Cop. Sunday. Aug 17, 1947.

A gaudily uniformed chauffeur picked me up at the d’Angleterre sunday at II. – But first about the end of Saturday: I found a room at the Turist Hotel; where I had stayed more than 10 years ago & the portier even recognized me. The evening I spent at Klampenborg (or nearby) at Carl Iversen’s large house (her parents) We had dinner & a nice, informative talk. He has now 2 children. Another of those many economists who occupy professorships but don’t work any more, are not even au courant, but go to committees. In Sweden it is particularly true. (I am sure it has deep reasons & I think I know them). But it was a nice & informative evening. I saw then, that the surface impression of Denmark is misleading. Things are not as well as the shop windows would seem to indicate. Great fear of the Russians, dismay at the Engl. situation, annoyance with their price control (now 12 Kilo butter = 1 t. coal, formerly 6 Kilo). -

Sunday was largely spent with Mr & Mrs Wessel. They have a very beautiful estate in Vebaek at the shore. The drive there was excellent, perfect weather, the many cyclists, girls much naked, all very fine. I was well received, fine lunch; then he drove us to Kronborg Castle, Fredensborg Castle (where we saw the king) & Fredericksb. Castle back to their house where we had tea before I left. Much talk about Winnie & her former husband –Jack who still is making a nuisance of himself. They would like to have Winnie leave Detroit & Princeton appeals to them too, though they don’t know it. I had to tell a good deal about it, her possible life there etc. We got along very well. I took some color photos.

At 8 Inge Drejer came to my Hotel & we went to the Palace Hotel bar, where we had a drink. She was very nice from the first moment, something bright about here, beautiful grey eyes. We both regretted right away that we had not pursued our acquaintance in Princeton. Much talk about Copenhagen & its morals; she said it was the city (& D. country) with the highest divorce rate. We discussed the difficulties of moral statistics etc. Then we went to the Tivoli park, walked around a bit & sat on the terrace of a restaurant drinking beer. She was charming. Told that her father thought she should have a carreer, that someone wanted to marry her but that she was not engaged. Then home. She wanted to go by train, but was only too glad to be brought to Gentofte by taxi – with implications. She was delightful & struck a cord in me that had not vibrated for years & years. So I was greatly exited & she too. We were both quite surprised. We wanted to meet saturday the 16 th again. –

Monday I left early for Malmö. Wonderful trip on the new ferry Malmöhus. In M. I rang up Sten Kalling, greatly surprised. I proceeded to lunch, Gd Hotel (where I was offered a room for $6.-!) went about the city after having telephoned with Mrs Akerman. I found him in the University. First I had visited the Dome, which is fundamentally wonderful, but badly restored; it looks too new. Akerman, who is now completely deaf, (one has to write out everything, unless his wife is present to have him lip-read, which works well), took me to a conditorei & then we went by train to Snogoröd (3/4 h) where Mrs A. awaited us in the car. It poured but stopped soon. The house was as nice as I remembered it from Feb. ’37, only it is smaller. The 2 Zenthen’s were there & 3 Akerm. boys & a young Collie. Z, A & I went on a very long walk & talked economics. Z. & I also had a long separate talk, partly about his book on Meth. & Econ. which he is bringing out in English & partly about the Theory of Games. He had read Hurwicz & Marshak but says the book itself is too much for him. He has many good insights into the field of econ. warfare & it would be good if he were to give more of these illustrations & even states his views in form of generalizations. Only when he puts all this in graphs does it become unpalatable.

We had a fine & pleasant dinner; 2 boys served. I was to stay over night & King Oscar II’s bed was brought into A’s study. A. & I had also a long talk, mostly about his political paper relating Cabinet crises, elections & bus. cycles. This is interesting, but difficult to describe. There has been similar work but besides Davis’ I don’t remember details. The rest of the evening questioning about US, Russia, Atomic energy. As usually inconclusive & no new viewpoints.

Tuesday morning I left, the Zenthens too, a little later. The As drove me to the station. It had been a very nice stay. Her sister is married in Moorestown N.J. & I should look her up.

