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Erie, Pa.,
Monday, May 27, 1940.

Things went quite smoothly today. The crowd arrived at the Works promptly and the Sales Committee went into session at 9 AM, and were closetted until noon - reports along the grapevine were that business this week was astoundingly high. Bill Thorpe was here in place of Dave Niven and he was phoned this morning by no less than six shipyards about Navy work coming up! Bill told me he had used our recommended prices on the 75 mm howitzers except to add on possible penalty on the present job, which on the quantity of 326 was only about $50 per gun.

The afternoon was taken up by Emmet's meeting followed by Walt Harris' session with his designers which I understand was rather long winded with Barrell the worst of all. Lynch and I visited Harris in the morning to be sure he would take care of lining up all men and then he failed to and Whitey complained that "those honeyacks were coming in a half hour too soon." So Walt apparently can frig up the detail if given a chance.

The dinner at the Kalehwa Club was preceded by a 1½ hour drinking session which Emmet tried to shorten but was voted down unconditionally. "Whitey" as usual was pretty high and thick tongued - Henry Guy bordered on being good and drunk. Lynch and I were chasing around wildly most of the time trying to straighten out train reservations, baggage arrangements, Kalehwa details, etc. After dinner we all went to the grill room where Bill Richards played the piano and there was much singing. The party broke up early. I had to write a personal longhand note to all at the Laurence after I got

Transcription Notes:
Honyack. My German grandfather used to call me this, "you little ..." I think it means little devil or mischief-maker.