Opera mundi

Société anonyme

100, AV RAYMOND POINCARÉ

PARIS (16e)

Paris, Jan. 6, 1969

Monsieur Simon Wiesenthal

Mestrozigasse 5

1190 Vienna

Austria

Dear friend,

Primo Levi's reply, although brief, is indeed excellent, but it is the only one we received from Italy out of about a dozen people we contacted, and that's about the same proportion as in France.

This situation is becoming worrying because, as I think I told you, our contracts will not come into force until the publishers will have received the responses from at least twelve internationally renowned personalities. We're a long way from that number, and I think we must search and find a solution together after a serious discussion in Paris or Vienna.

Elie Wiesel has in fact refused, this time definitively. He would like to do you the favor but it is truly impossible for him to express himself to the problem you pose. He plans to do so perhaps in the form of a critical article in the press after the publication of the book.

I am enclosing a sample letter for you to send to René Cassin, another to Gabriel Marcel and a third to Rabbi Josy Eisenberg, to refresh their memories.

The English translation, undertaken by our London office, is now complete and looking good. As soon as it has been typed up and xeroxed, I will send you, for a start, a model letter in English for the British writers and personalities whose addresses our London office will give me. For the U.S.A. it will be a bit more complicated, but as I have to go to New York fairly soon, probably at the end of January or beginning of February, I'll take care of it there.

Best regards,

Charles Ronsac

P.S.- Please don't forget to send me a copy of every letter you send to a celebrity: it's the only proof I have that things have been done. For example, I haven't received a copy of the new letter to Gabriel Marcel, a sample of which I sent you on December 3.

P.J.: 3 sample letters