Part 2 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

to read and study at Princeton, or to go out with one
another or with their own advanced workers to observe, on
the spot, practical difficulties and problems.46
Flexner was encouraged to write Veblen of his hope that, "with
the help which has been freely and candidly given, we may do something
worthwhile.. . in economics. **17 He had been in Europe a month, part of
the time with Rieflcr and Stewart in England, when he received a letter
from Maass uhich read in part:
At this stage I think I must say to you that I hope you
are paking no commitments in connection with the Department
of Economics, for Mr. Banberger seems a bit hazy about what,
if any, agreement he made with you regarding his obligation
in connection with its cxplansion. 3: am sure, when you re-
turn, you will be able to clear up in his mind whatever doubt
may be lingering there regarding the nature of his discus-
sions with you..,for I know that you will feel that you
want them cleared up before you incur any direct obligation,
This, of course, does not mean that he is opposed to the ex-
pansion plan, but merely that as he discussed the matter
with Leidcsdorf and me, we did not get from h im the same
idea as we had from you as to your understanding with him. 48
What the state of his understandings with Mr. Bamberger was when
he left is not known. Nor is it apparent that he had not already offered
positions to Messrs. Stewart and Clay by this time. And whether he was
informed there for the first time that Stewart expected and even exacted
the appointment of his friend and associate, Robert B. Warren, on the same
terms as his, is not certain, But evidently Flexnerts doubts were chill-
ing when he received a letter from Rieflet, still in Europe, saying that
Clay is taking your offer very, very, seriously. He said
that he had never really contemplated it before, but that
suddenly it had become quite real, that he felt like accepting
it at once, and the only thing that kept him from
it was his general worn-out condition -- he felt he really
ought to wait until after his vacation before he made up
his mind.49 (Emphsis bt s) \ -.
Riefler said that Clay was overcoming his'-wife's reluctance to . .