Unnumbered pageScan 46 of 79
Corinth 27 September 1938.
Dear George,
Your cablegram of night before last reached me last night: "Planning sail Bremen Tuesday. If you think excavations "feasible during war glad to risk any situation that might arise" The Twelfth word came "TELAD", but TE they tell me doesn't differ much in Morse from G: so I assume t he word was GLAD.
I replied hurriedly by letter this morning to the effect that I presumed that we, being neutrals, could probably go on with our work in Cyprus even if t here is a war. I think that is true; but there is one fact, of which I happened not to learn until after I had sent t he letter to o you -- I hope the strange spacing of this old typewriter does not disturb you -- which modifies my opinion a bit. It is said to be a matter of general knowledge that Italy has a hard and fast alliance with Germany and so will take part in the war if there is one. If she does take part from the beginning the activity of her submarines and airplanes, operating from the Dodekanese, might affect the communications of Cyprus unfavorably. I imagine t hat she would probably drive the Greek Line to discontinue its Cypriote service, and of course Italian ships would no longer themselves touch Cyprus. So if we were there we might feel pret ty well isolated. But we doubtless could do our work unless t he transfer of funds became too difficult. (The cost of labor would probably increase somewhat).
If there should be war with Italy remaining neutral our work would not, I think, be much affected. At any rate I should be inclined to go ahead, with Lands making surveys and plans and Young photographing and packing t he Lapithos pottery, at least, even if we did little digging. Young may prove to be the one to work on the terracottas, also.
As I have already stated several times, if conditions are normal, I expect to sail on t he "Thraki" next Wednesday the 5th. Before that date I shall be looking for a telegram from you, after you have landed and seen the g eneral situation, telling me your plans.
I sincerely hope t hat by the t ime you see this letter the threats to the peace of t he world may have wholly disappeared.
Yours,
Signature
65 figures hard to readstruck struck outadded written in above” jug ditto, and what it repeatsword reading not certain