January–April 1954

17th. 18th2.Dear J. Roger: Happy New Year, etc.! I have not written for a very long time since I wanted to give you [strike-through] various things finished first and write overwhelmon your return, [strike-through] by the times was. But various items, since Xmas, some bad bad. In January Columbia were most uncooperative (in the neutr- the "excellent" Said party: for the present it is impossible. William promised an explanation: "it was merely an "espece de politesse."! said it might be interpreted as an "espece de bad faith" and that I was certain the Board would in consequence adopt no more excuses, and that as we could not leave things in their present state, I would raise enough funds (if the Board did not) for one more season to put things in order, but had no hope and very little inclination (under the circumstances) to undertake more. I subsequently learned that on a visit visit the President & Trustees had been given an [illegible] (Sullipas?) sword, and though on our end even questions in the parliament were asked w. the papers about giving away our patrimony; which scared the pants off the petty bureaucrats in the antiquities dept. No-call was made cooperation (though Cripps was stopped short on in the spring) and engineers trying to complete the exchange through an embassy and foreign Office, with wonder neither said petty bureaucrats of the nopositionists for taking the initiative. Now with the new cabinet it may blow if it does you may have to take a trip to Nicosia to air out the dept. for object division - something we of course won't come to unless I was there. I also got your letter Nov. 13 finally w. a record of the Basilica: not yet clear to Baci for to think this. We had two days of terrible cold which I won't. I had so bad the next few days my sciatica [illegible] to think that the "sedil" belong - it is made of the same stone with the square dressing - as the rest and the full width of (rubble) is just 61 - throw into the next to the gate; and the wall goes to the west. Soon later. But measuring with different orientation, and further digging may unearth this remains obscure; and southwest running 20.3 help. I think we will run to the dumb wait remains and the later gate and open up the whole thing enough to rest [illegible]. Somewhat handicapped by the junction & mud now as to get out the rest of the dam wall - until it is to stay … continues