LC MRS PAULING =

3500 FAIRPOINT PASADENA CALIF =

ARRIVED TODAY MUCH LOVE =

LINUS =

3500 LINUS=..

Wednesday, 9 AM

Hotel du Louvre.

Dearest love:

All went well on the flight over the ocean- it was smooth, and in the morning there were only a few clouds. I slept for several hours. We flew by a rather southernly route directly to Paris, and on the way circled about the Mount St Michel. [A small picture of mountains in LPs writing] We had a head wind, so that our ground speed was only a little over 200 m.p.h., and it was getting dark when we landed at Paris-Orly, and was 7 when we reached the hotel. The bus from the airport to the Paris air office was a good introduction to Paris- it took off with a terrific jerk and at once rounded a corner on two wheels, and its horn, which the driver sounded often, was like a Paris taxi horn, multiplied 10 times in volume. I had dinner at the hotel (thick soup, omelet +french fried potatoes, a nice endive salad, mille feuilles [?] pastry, + french "cafe"), and went to bed. This morning I forgot what the coffee was like, + had coffee, rolls, butter, + jam- tomorrow I'll have tea.

On the way from the air office to the hotel I asked the cab driver what kind of a hotel the Hotel du Louvre was. He answered thoughtfully, choosing his words with care, that it was a good hotel, but not one of the flossy ones, and that it was patronized by "les diplomats, et les

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hommes d'affaires assez important".

I'm going to go out now and cash some travelers checks and perhaps do some shopping before going to the University.

Did you hire your Jamaican? I hope that the spoon turned up, and that your ankle is all right, and that David is driving the children to school all right, and that in general everything is going well. I thought that the tea went off extremely well, and that everyone enjoyed it.

On the flight we stopped for one hour in Boston and one hour in Gander. It was cold in Gander, with a little snow on the ground. Here in Paris this morning it is, I guess, about 45^oF. The sun is shining through occasional rifts in the clouds. My room (450) looks out on the court, but I can hear the taxi horns out on the street. I wish that you were here, so that it would be fun to go somewhere- I don't know what to visit that would not better when you are here. No invitations have come to the hotel for me, except from the Reteur et Madame Jean Savailh for dinner Saturday, which I have answered formally. All the love in the world from your Paddy

Wednesday, Nov.24, 1948

Dearest love:

I hope that you are getting along well, and that you still love Paddy. I love you. I have had a busy day. I got up, had breakfast, went to TWA to get my London tickets fixed up, went to the hotel to read the papers, and then to the Academie des Sciences to see if there would be a seance that I could attend (there won't), and then looked at book stands in front of the Academie for a while. Then I went out to see Magat, and had a good talk with him. I gave him some cigarettes, a can of bacon, and a jar of soluble coffee. Then I went to my copper pot man and bought some pots, and then back to the Lab. de chemie physique to attend a meeting of the Societe de chemi. phys. I commented on the speech, in French, (with help from the audience.) Then I talked with Bauer a while (he would like to have a copy of the Jeep kodachrome). His son now has an apartment. Then I came to the hotel for supper ( I had no lunch but 100g of roasted chestnuts, and thema [?] cup of hot chocolate). For supper I had a glass of Dubonnet, soup (potato), six snails* [written in margin on side in vertical fashion: "*Neither meat nor fish nor fowl!" ] , a serving of petit pois, endive salad, a slice of bread, a bottle of beer, a chocolate eclair, and coffee. It was served course by course, and took a long time (730 to 900). From 700 to 730 I talked with an old Frenchman - a Membre de L'Academie, I think - who twice before had got me to sign a sheet of paper and write an appropriate sentiment.

This time the top of the paper said "If you were to die now what last word would you leave to the world." Condon had written something like "I would be giving thanks to God for having allowed me to have such a good time." Towe [?] had written something like "It has been a great life - I'd like to carry on", and Michael Heidelberger "I wish it could be continued in the next." I wrote something like "The world has been a great place to live in - but it could be made greater by abolishing war establishing lasting peace."

After supper I came to my room and worked some more on my metals calculations - I did some work on the plane. Then I wrote a two-page draft of my ACS presidential speech, to be given in September in Atlantic City. Then I wrote this letter - and now I'll go to bed, and read the New Yorker a while, until I get sleepy. I've been feeling fine - very little nose trouble, no air sickness ( only one pill at the start of each of the two flights) - only lonely for you, even with your wooden leg. My bed here in Room 450 is big enough for you, too.

Magat told me a story going around that the Swedes, frightened by the Russians, gave Blaskett the Nobel prize for his recent book, which should serve to placate them.

Henry Moe said that Bowre, whom he helped appoint to the visiting professorship at Harvard (he suggested him after reading his two books) is a complete flop there, his lectures being very dull and elementary ones not even up to sophomore standards. I said that you said he gave excellent lectures, and Henry said that supported his idea that Bowre should be told, but the Harvard people won't tell his that his lectures are not suitable.

I enclose a clipping about "General" Osborn (former General). I took a strong dislike to him when he talked to the emergency Committee. Magat says that Blachett may not be right about everything - but that the opposition should document their statements as well as he does his. I'll buy a copy of Blachett's book in London.

I hope I get home on schedule.

Love from your

Paddy

[on front side of page, vertically written, in margin:]

These aren't quite right - I've got confused.