716 Alvarado Row
Stanford, Calif.

February 17, 1965

In a way you are quite right: since I have not read Mr. Buchanan's
book, I may not be justified in calling it trash. Certainly I had no
intention of giving you any personal offese.

Nevertheless I am still appalled at what I can infer from the reviews the
book has had, and from your own remarks. The willingness of respected men
like yourself to give credence to this scandal-mongering is exactly what
stimulates people in other parts of the world to their scepticism. But
to quote Paris-Match is about like ChicageConfidential; there are always
many people abroad willing to believe the most incredible things so
long as they are derogatory about the U.S. Do you really mean to
lend the weight of your name to that? I don't know Mr. Buchanan; but
none of the newsmen I do respect gives me the slightest basis to doubt
the Warren Commission report. On the other hand, the author of this kind
of book has every motive to dig ap whatever sensations he possibly can;other-
wise what will he have to sell?

Quite apart from Mr. Warren's integrity, the idea that the whole apparatus
of government, to the extent it would have to be, could possibly be involved
in a conspiracy of silence on this sort of issue is preposterous beyond
belief. Besides that, my personal knowledge of the President's family puts
outside of the remoctest possibllity that they would acquiesce in any such .(t
cover-upe I would sooner believe that Mrs. Kennedy was the culprit.

However, I am merely explaining why f do not believe it worth my time to
spend a moment reading the book. If I felt it necessary to become more of an
expert, I would have to develop my own personal knowledge and insight of the
details brought out in the hearings, to an extent I would consider unreasonable.
Menawhile I do rely on the judgment and integrity of a vast number of informed
people whose access to the details is meh better than mine, and who could have
nothing to profit from distorting the truth. If you accepted it as conceivable
that some overriding patriotic motive is their motivation (and I don't have
that lively imagination myself) you might take some pause to consider what ser-
vice you are doing your country by promulggting this sort of suspicion.
Howbeit, I foresee we would be wasting one another's time at attenpbing any
persuaston. I feel I should thank you for the pains you took ato answer my
quick seribble.

To xk answer to another question-~- I haven't the faintest idea why you put
my name on your list; but then that would be like my calling you up on the phone
and asking you why I was ringing you up.

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(Professor|Joshua tederberg