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Royall Tyler to Mildred Barnes Bliss, October 22, 1948

International Bank for

Reconstruction and DevelopmentThe International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), established in 1944, became operational in 1946 as the original institution of the World Bank Group. It was a cooperative organization of 188 member nations that originally promoted sustainable development and reconstruction to nations devastated by the Second World War. See letter of June 28, 1947.

Washington, D.C.

Cable address: INTBAFRAD Paris

Paris 22 Oct. 48

Dearest Mildred—I’ve just had your cable of yesterday telling me that D.O. now owns Hayford’s coins.Dumbarton Oaks acquired the coin collection of Hayford Peirce in 1948. I’m going to cable you my congratulations, but before I do anything else I must write and tell you how delighted I am to think that those coins, so many of which Hayford and I bought together, and which also comprise all the Byz. coins I ever bought on my own account, and which I gave to Hayford at various times, is indeed a great and abiding joy to me. I called up Bill’s office, to tell him the news, but he’s in a meeting. I’ll get him the moment I can. Bless you, dearest Mildred, for cabling me such tidings.

All these last weeks, I had been thinking sadly that the autumn was wearing on and that hope of seeing you over here this year was vanishing. I miss you very much, beloved being. But it makes you feel near to have these news. No plans for next Spring?

I’m pretty hard at work. The only leave I’ve had this year (or indeed for the last 6 years) was 4 ½ days at Antigny, a fortnight ago. Happily, it was golden, incredibly lovely Burgundian autumn weather, and the air was the everlasting astonishment, working afresh each time I go back there—I’ve never met its like. Elisina is still down there, returning here next week.

The BetbillsThe Bliss abbreviation for Bettine Tyler and William Royall Tyler. & I went together, last night, to Notre Dame,Notre Dame, a French Gothic cathedral in Paris that dates principally to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. where there was a performance of Berlioz’Hector Berlioz (1803–1869), a French Romantic composer. L’Enfance du Christ,L’enfance du Christ (“The Childhood of Christ”), Berlioz’s oratorio, opus 25, based on the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt and mostly composed in 1853–1854. with a good big orchestra, choirs & soli. Most enchanting music it is. You may imagine what the orchestra sounds like under those vaults. The performance was in honour of the U. N. Assembly,The United Nations General Assembly, one of the six principal bodies of the United Nations, which, among other things, oversees the budget of the United Nations and appoints the nonpermanent members to the Security Council. the meetings of which, or those having any bearing on our (Bank) problems, it is my duty to attend. Not much Enfance, not much Christ, about those gatherings. Kein feines Publikum;“No fine audience.” and the perpetual reiteration of two irreconcilable theses intolerably monotonous. Better that than fight, no doubt—if one can believe there is the alternative. I’m inclined to think it’s all worth-while, however weary and dull one may feel in the course of it. I see Warren AustinWarren Robinson Austin (1877–1962), an American politician and statesman who served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations between 1946 and 1953. now & then—very friendly.

Fondest love to you & Robert, dearest Mildred.

Yrs

R.T.

 
Associated People: Hayford Peirce; William Royall Tyler