February 16, 1965 Dr. Ludwig von Mises 777 West End Avenue New York 25, New York Dear Dr. von Mises: As you may remember, I wrote a year or two ago to Yale University Press about using a portion of your HUMAN ACTION as a paperback. Chester Kerr, the director of the press, replied that he "would like to think it over. " I heard nothing further until today. This morning I received a long letter from Mr. Kerr in which he says that they are now more favor- able to my idea, and want to know whether I am still interested. Then he goes on to ask whether we would like to take reprint rights to the entire book. He says that there has been a good deal of criti- cism for the "allegedly poor quality" of the present edition, and that all this might be solved if they let us take over the book. Needless to say, I would like very much to have such a distinguished and important book on our list, but there are certain practical problems. He says, for example, that they would lease the corrected offset plates to us, but if our edition were printed from the same plates as theirs wouldn't it contain the same faults? It would be most helpful if you would let me have your opinion of Mr. Kerr's suggestion. Another possibility, of course, would be to obtain rights to offset the original edition, but then any corrections that have been made subse- Henry quent to that could not be included. You are in a better position to answer all these problems than anyone else, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would let me know what you think about it all. Regnery The little book we published last fall by Jacques Rueff, AN AGE OF Company INFLATION, is beginning to move quite well. The reviewers paid no attention to it when it came out, and I couldn't even get the Wall Street PUBLISHERS Journal interested, but the book is beginning to move now, and I think 114 West Illinois Street may develop into quite a good seller. Are you, by the way, familiar Chicago, Illinois 60610 with Rueff's "L'Ordre Social"? I would be interested to know what you 527-3300 think of it, and whether you feel that an English translation might be worth considering. Michael Heilperin has recommended it to me, and says that it could be cut by 50% if necessary. Sincerely yours, HENRY REGNERY President HR:iz