extracted text

Copy f o r D r , T i n b e r g e n ,

D r . K.W, Kapp,
2 Rue St.Ijegwr,
0,0 ,M. G i a c o m e t t i ,
GEHEVA,

A p r i l 1 s t , 19S7,

Dear Mr, Kapp,
P l e a s e excuse my delay i n ansTioring your l e t t e r of March 1 6 t h ,
which d e l a y i s Ave t o our E a s t e r v a c a t i o n .
Even though t h e r e i s n o t h i n g Tery encouraging t h a t I can s u g g e s t
t o you a t t h e p r e s e n t moment, I would l i k e t o say t h a t t h e c o n t e n t s
of your l e t t e r have i n t e r e s t e d me very much, in p a r t i c u l a r t h e f a c t
t h a t you have been working of l a t e in p r e p a r a t i o n fbr a r e p o r t by
t h e EcfttiOmic Committee of the League of N a t i o n s , p a r t i c u l a r l y by
the Committee concerned a t p r e s e n t w i t h an i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t o t h e
problem of t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f raw m a t e r i a l s , a s , e v e r s i n c e ovir
1931 World S o c i a l Economic Conference i n Amsterdam, we have been
occupying o u r s e l v e s w i t h t h e whole q u e s t i o n of natuaral r e s o i r c e s
and raw m a t e r i a l s i n t h e i r r e l a t i o n t o s t a n d a r d s of l i v i n g . I n
1933 we had drawn up an i n t e r e s t i n g program for a s t u d y conference
i n which some a u t h o r i t i e s on the s u b j e c t and some i n t e r e s t i n g
groups would have b e e n c o l l a b o r a t i n g , b u t our p l a n s for t h a t
c o n f e r e n c e , which was t o t a k e p l a c e i n Vienna, were c a l l e d off by
t h e v e r y u n s u i t a b l e p o l i t i c a l s i t u a t i o n p r e v a i l i n g a t t h a t moment.
Meanwhile we have continued t o c o n c e n t r a t e on t h i s s u b j e c t , b u t ,
a l t h o u g h we have held s e v e r a l i n t i m a t e study conferences s i n c e , i t
i s only t h i s summer t h a t we a r e hoping t o a r r a n g e for a meeting
of a group a b l e and i n t e r e s t e d i n s t u d y i n g t h i s q u e s t i o n , which
•we c o n s i d e r a s b a s i c i n t h e p r e s e n t s t a g e of s o c i a l economic
development.
Since we a r e , by c h o i c e , an independent I n s t i t u t e composed e f
i n d i v i d t a l members, TW, of c o u r s e , have been s u f f e r i n g d u r i n g t h e
l a t t e r y e a r s from a considerable r e d u c t i o n i n our incon©,~which
f a c t , n e e d l e s s to s a y , has s e r i o u s l y r e s t r i c t e d our work. For t h a t
v e r y same r e a s o n I r e g r e t t o s a y t h a t a t the p r e s e n t moment t h e r e
i s n o t h i n g which ire could o f f e r t o you even though I am a l m o s t
c e r t a i n t h a t we would have need of your s e r v i c e s .
I n a month or two we s h a l l p r o b a b l y have formulated our program
for t h i s summer's meeting s u f f i c i e n t l y for you t o see the line
which we a r e a d o p t i n g ,
Meanv*iile may I a s k whether t h e r e i s any m s t e r i a l a v a i l a b l e a t
the p r e s e n t moment which might be of advantage t o u s in e s t a b l i s h i n g
our ( e r e c t i o n ? I am i n touch w i t h Mr, Schnabel o f t h e League of Nations
for any m a t e r i a l which may be made a v a i l a b l e a t p r e s e n t , o r s h o r t l y ,
by t h e Committee on raw m a t e r i a l s b u t t h i s p r o b a b l y o n l y concerns
m a t e r i a l whish i s going t o be made a v a i l a b l e t o the p u b l i c . I f t h e r e
should be a n y t h i n g for more p r i v a t e o i r c u l a r i s a t i c n which you t h i n k
might be of advantage t o u s , we would be glad t o r e c e i v e o r p u r chase i t and we would be v e r y much indebted to you for dray/ing our
a t t e n t i o n to i t .

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Dr,K,W,Kapp,

2.

1.4,1937.

I r e a l i s e t h a t instead of a s s i s t i n g you I am asking you to a s s i s t
u s , Nevertheless, I h a ^ sent a copy of your l e t t e r to our
Associate Director, Miss Marjr -ron Kleeck, who i s Director of the
Department of I n d u s t r i a l Studies of the Russell Sage Foundation,
and also to Dr. Ctto Neurath, who is both a member of our Beard
and Director of the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Foundation for Visual Eduoat^or-.
One of Dr. ïïearath's chief i n t e r e s t s i s t h i s question of standards
of l i v i n g in t h e i r r e l a t i o n to n a t u r e l resources and raw materials
and the p o s s i b i l i t y i s not excluded t h a t the need for your
services my a r i s e and that some work nay be allocated to you in
the future even though iy i s not possible to promise anything a t \
p r e s e n t . Will you there ft re kindly keep in touch with us and
inform us of your address i f t h i s should change?
I am also sending a copy of t h i s l e t t e r to both Miss can Kleeck
and Dr, ïïeurath so t h a t they may have your correspondence in mind.
MoaKWhile believe me.
Yours very s i n c e r e l y .

Director,

MLF/FA

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