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Stewart Alsop, who also wrote about this period, has a significantly different version of the events which resulted in the cancellation of the second stri~e. Alsop has Rusk calling Tracy Barnes early in the evening of 16 April to come to his (Rusk's) office in State Department to straighten him out about the various aircraft. At the time that Barnes was doing this, McGeorge Bundy also arrived at the Secre- tary's office and supported Barnes's version about each of the three aircraft. At this point, according to Alsop: Rusk shook his head, and remarked, "I guess I got mixed up." Rusk evidently realized that he had unintentionally mis- led Stevenson. Briefly, he discussed with Bundy whether he, Rusk, ought to join Stevenson at the UN to give him support in the furious debate which was certain to break out on Monday. It was decided instead, that Bundy shoul& go to New York to backstop Stevenson. Rusk asked Barnes to go down to the floor below, where Stevenson's speech for the next day was being drafted, and to make sure that the speech contained no errors of fact. Barnes did so, and went back up to Rusk's seventh floor office at about eight o'clock. By this time, Bundy had left to fly to New York, and Rusk was alone. He remarked casually to Barnes that the second air strike had been called off.' Bundy, it transpired, had telephoned - 266 -