Box 1

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1 col., mounted. Retracts earlier criticism of Consul General Messersmith for his handling of the Einstein visa case, but shifts the blame to the State Department for compelling its consuls to cross-examine applicants for visas on their political views.

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Thanks Harris for his New Year wishes; hopes to drive to Vienna and Budapest soon; comments on Einstein affair; was all embroidery on the part of Mrs. Einstein, and the newspapers used the incident to attack the U.S. visa practice.

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1 col., mounted. 4 copies. Suggests that Einstein, in spite of his great achievements, has human frailties; "The protest to the State Department [by the Woman Patriot Corporation] may have been silly, but Dr. Einstein's naiveté had provoked it and he was not being subjected to a special indignity.

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Thanks Avegno and the American Club in Antwerp for their telegram to the Secretary of State; discusses unreliability of newspaper reporting.

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Thanks Strother for letter and clippings on the Einstein case; Einstein was asked none of the silly questions reported by the newspaper.

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Is grateful to Avegno and the American Club in Antwerp; thanks Avegno for informing him about the political situation in Belgium; is particularly interested in the Burgomaster of Antwerp.

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Thanks Fletcher for his card; recounts the Einstein case from its beginnings and discusses several implications concerning it; believes U.S. immigration laws and visa practice the most liberal in the world; is interested in the new administration and what it will do with regard to international problems.

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Acknowledges Gary's letter and the clipping of Walter Lippmann's retraction in the Einstein case; states the facts in the case; discusses U.S. Consular offices in general; believes U.S. more liberal than most countries in their immigration laws and visa practices; has hopes for the new administration and believes Roosevelt will be definite in international matters.

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Thanks Villard for sending copies of Nation and for his treatment of the Einstein case; discusses U.S. immigration laws and visa practices and compares them with those of other countries; believes U.S. most liberal; assures Villard that foreigners who visit American Consulates receive more considerate treatment than Americans are likely to receive at foreign consulates.

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Thanks Mitchell for his support in the Einstein case and comments on character of Einstein; discusses the difficulty of doing all the entertaining expected of him on his income.

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Twits Messersmith on the Einstein incident; "as he himself [Einstein]has told us, everything is relative, and so I took it that you had only been relatively disagreeable and nasty to an extent which he only relatively deserved... may it be a lesson to you never again to say things in Berlin when you are in Breslau."

Scope and Contents Apologizes for having sent telegram to her and [Allen T.] Klots in code; considers as stupid and unnecessary the telegram from Department advising Consul to check with Department before granting visa to Einstein; these instructions caused the delay in granting the visa during which time the Einsteins were interviewed by newspapermen; this, plus fact that the Consulate could give no information to the press, caused all the trouble; is grateful to Mrs. Shipley and Mr. Klots for their part in...

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Thanks McKenna for his letter telling of the way his telegrams to [Allen T.] Klots and Mrs. [Ruth] Shipley were routed; believes that if the State Department's telegram to his Consulate regarding Einstein had not so restricted them, all of the Einstein unpleasantness might have been avoided; complains of procedures in the State Department and hopes that some of them may be corrected under the Roosevelt administration.

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1 col., mounted. Walter Winchell On Broadway; sympathizes with Messersmith in his unjust treatment by the newspapers.

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1 col., mounted. George S. Messersmith, formerly of Delaware, is exonerated in Einstein incident.

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Affirms that Messersmith is held in highest regard; assumes that "when Einstein appeared before the Consular officials he answered questions put to him honestly and stated candidly that he was an anarchist and an expert in propaganda..."

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1 col., mounted. Messersmith obviously acting under instructions from Washington in quiz of Einstein; comments on Messersmith's rapid advancement in the Consular Service and on his former residence in Delaware.

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3 items mounted on 1 leaf. Free-thinkers of America assail Messersmith in grill of Einstein and urge his dismissal; Einstein sails, hoping quiz incident is closed; American Berlin groups defend Messersmith.

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Series of six cartoons depicts foreign celebrities being questioned at U.S. Consulates.

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Thanks Mitchell for editorial clipped from Journal of Commerce; thinks it a sensible article; is pleased that recent editorial comment concerning the Einstein incident has been fair, but realizes that first impressions often stick; deplores the wrong impression given of U.S. visa practice.

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Extends New Year greetings; appreciates the telegram sent by the Club [American Club in Antwerp ?] to the State Department; believes facts in the Einstein affair now understood in U.S., but thinks the incident may have cast unfortunate doubt on U.S. visa practice; Einstein in Germany not considered the big man he is in America.

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Apologizes for the vote of censure passed by a group of citizens meeting at her house; is glad to learn he was not responsible for the Einstein incident.

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Believes Messersmith and his staff handled the Einstein incident with good judgment; is pained by the hostile attitude of the press in the U.S.

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Entertained 24 people, most the official family, at dinner on Christmas evening; Einstein incident seems to have been cleared up; recent editorial comment good; still concerned about effects of the incident on U.S. visa practice; appreciates clippings from the Santa Barbara Press and the Los Angeles Times.

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Thanks Jordan for sending the issue of "Commonweal" containing the editorial on the Einstein incident; thinks it a sensible article and wishes to know who wrote it; knows of no other incident given so much publicity and with so large a percent of it without foundation.