91Èȱ¬

91Èȱ¬ 24.9.43

Dear Mr Rushbrooke-Williams,

In confirmation of what I said to you in private, I want to tender my resignation from the 91Èȱ¬, and should be much obliged if you would forward this to the proper quarter.

I believe that in speaking to you I made my reasons clear but I should like to put them on paper lest there should be any mistake. I am not leaving because of any disagreement with 91Èȱ¬ policy and still less on account of any kind of grievance. On the contrary I feel that throughout my association with the 91Èȱ¬ I have been treated with the greatest generosity and allowed very great latitude. On no occasion have I been compelled to say on the air anything that I would not have said as a private individual. And I should like to take this opportunity of thanking you personally for the very understanding and generous attitude you have always shown towards my work.

I am tendering my resignation because for some time past I have been conscious that I was wasting my own time and the public money on doing work that produces no result. I believe that in the present political situation the broadcasting of British propaganda to India is an almost hopeless task. Whether these broadcasts should be continued at all is for others to judge, but I myself prefer not to spend my time on them when I could be occupying myself with journalism which does produce some measureable effect. I feel that by going back to the normal work of writing and journalism I could be more useful than I am at present.

I do not know how much notice of resignation I am supposed to give. The ‘Observer’ have again raised the project of my going to North Africa. This has to be approved by the War Office and may well fall through again, but I mention it in case I should have to leave at shorter notice than would otherwise be the case. I will in any case see to it that the programmes are arranged for some time ahead.

Yours sincerely,

Eric Blair.