May–December 1954

Kourion

26 May 1954Dear Rodney:

I have been thinking a good deal, naturally, about the fall program, and I thank the time is ripe enough to let you know what things look like.

From the financial and practical point of view I think we must, absolutely, ready or not, close down the research program 1 Sept. as originally planned, allowing after that for finds, packing up, handing over, trip to Turkey, tion on division for concentraand whatever. Anything beyond that will involve cutting into the Benson and Cox stipends, as it looks now, and we certainly want to avoid that. It is naturally a temptation to prolong matters, but the perfection one might thereby aim at reaching can perhaps be attained more economically by other means. It seems to me that the sooner we can turn over this establishment and its overhead running expenses to the Cyprus Govt. to be better. For the projects which are always in hand, matters such) can perhaps be taken care of by the visit of one person (you, I, en passant to or from wherever), lists in hand. If whole, small projects get left in the turch at the end of the season, e.g. Hermogenes, would not a special grant be feasible? The Phil. Soc. might consider coming our research in such a case, as it did for Saul for Bamboula. In those circumstances we might be able to find someone other than ourselves to undertake it without too much trouble.

As for my own activities in the fall term I have tossed the alternatives back and forth so much that I don't want to toss them any more. Hard as it is to ask it, when I know that you have done more than your full share of taking care of things at the Museum this year, I do feel I've got to a sk for leave of absence for the term to try to finish up Athens-Corinth. I just don't see how I can put it off any longer, the horizon, which may well involve you directly at least indirectly. I do want to see Museum projects on the horizon, which may well involve you directly and me presumably at least indirectly. I am steamed up about my expressed why you should believe that any more than any other of my expressed intentions with the Mrs. Wyatt-Greek exchange, the wrestling with the Mrs. Ukrainian I do feel different though it seems to me. It goes to press. I am told, the end of June, and thus, for what it is worth, some sort of Edwardian milestone is being reached.

Naturally the proposed Athenian venture is on my own. I hope I shall have saved up enough and the Greek exchange will still be good enough so that I can scrabble along until I get home. You could thus do what you liked with my fall term's salary for setting a substitute.

The decision, obviously, rests with you and Fro. If you decide otherwise, naturally I shall way to see it, I should be grateful. If you decide otherwise, naturally I shall go along, and no more said.

Yrs., Frank