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Erie, Pa., 
Friday, Mar. 1, 1940.

Had quite a session with Whitey this morning. The first thing he said was, "You haven't any control over St.L." He was referring to my failure to be in Sch'dy. last Wednesday. And then we had a pretty clear talk about conditions on the Ordnance work and my relation to it and St. L's. Whitey seemed to think it was my job to ease St.L. out of it and I told him if any easing was to be done, he was the guy to do it. So he dictated letters to Niven and Becker telling them I and not St.L. was the man here to deal with on this business. Then he urged me to get the thing in hand - he knew it was going to be difficult to ease St.L. out and that was why he had given me the job because he thought I could do it. I told him the job was too elusive for me so far, when all these people contacted St.L direct. Whitey then made a remark with significance. He said, "Listen, don't think I don't find plenty of things elusive. When you're sitting here --" Then he caught himself and repeated, "if you are ever sitting here where I am, etc." Then we got off into a talk about New England business. He suggested I turn it over to Doc temporarily and I told him I didn't want to give it up. He asked why. I told him I liked it, wanted to keep my hand in on this railroad work, that this ordnance business wasn't going to last forever. Whitey then came back, "Well, you aren't going to be doing this sort of work forever either - may not be doing it even as long as the ordnance business lasts. You've got to make your mind up to gradually release this work anyway. When that time comes, I don't want you to come to me crying that you want to go out somewhere yourself and write a report on something.