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Robert Woods Bliss to Royall Tyler, September 21, 1938

September 21: 1938

Dear Royall,

The mail this noon has brought me a letter from Stora, of New York, enclosing photographs of a gold enamel and cloisonné crossThis pendant gold and cloisonné enamel cross is referenced in correspondence between Raphael Stora and Robert Woods Bliss, dated September 20, 1938, and September 21, 1938. which he says is actually at the British Museum. The enamel heads of the Christ and of the Virgin are not very convincing, judging from the photographs, for both appear to be cross-eyed and their faces have no character. Although the owner is asking a whopping price, Stora says his brotherMaurice Stora (1879–1950). writes him that he (the owner) will accept a much lower offer.

If you happen to be in Paris you might ask Stora to show you the photographs and then, if you think the object of sufficient interest, you might be able to arrange to have it sent to Paris for your inspection. Neither Mildred nor I are particularly keen on the cross, yet one can never judge accurately from photographs and it may be a piece of importance, only it does not look to me to be Byzantine.

We are in a very sorry frame of mind over what is transpiring in Europe. We withhold our ultimate judgment in the hopes of learning that ChamberlainArthur Neville Chamberlain (1869–1940), a British Conservative politician who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom between 1937 and 1940. was justified in doing what he has done.In 1938, Adolf Hitler, chancellor of Germany, made plans to invade Czechoslovakia, especially the area of the Sudetenland. In response, Great Britain chose a policy of appeasement, and British prime minister Neville Chamberlain chose to negotiate with Hitler over the Sudenten crisis rather than offer Czechoslovakia military support. Hitler demanded that the Sudetenland be handed over to Germany, and on September 29, 1938, Chamberlain agreed that areas containing more than fifty percent Germans should be handed back to Germany. Great Britain eventually declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. Without knowledge of the inside one feels as if Great Britain has almost sealed her doom and we can hardly bear the thought of the consequences of Chamberlain’s unprecedented trip to see HitlerAdolf Hitler (1889–1945), a German politician and the leader of the Nazi Party. He was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and dictator of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. and the subsequent action he has taken.

We are off this evening to New York en route for Boston to meet BetbillThe Bliss abbreviation for Bettine Tyler and William Royall Tyler. and the baby.Royall Tyler (b. 1936), the first child of Bettine Tyler and William Royall Tyler, was born in London. After earning a BA in Far Eastern Languages from Harvard University and a PhD in Japanese literature from Columbia University, he became a scholar and translator of Japanese literature. He presently lives in Australia in New South Wales. We shall send you news of them as soon as possible.

With our love,

Yours

RWB

Royall Tyler, Esquire

League of Nations

Geneva.

 
Associated Things: M. & R. Stora, Paris