To the Editor of The New Statesman:
Sir, — Referring to the review published in your last issue of Mr. Norman Douglas’s Experiments, will you give me a little space in which to shake off Mr. Douglas’s insinuations — to put it mildly-regarding my introduction to Maurice Magnus’s Memoirs of the Foreign Legion? When Mr. Douglas’s “pamphlet” first appeared I was in New Mexico, and it seemed too far off to trouble. But now that the essay is enshrined in Mr. Douglas’s new book, Experiments, it is time that I said a word. One becomes weary of being slandered.
The whole circumstances of my acquaintance with Maurice Magnus, and the facts of his death, are told in my introduction as truthfully as a man can tell a thing. After the suicide of Magnus, I had continual letters from the two Maltese, whom I had met through Magnus, asking for redress. I knew them personally — which Douglas did not. Myself, I had not the money to repay Magnus’s borrowings. All the literary remains were left to Douglas, in the terms of Magnus’s will. But then, after his death, all Magnus’s effects were confiscated, owing to his debts. There was really nothing to confiscate, since the very furniture of the house had been lent by the young Maltese, B — . There were the MSS. — the bulk of them worthless. Only those Memoirs of the Foreign Legion, which I had gone over previously with Magnus, might be sold.
I wrote to B — that Norman Douglas would no doubt get the Memoirs published. The reply came from Malta, B — would never put anything into the hands of Douglas. I then wrote to Douglas — and, remembering the care with which he files all his letters, I kept his reply. Parts of this reply I quote here:
Florence,
26th December, 1921.
Dear Lawrence, So many thanks for yours of the 20th.
Damn the Foreign Legion. ... I have done my best, and if B — had sent it to me the book would be published by this time, and B — £30 or £50 the richer. Some folks are hard to please. By all means do what you like with the MS. As to M. himself, I may do some kind of memoir of him later on — independent of Foreign Legions. Put me into your introduction. if you like. . . .
Pocket nil the cash yourself. B — seems to be such a fool that he doesn’t deserve any.
I’m out of it and, for once in my life, with a clean conscience. . . .
Yours always,
NORMAN DOUGLAS.
The italics in this letter are Douglas’s own. As for his accusation of my “unkindness” to Magnus, that too is funny. Certainly Magnus was generous with his money when he had any; who knew that better than Douglas? But did I make it appear otherwise? And when Magnus wanted actual help — not post-mortem sentiment — where did he look for it? To the young Maltese who would have no dealings whatsoever with Norman Douglas, after the suicide.
Then I am accused of making money out of Magnus’s effects. I should never have dreamed of writing a word about Magnus, save for the continual painful letters from the Maltese. Then I did it solely and simply to discharge a certain obligation. For curiously enough, both B — and S — seemed to regard me as in some way responsible for their troubles with Magnus. I had been actually there with them and Magnus, and had driven in their motor-car. To discharge an obligation I do not admit, I wrote the Introduction. And when it was written, in the year 1922, it started the round of the publishers, as introducing the Memoirs of the Foreign Legion, and everywhere it was refused. More than one publisher said: “We will publish the Introduction alone, without the Magnus Memoirs.” To which I said: “That’s no good. The Introduction only exists for the Memoirs.”
So, for two years, nothing happened. It is probable that I could have sold the Introduction to one of the large popular American magazines, as a “personal” article. And that would have meant at least a thousand dollars for me. Whereas I shall never see a thousand dollars, by a long chalk, from this Memoirs book. Nevertheless, by this time B — will have received in full the money he lent to Magnus. I shall have received as much — as much, perhaps, as I would get in America for a popular short story.
As for Mr. Douglas, he must gather himself haloes where he may.
Yours, etc., D. H. LAWRENCE.