[Letter] 1933 May [to] Friend
Sinclair writes about his new book, "The Way Out: What Lies Ahead for America." He also write a great deal about his book "Upton Sinclair Presents William Fox", and its influence on not only the United States but the world as well. He also writes about various opinions on the book, including praise from Congressmen and foreign leaders. Sinclair also writes about his film "Thunder Over Mexico". ; UPTON SINCLAIR LOS ANGELES WEST BRANCH CALIFORNIA May 1933 Dear Friend: I didn't expect to send you another circular this spring; but it appears that I have written another book! So many persons have been asking me for something on the present crisis, and the way out. What do I think about Roosevelt and his policies? Is this the final breakdown, or can capitalism make one more boom? I wrote a short article on the subject, "An Open Letter to the American People' and sent it to Fulton Oursler, editor of "Liberty,' who called me on the phone from New York, calling it "the greatest piece of statesmanship since Lincoln's Gettysburg address." "Liberty" is to publish it in the issue of June. 10. I decided to cover the subject in more detail in a little book. It is the same kind of thing as "Letters to Judd;" except it is addressed to a young capitalist of my acquaintance, one who is troubled by the problems which have fallen onto his shoulders. "Letters to Perry," I called it, but later decided on a more explicit title: "The Way Out: What Lies Ahead for America." My arguments are addressed, not merely to capitalists, but to all business men and professional people, the white collar class who make up the greater number of my readers. I tell them what they are up against, and what they have to do about it, whether they like it or not. The book is to be published by Farrar & Rinehart in New York, and I will have my own edition. The price is one dollar postpaid. Some of my friends have protested that the price of "Upton Sinclair Presents William Fox" is too high for them; I cannot yet reduce the price, since I haven't paid my debts to the publisher, but I can give you a combination price. You may have the two books, both clothbound and also a cloth copy of "The Spokesman's Secretary," one of my stories of which I have an oversupply; all for $3.05. You may be interested in news regarding the Fox book. A new edition is ready, with index, and a new jacket, prepared by an expert in New York. It is printed on a better quality of paper--I don't know about these matters, but some of my friends attended to it. Nobody has tried to ban the book, and nobody has sued me for libel-a great relief to my wife, who is more concerned with taking care of her husband than with selling a hundred thousand copies of a book. The great press of New York boycotted the work for the most part ; but papers all over the country-not quite so close to Wall Street-have been giving it a great deal of attention. The editor of the Bridgeport (Conn.) "Herald' telegraphed me, asking my price for serial rights, and I answered that I would leave it to his conscience. This suggested an idea, and I sent a circular to the managing editor of every daily paper in the United States, and to many weeklies, also labor and farm papers, offering them the book. In a few days I have received more than 500 replies, asking for a copy for examination. The book broke into the Congressional Record, Page 4922, Issue of February 23, 1933. I quote: Mr. Borah: Mr. President, may I interrupt the Senator? The Vice President : Does the Senator from Nebraska yield to the Senator from Idaho? Mr. Norris: Certainly. Mr. Borah : I want to ask the Senator if he has seen a book just published by Upton Sinclair on Wall Street, entitled. "Upton Sinclair Presents William Fox?" Mr. Norris: Yes, I have seen the book. Mr. Borah: I think it is one of the most remarkable stories in regard to such matters that I have ever read. Mr. Norris : I have not yet read all of it. but the part which I have read indicates that it is a very remarkable story. Recently I received a letter from Congressman Brooks Fletcher of Ohio. saying that many congressmen wanted to read the book, but could not get it because of the demand for the copies in the Congressional Library. If I had been a good business man, I might have suggested that the Congressional Library place an order at our wholesale rates. But being more concerned with making the book known, I sent a free copy to every congressman and senator, a total of 531 books. Congressman Fletcher stated that they wanted to read it "before legislation may be presented dealing with the matter which your book treats. Many of us feel that legislation on the issues presented