Letter from Martin Ryle to D C Martin, assistant secretary of the Royal Society, concerning two papers: 'Experimental studies of the motions of slow electrons in air with applications to the ionosphere' by R W Crompton, L G H Huxley and D J Sutton, and 'A fundamental revision of the theory of the interaction of radio waves' by L G H Huxley Paper reference code: A21 and A22 Ryle writes: 'Dear Martin, I have looked through the two papers Nos. A.21 and A.22 by Huxley et al, but I am afraid that they are rather outside my field, and I should have to spend a lot of time on them if I were to understand them in sufficient detail for me to report on them. Unfortunately at the moment I am particularly busy as our new large radio telescope is just completed and is now undergoing its final tests. I should therefore be glad if I could be excused from reporting on these papers. Yours sincerely, Martin Ryle'. Written at University of Cambridge, Department of Physics, Cavendish Laboratory, Free School Lane, Cambridge [England]. [Both papers published in Proceedings A, 1953]. Endorsed on recto as received 12 February 1953. 11 February 1953