Copenhagen, Monday Aug. 18, 47.

Inga called late last night & was very sweet. She could not see me but proposed lunch today. We met at II45 already, accidentally outside Vesterpost station, she looked very pretty. We went to a fine restaurant: “Hus lille Peter” & ate well a wonderful smörgasbord, & had some coffee & likör (40.- (!)). I brought her a silk scarf & some Yardley soap & she was pleased. We wrote a card to Martin & Ruth Beck (a cousin) & she wrote there how much she had enjoyed me. But then it came: She told me about her impending marriage; very soon; the invitations are already out. She feels she does not love the “guy”, actually disapproves of him, he threatened her with shooting – her! not himself; he is already forbidding her lots of things, jealous of the one lunch with me of which alone he knew (while her mother said she should enjoy herself with me today again etc). Also about the absurd “calendar” etc. It is clear that she would be very unhappy & that this marriage could never be a success. She asked what to do & knew it already well herself. She must back out while it is still possible. It was a most extraordinary picture she developed. She did it very well & intelligently. It is also so clear that I could quickly infer more traits of the man & characterize the situation further, before she told me: To-night she will speak to her family & tell them how she feels. She then has to tell him. I Hope she has the guts to go through with it. But she does not want to & should under no circumstances. She says that all her reasons are independent of me & that is true. But she continued that she would write me as soon as possible, that she might even be in Paris soon & perhaps come to America before Xmas since she would not want to be here after the break. She says she is in love with me & that the age difference does not bother her in the least. A most memorable day. – We took a taxi to her dressmaker & parted there. When will we meet again?! To-morrow I shall leave by plane at 8 am. for Zürich – Bâle. It is best that I do. We would not be able to enjoy ourselves here any more & time begins to press. I do so much hope that everything will turn out well. – She wants to ring up late tonight, as she did yesterday when she was particularly nice. –

Did some work & thinking on various economic matters. I am getting ripe for sitting down again. The intellectual side of this trip is not formidable. I miss Johnny greatly & also Gödel. –

One of the strongest impressions in Europe is the degree to which America is in everyone’s mind. Am. influence has become enormous, especially through commodities, then periodicals & books. Quite aside from the atomic bomb which is little understood (Just read H. Nicolson’s excellent “Public Faces”). – But now I must pack. Tomorrow I should find heaps of mail. –