Foundation, and also to Dr. Otto Neurath, who is both a member of our Board and Director of the International Foundation for Visual Education. One of Dr. Neurath's chief interests is this question of standards of living in their relation to natural resources and raw materials and the possibility is not excluded that the need for your services may arise and that some work may be allocated to you in the future even though it is not possible to promise anything at present. Will you therefore kindly keep in touch with us and inform us of your address if this should change?
I am also sending a copy of this letter to both Miss van Kleeck and Dr. Neurath so that they may have your correspondence in mind.
Meanwhile believe me,
Yours very sincerely,
Director.
MLF/FA
