21st March 1932
Letter : Herbert Davy (
PAGE 1 : Reply cable C/- "Citibank"
Dear Baba,
It is
time for me to write another letter, I wrote a long letter on the 7th of March
to
I had
orders to evacuate Nanking on the 11th of February, but no orders to leave
On the
13th March came a wire in from Rustom, saying "why no answer to Baba's two
wires ?" Did he refer to your January wires or to 2 more recent ones; if
the latter they have not reached me perhaps because I am no longer in
My
last letter from you was from
The
League may now want me, if there is no teaching at Nanking to stay here and act
as a kind of Secretary for them in
I
visit schools and colleges and may give some odd lectures to groups - the old
boys, YMCA, - and I may teach in the schools if they require some one to help
them out, I thought you would like me to thus get in touch with young Chinese ;
I met a group of Zen Buddhists ( 6 ) ; I write to Four of my students and to
some Chinese friends in Nanking. I meditate apart from these activities I do
nothing and live like a very lonely hermit.
You will be disappointed that I am not in touch eith greater numbers but
it has been difficult because there has been chaos all the time. At
PAGE 2 : ** Confidential For Baba Only
...I mention numbers because I remember
you asked me how many students would there be at the University ? I said
2,000 I think you had the idea that I would be able to come in contact with all
or a very large number of them. I always make the point of walking through crowded
streets as if to come in contact with as many Chinese as possible - perhaps
this is merely superstition ? Is it ?
From the same point of view I have
wondered if you would like me to visit as many places in
I do not meet many European people, they
are mostly out of sympathy many are very definitely anti-Chinese, so it seems
better so. Also the questions of vegetarian for and not drinking makes social intercourse with them a little awkward.
There has been so much confusion about
sending my salary from Geneva that it is now being sent to Kitty's bank account
in London direct ( that is all but a quarter ) I am trying to save this also up
here so I can send it to Montreal if required. There may be some
misunderstanding with Meredith ( Starr ), from his letters I see that he still
expects me to send a portion to him for E.C. ( East Challacombe, England ). I
have not explained to him because you asked me not to - will you clear up any
misunderstandings with him ?
Similarly re Kitty's M.S. ( Meredith Starr
) asked me to put the money down for buying E.C. I wrote to Kitty and told her to ask you for
your advice before deciding. I would like to help especially not to hurt M.S.
feelings and trust. I have been trying to help about the raising of the sum
M.S. asked so urgently for in his letter from
When will I see you again ? Is it only 6 or 7 months since I sat on the
beach at
I sent a wireless message to you on your
birthday thinking that you sere then at E.C., also to tell you that I was in
Love to all - M.S. both Margarets ,
Esther, Kim & Co., Zilla and Kitty,
by now you will have seen Will Suggett, and to your dear M.
Yours Herbert
This
letter was typed from the original letter by Anthony Zois