in the book is of vital importance at this time." The sales of the book have been good, considering the state of the country. Seventeen days after publication Brentano listed the book as number 2 among the best-selling non-fiction books-and then went into bankruptcy, owing me a trifle over $500 ! On March 20 the New York "Times" listed it among the three best-selling nonfiction books in half a dozen of the leading New York bookstores. You might ask the New York "Herald-Tribune Books," the New York Sun and the "American," why they have not reviewed this best-selling work. Also, don't overlook "Time" and the "Literary Digest;" also the "Christian Science Monitor," which not only has failed to review the book, but rejected a paid advertisement which 1 submitted to it. (I have just received a very courteous letter from the editor of the "Monitor," promising to review this decision. I await the out come.) My English publisher is afraid of the book, and apparently I am not going to get a publisher over there. I sent out review copies, and am receiving columns of reviews all of them enthusiastic. "Everyman" gives the book an entire page. The Birmingham "Gazette" says: "If only a tenth of the facts given are true, the book is a damning record of crookery in the highest places. Let Wall Street read it-and writhe!" From Moscow comes a two column review in the "Daily News,' the English-language paper, which says: "No more daring exposure of the machinations of high finance -with the names of innumerable worthy living gentlemen included, despite all laws of libel-has ever been penned. It is undoubtedly the most detailed and vivid recording that I have ever read or am likely to read of the means by which finance capital works." 1 wrote in my last letter that I had added the German ex-Kaiser to my list of readers. Now I am pleased to enroll the King of Belgium. Writing in the New York "Times," Leo Ferrero quotes King Albert as follows: "America has, also, a great many first-rate artists in every field. Her novelists interest me especially; they are so intensely alive, so full of strength. Dreiser, for example, and the two Sinclairs-I mean Sinclair Lewis and Upton Sinclair." They are burning my books now in Germany, but as several million copies have been sold there, I doubt if the Nazis can find them all. While I am writing this, Gandhi is in the midst of a three weeks' fast, and my readers will be interested in the following passage from a letter by Lewis Browne, author of "This Believing World," "Blessed Spinoza," etc. Browne, who is making a tour of the world, writes from Colombo, Ceylon : "We've just come down from Sabarmati in the Jugerat Country where we lived for some days in Gandhi's Ashram – a Sanskrit word meaning monastery. There his closest followers live in starkest simplicity. . We went there to learn what we could of the fight for India's freedom-but stayed to tell about Upton Sinclair. For we at once discovered you were-judging by the books in the small library of the Ashram -the favorite author of those people. Narainadas Gandhi, a nephew of the Mahatma, informed us that the great man had read most if not all of your works, and was intensely interested in you as a person. We traveled 400 miles to Poona in the hope of talking with Gandhi-his followers told us to be sure to tell him what little we knew about you while in his presence-but the prison authorities absolutely refused to let us come near him." I am happy to tell you that the Eisenstein Mexican picture, for which my wife and I assumed responsibility two and a half years ago is at last completed, and is a gorgeous work. Rob Wagner tells me that he is citing it in "Liberty" as a "four-star picture." He writes concerning it: "In my opinion 'Thunder Over Mexico' will prove to be one of the great, if not the greatest, picture of 1933. It has the beauty of 'Tabu,' terrific drama with the feeling of absolute authenticity, and as thrilling a finish as I've ever seen." I don't yet know how this picture will be released, but you will hear about it before long. Try to get it in your local theatres. I have a share in the profits, and hope it may enable me to carry out my long-delayed plan of putting a set of my books into public libraries throughout the world. I got the Sinclair Foundation ready for this purpose, expecting that the picture would be completed in less than a year. We have been through a long series of trials, but at last here is "Thunder Over Mexico,' a masterpiece of the film art, and millions of people will be rewarded for our troubles as promoters. Sincerely, Upton Sinclair P.S. Booktrade please note to order "The Way Out" from Farrar and Rinehardt, New York
