HAMILTON FISH ARMSTRONG
EDITOR

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

AN AMERICAN QUARTERLY REVIEW

58 EAST SIXTY-EIGHTH STREET, NEW YORK 21

December 2, 1954

Henry A. Kissinger, Esq.
Harvard University Confluence
10 Weld Hall
Cambridge 38, Massachusetts

Dear Mr. Kissinger:

I am looking forward to seeing you on Thursday next. If it's equally convenient for you, suppose we say two o'clock instead of two-thirty, here at the office. I find I have another engagement the middle of the afternoon, and I don't want our talk to be hurried. It is very nice of you to come to New York, and I look forward to seeing you.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

AN AMERICAN QUARTERLY REVIEW

55 EAST SIXTY-EIGHTH STREET, NEW YORK 21

December 16, 1954

Dear Mr. Kissinger:

This is just a line to acknowledge receipt of your two letters with the material about preventive war and Mr. Finletter's book. I am much obliged to you for sending it to me, and I look forward with much interest to examining it.

Late School of Harvard University
Cambridge 30, Mass.

December 23, 1954

Mr. John J. McCloy, Chairman
The Board of Directors
Chase National Bank
Wall Street
New York City, New York

Dear Mr. McCloy:

This letter is written to you as a member of the Advisory Board of Foreign Affairs and one of the Directors of the Council of Foreign Relations. I venture to suggest for consideration for appointment as Managing Editor (it being my understanding that you are seeking someone to fill this post) Mr. Henry Kissinger, now a Director of the International Seminar and Editor of Confluence, of the Department of Government of Harvard.

I have known Mr. Kissinger ever since I joined the Harvard faculty in 1950, and I do not here recommend him in any merely perfunctory way. He is an extraordinary man. He took his Doctorate at Harvard last June. He is thirty-one years old, and to an extraordinary degree has been able to combine personal contact with American operations overseas with thorough and studious consideration of foreign policy at Harvard University. He is currently engaged in writing a book on Bismarck, but has for several years been editor of Confluence, a quarterly published at Cambridge, Massachusetts, under the general direction of Professor William Yandell Eliot. Mr. Kissinger has done a remarkable job in obtaining notable contributions to this periodical. He would be an extraordinarily valuable acquisition for Foreign Affairs.

I fully realize that the Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs will not be selected on the strength of one, or many letters. I write to suggest, however, that Henry Kissinger is well worth an interview and a careful consideration, as his equal is not often available.

With my best wishes for the holidays, I am,

AES:fl

HAK

Wednesday a.m. Dec. 29

Professor Sutherland called to say
he had received a letter from John
C. McCloy which included the following
paragraph:

Thank you very much for your
note of December 23 in regard to
Mr. Henry Kissinger. I appreciate
your calling Mr. Kissinger to my
attention, and I will see that the
suggestion is put in the proper
channels.

etc.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

AN AMERICAN QUARTERLY REVIEW

December 21, 1954

Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Esq.
Harvard University,
Widener 95,
Cambridge, Mass.

Dear Arthur:

Thank you for writing me about Henry Kessinger. He is plainly an exceptionally able and promising young man. I don't know just where we shall come out after thinking about various possibilities, but certainly we shall give his special qualifications (and your warm endorsement) careful consideration.

Best regards,

January 3, 1955

Mr. Hamilton Fish Armstrong
Editor, FOREIGN AFFAIRS
58 East 68th Street
New York, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Armstrong:

I was very glad to have had another chance to
talk with you last Wednesday. I shall redo my discussion
of Mr. Finletter's views in the form of an article, and not
directed specifically at Mr. Finletter. I shall let you have
it within two weeks.

I recently completed an essay reappraisring the
Congress of Vienna in the light of this century's experiences
with peace settlements. Would you be interested in seeing it?
It is rather long - about twenty-eight manuscript pages.

I am enclosing the issue of Confluence with Byron
Dexter's article which you requested, and also the following
number.

I am looking forward to seeing Mr. Moseley when he
visits Cambridge. I have asked Mr. Fainsod to let me know
when he will get here. If we should fail to make connections
in this manner, perhaps he would be good enough to call either
my office or my home.

Kind regards.

Sincerely yours,

FOREIGN

AFFAIRS

AN AMERICAN QUARTERLY REVIEW
HAMILTON FISH ARMSTRONG
EDITOR

58 EAST SIXTY-EIGHTH STREET
NEW YORK 21, N. Y.
CABLE ADDRESS·FORAFFAIRS, NEW YORK

January 5, 1955

Mr. Henry A. Kissinger,
10 Weld Hall,
Harvard University,
Cambridge 38, Mass.

