Viewing page 44 of 547

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Erie, Pa., 
Monday, Feb. 5, 1940.

Whitey called me in this moirning and said he had my private written message of Friday and was now going to tear it up and throw it in the waste basket, which he did. He then proceeded to tell me that in all friendliness, he considered that letter revealed an undesirable trait in me - namely that I was a "worrier". And he is, of course, correct. I admire his ability to grasp fundamental facts the way he does. He went on something like this: "That letter shows me that after you got out of here Friday, you began to think about what you said and decided you hadn't made a very good showing with me, so you sat down and wrote that. It shows me you are a "worrier" which I never appreciated before. You should be able to snap out your answers when the questions are asked and then end it there! That's what I have to do. When I see Shreve, I have ten minutes at the most to talk to him. Often when I get through, I think of things I wish I had said but I don't worry about it - I end it then and there! In the work you hope to do in this Dept., you are going to have to listen to the other man's story and then parry him on a split second's notice. You must train your mind to work that way. -" I explained to Whitey that I felt with me there was a distinction between sudden popping of vitally personal questions and business questions - that with the latter, I have learned to cope successfully but with the former I had not yet because of lack of practice. As for the worrying, I have in times past been inclined to worry over omissions but thought I had learned to snap off the worry over business things. On the personal