September 19, 1938

Professor J. Papish

Department of Chemistry

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Dear Professor Papish:

Over two and one-half months ago I sent to Dr. Hughes the manuscript of my book on the "Nature of the Chemical Bond". Dr. Hughes went through the manuscript and turned it over to the Press before leaving Ithaca at the beginning of July. As you know, I have been planning to use the book as a text in our graduate course here this year.

Although Dr. Hughes told me that there might be a slight delay because of Mr. Schaeffer's injury, I have assumed that the book was being set up by the printer and that we would have copies for our students available early this fall. However, when the whole summer went by and the galley proof was not sent on to me, I wrote to you and Mr. Schaeffer to inquire about the progress of the printing. I have now received a letter from Mr. Schaeffer in which he says that he could not proceed with publishing the book during the summer because approval of publication had not been given by the Committee on Publication and that he is still holding up the printing until this Committee meets.

In order to make the quality of the book as high as possible, I included in the manuscript much material beyond that given in the Cornell lectures, and I worked hard last spring to get the manuscript finished in time for publication for use during the coming academic year. I feel that the delay of two and one-half months or more in publication

Profossor J. Papish September 18, 1938

because of the failure of the Committee on Publication to approve the manuscript is inexcusable. If I had known at the beginning of summer that this delay was contemplated I might have done something about it. I know that there is no way to make up for the two and one-half months which hare been lost, but I would like to ask you to do everything possible to speed up the printing, in order that the-book may be available for use here as early as possible in the year.

Yours truly,

Linus Pauling

LP/ocs