In Lund I stopped only briefly, was in Malmö at 12 & saw Sten Kalling at the Museum where we lunched on the Terasse. He is now 53, but still has a boyish look; reminds me of the Duke of Windsor. His family was on vacation; he has 4 children & economically is not on easy street. He is now in charge of all historic divisions of the Museum; I am sorry that he is not more. He lives nicely but modestly & I was placed on a sofa. Much taste & some very fine things, esp. paintings He took me to the Swimming bath first, where, in the wonderful sun, men were all naked in a sep. division, the women next door. Swimming out, one could see them going into & coming out of the water. When they were young & beautiful it was like Venus of Boticelli. All quite harmless, a little funny & no jokes made or anything. We went there again the next day. All along the shore it is beautifully planned. He invited me to dinner at the new Theater, modernistic building. Good food, well served. Then we had coffee at an open air rest.

Wedn. I tried to phone with Margareta, but did not get through until the evening. Her voice was clear, she was nice and pleased, and so was I. I always felt much attached to her; almost childhood friends. Then – in the morning – I called Inge Drejer & told her I was not going to Sthlm (nobody there) but coming back to Copenhagen. She was very nice & much pleased. I inspected the city carefully, bought a little Royal Copenhagen hare (none to be had in C!), 2 pairs of nylons for Inger visited the beautifully appointed library etc. Then Swimming, etc. He showed me many catalogues from Germany & as art historian suffers much from the destruction of so many beautiful things there.

Thursday morning I left with the little steamer. The water was absolutely still. Sten came to the boat. It had been nice with him. I had lunch with Inge at the Coq d’Or (!) opposite the hotel & then we went to Langelinje, the fine promenade at the sea. There we sat for hours & hat a most intimate meeting. She was exquisite wearing a red frock & black Sweater & a ribbon in her hair. At the luncheon she said that she would have something unpleasant to say. But all she managed was that she liked me more than she dared admit herself. I was most happy, such as I had not been in years. She wished we had really met in USA. She would love to go to Sweden with me, Falsterbo f. ex., & everything was fine. In US all would have been so easy, here it was more difficult. We walked a long way & she then had to visit someone. It was the nicest meeting & we were both elated.

Friday we met after lunch. She came to the Hotel & we went to Frascati. She wore the some outfit. It was warm, she was quite moved because now came the news: she is to be married soon, does not want to be & seems to be in a mess. The man is possessive already now, she forsees disaster etc. Yet it seems that she feels that she must go on with it. At the same time she says she loves me, that I excite her immensely & she was very, very sweet. I am exceedingly fond of her, though we have met so little. I should not let her grow on me, but how can I help? I should leave, but I must see her again. I accompan. her, she was most affectionate & tender. On Thursd. Night 12h she had wanted to call me, but did not dare - . We were so moved but it is hard to see what could be done unless she breaks her engagement which secretely she would like to do. It is a great pity for both of us. Even the day before she could not muster the strength to tell me. Instead spoke of Falsterbo! Her sisters asked her whether she felt so very much attracted by me & she said she could only be silent & turn away. There is something of Madeline in her, but she has much more intelligence & temperament. For me this has meant a great deal. I see what I miss & I do not see why I should. I am lonely & don’t want to be any more. When I come back to P. I shall have a most serious talk with myself; but it is getting late.

Saturday: I had lunch with Ingers father A. Axelsen Drejer, at Diwan 2 in Tivolj. We were joined by Jorgen Pedersen whose US Trip is now arranged & he was very grateful. Mr Drejer is in the field of cooperatives, research etc, editor of a weekly, goes to many conferences etc. A nice, soft spoken man. The luncheon was a success. He left earlier, Pedersen brought me to the Vesterpost station & I went to Gentofte where Inger expected me, but the father was on the same train & there was some confusion. He went home & we had ½ hour, though she would have had 3. I took 3 photos of her, gamin like in slacks with bycycle. She hoped to come to Cop. at night but she called only at 12.30 & had not been able to get away. Today I have not heard from her; she may still call. But to-morrow I must see her because I think I should go to Basel on Tuesday. It is sad, very sad.

Last night I was at dinner with Svend Larissen & his wife (neé Fridericia). They live in the fine Institute house of her deceased father. Nice people turned up. Mr & Mrs Tutt (Am. ov. Airlines) Mr & Mrs Bendix, an author, Miss Joh. Madsen – Mygdahl a concert pianist from Aarhus who had studied music last year in US & very pretty & lovely: Miss von Rosen, swedish ballerina. She is of the famous family. Her father an artist (etchings). She is going to London to-morrow for 3 week & we shall meet there. She is also very young.