Dear Mr. Kissinger:

Thanks ever so much for the copies of "Confluence." Many
of the articles would be an ornament to one of the long-established
reviews.

I am glad you are rewriting your memo in the form of an
article, and I look forward to reading it. With that in view, I
think I shall pass up, for the moment, the chance to see the essay
on the Congress of Vienna. Or does that draw a parallel, by in-
ference anyway, with a forthcoming Four-Power Conference, and should
I therefore have your views on the subject?

I am not sure, now, whether or not Mosely is to be in Cam-
bridge in the next couple of weeks. But in case he is I have given
him your address.

P.S. I am returning "Confluence" Vol. 2, No. 2 and will return the
other number later.

January 14, 1955

Mr. Hamilton Fish Armstrong, Editor
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
58 East 68th Street
New York, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Armstrong:

I have revised my memorandum about Mr. Finletter's book, and
am enclosing a copy of the new version.

The article really deals with two problems: the strategy for
the defense of the "grey areas" and the adequacy of our present military
policy for this task. I realize that it is possible to agree with my
program for the former and still maintain that our present military
policy is adequate. This is perhaps a point that I might make a little
more strongly, but before doing so I will wait for whatever editorial
comments you might wish to make, and also whether you find the article
in its present form useful in the first place.

I am also sending you the essay on "The Congress of Vienna,"
although not for the purpose of publication. I simply wanted you to see
some of my views on international relations stated in a non-polemical
form, and therefore much more in the line of my major effort than the
paper on military policy which I have previously sent you. The choppiness
of this version is due to the fact that it represents a condensation of a
much longer chapter in my thesis.

Very sincerely yours,

Nerth sincerely yours,

much longer chapter in my life.
Of this aeroplane is due to the fact that it represents a condensation of a
babe on military bench which I have breastently bought for her. The chond्रhene
form, and therefore much more in the fine of my major effort than the
some of my friends on international relations stated in a non-offensive
statement not for the burden of justification. I strongly wanted her to see
it in size sending her the easily on "The Conquest of Africa."

in its present form nears in the first place.
commence you might wish to make, and size whether you find the article
more strongly put before doing so I will attempt for whatever editorial
benefit is possible. This is perhaps a point that I might make a little
bit more for the former, and still maintain that our present military
benefit for this task. I realize that it is possible to suite with my
defense of the "tray area", and the expedient of our present military
The article really deals with two problems: the strategy for
sm encroaching a cold of the new aeroplane.

I have reviewed my memorandum about Mr. Linneffer's book, and
am enclosting a copy of the new aeroplane.

Dear Mr. Armstrong:

New York, N.Y.
28 West 48th Street
BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS
Mr. Hamilton Lieut Armstrong, Brevet

January 31st, 1932

FOREIGN

AFFAIRS

58 EAST SIXTY-EIGHTH STREET
NEW YORK 21, N. Y.
CABLE ADDRESS·FORAFFAIRS. NEW YORK

January 24, 1955

Henry A. Kissinger, Esq.
"Confluence"
10 Weld Hall
Cambridge 38, Massachusetts

Dear Mr. Kissinger:

This is a most interesting essay, and I congratulate you on
compressing so many ideas into the scope of a magazine article. In
the thought that we would like to use it in FOREIGN AFFAIRS I began
pencilling small suggested changes on the first few pages, not de-
signed (I need hardly say) to alter your meaning in the least but
only to make it clearer to the layman. If I've fallen into errors,
you must correct them. Little revisions of this sort might be
advisable throughout.

On matters of substance I speak with reserve, since I am far
from an expert in this field. Thus while I am not sure I do feel that
the logistical picture at the bottom of page 6 is a little simplified -
at any rate, it is rather positive in tone to be convincing to readers
who witnessed the exploits of U.S. air forces in Korea, but saw that
the Chinese land forces still kept operating there. Also, the problems
of building up and maintaining sizeable U.S. reinforcements in out-
lying areas and then transporting them to deal with Communist invasions
seem more formidable than you allow.

However, I encountered my first real difficulty in following
your argument on the second half of page 11. Perhaps it was not con-
vincing to me because it was not altogether clear. Won't you look at
that paragraph with particular care? Also, my colleagues and I had
some difficulty with a passage on page 13, and here again you may be
able to clarify your meaning.

I have a feeling that the last few pages are too complicated
(perhaps because some unessential considerations are introduced) and
that because they are more general they tend to get a bit wordy. Where

Henry A. Kissinger, Esq.

