Albert Kahn 1930s

Century of Endeavour

Albert Kahn Foundation: 1930s

(c) Roy Johnston 2003

Garnier correspondence

For a while I thought that there was no Garnier correspondence on record for the 1930s, though some must have taken place, because he visited Ireland in or about 1938 or 39; I have a distinct recollection of him visiting our then domicile in Newtown Park Avenue, Blackrock. He was, in the eyes of a 9 or 10 year old, a benevolent purveyor of exotic chocolate. This in the end, when I discovered the letters, turned out to have been in the context of Garnier's chronic 'book on Ireland' project, which was in the end published in 1939, and reviewed in the Irish Times. I hope, when I can track it down, to be able to review it here. The 1930s Garnier letters had turned up in a separate file in the JJ papers.

If in the end, also, we gain access to the AK archive, repatriated from Moscow, we will perhaps be able to fill in the detail of JJ's contacts with the AKF in the 1930s. At the time of Garnier's visit, JJ was campaigning to get into the Senate, and this contributed to the flavour of the contact. When finally JJ was elected, Garnier wrote to him inviting him to become officially a foreign member of the 'Cercle Autour du Monde', and JJ accepted.

The Moscow archive has so far (September 2002) produced a copy of a letter dated 29 May 1935 from JJ to Mme Davidi in the AKF seeking help for accommodating two Irish students going to Paris to improve their French. There is also a letter from JJ dated 5 April 1938 regretting his inability to accept the honour bestowed on him; this must have been 'foreign membership', which presumably involved paying a subscription, which JJ could ill afford. This apparently did not do any harm to his relationship with Garnier.

There were altogether 11 letters during the 1930s, dealing with JJ's Nemesis of Economic Nationalism, student visits, a 1696 edition of Boisguilbert, insights into de Valera, and then his 1938 Irish visit, primarily on the trail of Kevin O'Higgins to finalise his book; JJ put him in touch with Fine Gael contacts in Cork who knew him.

There is an epilogue for the 40s and 50s, which overlaps the experience of the present writer.

[To 'Century' Contents Page] [1930s Overview] [Albert Kahn 1940s]

Some navigational notes:

A highlighted number brings up a footnote or a reference. A highlighted word hotlinks to another document (chapter, appendix, table of contents, whatever). In general, if you click on the 'Back' button it will bring to to the point of departure in the document from which you came.