23 Feb 1959

Thurman Arnold, Esq
D.C.

My dear Thurman Arnold,

1. I have no assets in the U.S. apart from
   income from royalties.

2. I get royalties from publishers, made up cheques made out to committee, which we both sign. The italian term seems to be "amministrazione".

3. After deposit, I sign the italian cheques,

4. I have no debts in the U.S.

5. And there will be no visible difficulty causable by discharge of Mrs Pound as committee.

As far as I make out they know nothing of committees, and ignore presence of one. the italians

I should think it would be best to ask for discharge of the committee, as she and members of family would prefer me to take over.

Robt. Furniss, (Taylor, Gustin and Marrus)
916 National Bank B of Commerce Building
Norfolk 10, Va.

can tell you where he has got to in endeavour to file properly and comply with regulations.

May I also send cordiali saluti to
colleague s whom I met in your office.

THURMAN ARNOLD
ABE FORTAS
PAUL A. PORTER
WALTON HAMILTON (1881-1958)
MILTON V. FREEMAN
NORMAN DIAMOND
WILLIAM L. MCGOVERN
G. DUANE VIETH
VICTOR H. KRAMER
REED MILLER
GEORGE BUNN
WILLIAM D. ROGERS
ABE KRASH
JAMES O. JUNTILLA
CHARLES A. REICH
EDGAR H. BRENNER
STUART J. LAND
WERNER KRONSTEIN
ROBERT HERZSTEIN

ARNOLD, FORTAS & PORTER

1229 NINETEENTH STREET, N. W.
WASHINGTON 6, D. C.

CABLE ADDRESS:

"ARFOPO"

TELEPHONE
EXECUTIVE 3-7300

March 3, 1959

Mr. Ezra Pound
Brunnenburg
Tirolo (Merano)
Italy

Dear Mr. Pound:

Thanks for your letter of February 23, 1959.

I have talked the matter over with Bill Rogers and we feel that the best solution would be for Mrs. Pound merely to stop keeping accounts or filing reports. There is no real penalty or sanction in the law for such action. The only thing that the court can do is to remove her as your committee. Her next report, I take it, is due in about a year. If she does not file at that time, the clerk will write her a letter demanding such a report. If she ignores the letter, the clerk will take the matter up with a judge, and the judge will enter an order removing her as committee. This is exactly the legal result that you want. From what you say about the situation in Italy, I gather that if Mrs. Pound's authorization as committee is removed by the court, there would be no adverse practical consequences; your personal checks are honored in Italy, and I gather that no one requires her signature on other documents.

The question might arise as to the payment of royalties from your publishers in this country. There are two possible solutions. The first would be to ask your publishers here to send the checks in your name directly, beginning in 1960. If this cannot be arranged, then you might continue to negotiate the checks by having Mrs. Pound sign them along with you, as is the case now.

ARNOLD, FORTAS & PORTER

Mr. Ezra Pound

Page 2

March 3, 1959

We feel that this passive course of action
is preferable to filing a petition for discharge in
the District Court. The law in this field is quite
unrealistic. It allows discharge of a committee only
in two situations: where the patient has died, or where
he is clearly restored to sanity for all purposes.
While we clearly feel that you are quite healthy and
capable of arranging your affairs, we think that a
formal petition by counsel filed in public records of
the District Court claiming that you had returned to
sanity would be ill-advised. It would be inconsistent
with Dr. Overholser's representations in support of
the motion to dismiss the indictment, which cleared
the way for your discharge from St. Elizabeths. Fur-
thermore, as you know, there is no statute of limita-
tions on treason. The United States Attorney might,
if it were judicially determined that you were re-
turned to sanity, feel compelled to ask for another
indictment, and this might spark a whole new train of
vexing troubles over here.

Let us have your judgment on the matter.