Letter from McGeorge Bundy to Dean Acheson

HARVARD UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES OFFICE OF THE DEAN 5 UNIVERSITY HALL CAMBRIDGE 38, MASSACHUSETTS October 15, 1953 S. ARCHATEONAL U.S SERVICOS AND Dear Dean: Thanks a lot for sending me the praise from Sir Hubert - I must say that I find it surprisingly sensible, especially in the nice things he says. I was much distressed to miss the meeting at Princeton. Robert will probably have told you that I was detained on the most trivial sort of business - unhappily it was also the sort that there is no way of delegating; it seems to be clear that you always have to carry the bad news yourself. But I had meant to send on some comments, and I'm ashamed not to have got around to it. In preparation for the November meeting, I shall try to do a better job. All this makes me feel particularly guilty because I have known that I would not be able to get away for that next gathering. That Thursday is a double working day here, because the regular working committees for November 11 are all put over one day as a result of the fact that Massachusetts has made Armistice Day a legal holiday. All this means that by the time I get back into the game in December, either you will have gone so far that I can't catch up, or I will have such a raft of outdated questions that you'l throw me out. But perhaps if I can do better this next time in commenting by letter on your agenda, I may be able to maintain my right of membership. Seriously, if you feel the need of better continuity, you must feel free to throw me out. I'm in the process of getting from Julie D'Estournelles a copy of your speech on October 3rd. If they give a leather