1ST LT. JOSEPH CONWAY

335TH SERV. BN, HQ.

BREMERSHLAGEN, GERMANY

N.Y. CITY

MARCH 16, 1962 8:21 P.M.

CONFIRM. MEET YOU KENNEDY INT'L 3-18-62 STOP TOO BAD CAN'T STAY LONGER STOP MUCH-REPEAT- MUCH TO TALK ABOUT. STOP GLUCK AUF.

J. KRASS

March 25, 1962

Dear Joe,

I write this letter with the greatest of regret. It has taken me nearly the entire week since you were here to decide whether to write it or not, much less what to say. That I do write at all is due, I believe, to the fact that I had always felt a sincere friendship for you, based on your past behavior which was always the most friendly toward me. That's what has made this so hard to understand. Of course, I must admit, I was warned. Clair made the statement but I didn't believe her. I should have known better. Her record of being right borders on infallibility.

I feel however that an explanation is due to someone, although I'm not sure which of us deserves it the most. I can perhaps rationalize your actions, but in so doing, I destroy the memory of a friend. Per- haps by offering my own explanation to you, on the basis of our own past friendship, I can better understand the situation.

It's very hard to write this all down-hard because part of it can only be explained in person, which unfortunately wasn't possible under the circumstances. And there's a good deal I really don't understand myself. Perhaps I'd best begin at the beginning. Even so, I still can't understand your behavior, even though you didn't know the situation.

About a year after I started work for Clair full time, she began urging me to take a greater part in her work-by that, I mean the actual decorating business rather than the clerical part. I naturally was not very adept at this, being more familiar with double-entry and capital debentures than with color planes and fabric drape. However, I learned -and surprisingly quickly. I may not be very modest, but I must say

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