[Rarebooks] FS: Superb Ezra Pound letter, 1917: "'too old to fight' for America"

[Charles Agvent]

The following item is from our latest online list.  The entire list can be seen 
at http://www.erols.com/agvent

POUND, Ezra. TYPED LETTER SIGNED. London: 26 June 1917.  Addressed
to  Mr.  Masterman, undoubtedly Charles Masterman who was head of  the
War  Propaganda  Bureau  in England during World War I,  succeeded  by
Lord  Beaverbrook in 1917, the date of this letter. In part:  "Neville
Chamberlain's  'National  Service' sub.section  (Selfridge)  committee
has  just sent me a form to volunteer to coal-mine or agricult. I have
of  course  filled  it up, and am sending it to St.  Ermin's  hotel. I
have  at  all times during the past three years been willing to be  of
any  sort  of  use that was found for me. I am now, according  to  the
last  senatus consulto 'too old to fight' for America." Pound goes  on
to  suggest that his knowledge of Romance languages and his memory  of
mathematics  and  German might be useful, "for what these  graces  are
worth."  A  few  words in closing and one correction in  the  text  in
Pound's  hand and SIGNED in full with an early and legible  signature,
adding  the  date. An especially interesting letter given  that  Pound
was  arrested  in  1945  for treason against the  United  States,  was
pronounced  insane,  and  spent  12 years in  Washington,  D.C.,  in a
hospital for the criminally insane. Very Good                 $3000.00


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CHARLES AGVENT
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