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PARTISAN REVIEW
March 23, 1949
Dr. Harlow Shapley
Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace
49 West 44th Street
New York, N.Y.
Dear Dr. Shapley:
In a communication to me dated March 18- the first direct word I have
had from you since the announcement of your Conference- you claim that
in my letter to some of the sponsors of the Conference I have been guilty of
"plain misstatements of fact." You go on to say:
For example, neither President Davis nor Dr. Shipler have written me
any instruction or request or communication whatsoever with regard to
your demand that you be placed on the Conference program.
I have in my possession the following letter which President Davis sent me
dated February 24th, 1949, which I reproduce in its entirety. Please note
the sentences I have underlined.
Dear Mr. Hook:
Many thanks for your kind letter of February 23rd. As I should myself
agree with the theses which you put forward, I should be very glad to
support your request that you should read a paper before one of theses–
sions of the Congress on the theme you suggest. I have been concerned
with the program for only one of the meetings on Education, and I find
that the general program has already gone to print. I assume that you
have probably written also to Dr. Shapley but I will send him a copy of
this letter with my request that you should be given a full opportunity to
present your views at a suitable plenary session of the Congress.
Yours very sincerely,
Herbert Davis
On February 25th, I wrote you as follows and I quote the opening and
concluding paragraph from the carbon copy of my letter:
President Davis of Smith College has informed me that he has requested
you to make provision at a plenary session of the Cultural and Scientific
Conference for World Peace for the reading of my paper on "Science,
Culture, and Peace."
Will you please let me know the time and place of the plenary session at
which my address will be scheduled?
Sincerely,
Sidney Hook
I have also in my possession a carbon copy, sent to me by Dr. Shipler, of
the letter he wrote you on March 7, 1949. I quote the opening paragraphs :