January 24, 1955

you don't have space to state your propositions except in terms of
assertions I'd advise trying to eliminate some peripheral ideas en-
tirely. After all, if you succeed in dealing with your big main
theme in a dozen pages that is a magnificent success, and you ought
to rest on it! As for the last paragraph, I'd leave it out and
work one or two of the reservations into the text at appropriate
places. You can assume, I think, that the final warning against
looking for simple solutions is not needed.

I know you won't take these suggestions amiss, even though I've
made no effort to couch them in diplomatic language. The article in
essence is first rate. I realize that you have written fairly rapidly
and think that you therefore may really be glad of a chance to read the
text over with a cool eye, aiming above all at simplification. Actually,
I think if it were 500 words shorter it would be better. Whether I've
hinted at ways of doing this is for you to decide. But in any event
let me have the manuscript back after you have mulled over my remarks.

enc. MS. "U.S. Military Policy and the Defense of the Grey Areas"

February 1, 1955

Mr. Hamilton Fish Armstrong, Editor
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
58 East 68th Street
New York 21, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Armstrong:

I am sending you the revised copy of the manuscript. I am very
grateful to you for your suggestions. Articles which start out as
memoranda have difficulty losing the somewhat dogmatic cast appropriate
to that medium, particularly on a subject like military policy.

I have sought to meet most of your criticisms. I have dealt with
your query on page 11 by making my argument more concrete, and with your
query on page 13 by eliminating the paragraph altogether, since it did
introduce a number of peripheral ideas with which, moreover, I am dealing
in a separate article. The only point which I did not expand is the
problem of supplying an army in the "grey areas". This is not because I
failed to recognize it as a problem, but because to deal with it adequately
one would have to write a separate, highly technical article. I have,
however, sought to indicate that I am aware of the difficulty and that
I believe it to be soluble.

While working on this article for you, I was asked by the Yale
Review to do a piece on United States diplomacy as an alternative to the
preventive war thesis. Inevitably the article touches very slightly on
some of the problems covered in my discussion of military policy, but the
two articles are complementary rather than overlapping. For instance, in
my article for the Yale Review I have a few sentences about military policy,
but merely to indicate that it sets the framework within which diplomacy
has to operate. As a matter of fact, if you thought it appropriate, and
if you think my present version useful, I should very much like to add a
footnote to my article in the Yale Review calling attention to my discussion
of military policy in Foreign Affairs. I would be glad to have your thought
about that.

You will notice that I have cut the manuscript by about 500 words.
I appreciate the trouble you have taken with my article.

Sincerely yours,

P.S. You might like to know that my book on the Statesmanship of
Castlereagh and Metternich will be published by Houghton Mifflin both
in this country and by arrangement with a British publisher in Great
Britain.

Britain.
in this country and by arrangement with a British publisher in Great
Britain and stationed will be published by Horsham Millman pvt
b.c. You might like to know that my book on the subject will be out

Sincerely yours,

I acknowledge the telephone call you made to me with my article.

You will notice that I have sent the manuscript by post 200 words.

apout that.

of wittiness before in Foreign Reviews. I would be glad to have your thought
forward to my article in the Yale Review calling attention to my discussion
of it and think it would be very the framework within which this discussion
put would be made. As a matter of fact, it would be quite like to add a
pass to another. We have made a lot of it, but I thought it should be done
in some of the problems covered in my discussion of wittiness before, put the
breveatures of war, theatre. Inevitably the article touches very slightly on
Review to do a piece on United States qhich would be an interesting piece on
Wife working on this article for you. I was asked by the Yale

I believe it to be simple.

one would have to write a separate, fairly technical article. I put
forward to recognise it as a problem, but because to get with it adequately
problem of subbing an item in the "Fred area". This is not because I
in a separate article. The only point which I did not understand is the
introduce a number of brothers' ideas with which, moreover, I am合格
direct on the 13th of February, the basis of this article, since it did
not direct on the 22nd on the 23rd on the 24th and so on. I am sorry
I have sought to meet most of your difficulties. I have dealt with
that medium, bariton/organ on a subject like wittiness before.

memorandum of the discussion having the somewhat domestic feel of a
letter to you for your specifications. Articles which start out as
I am sending you the revised copy of the manuscript. I am sorry.

Dear Mr. Vimegront:

New York St., N.Y.
28 East 82nd Street
FOREIGN LITERATURES

Mr. Hamilton Krap Vimegront, Editor.

December 1, 1952