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124

Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, Sept. 15, '42

Went up in the elevator yesterday with young Ed Stettinius whose office is in our building and was much interested to hear the very unaffected, pleasant way he had of talking to various people in the elevator including a cheerful "good morning" to a couple of girls. I imagine he's a real guy like Phil Reed although his background is one of great wealth where Phil's is not, which makes him the more interesting.

The business event of the day occurred this morning when Tom Evans called me up and insisted on talking to Creasser who tried to put him off on me because he was interviewing Bart Brown of the Superheater Co. I heard the first part of Charlie's end of the conversation and then left - it was getting too hot. Snatches of the conversation - "Craton didn't want to come down here" - "I wouldn't say that about any man!" - "You understand don't you, that I can shut your plant down?" - "Craton wouldn't say that even if he thought it!" - I left. I haven't found out yet exactly what Evans said but in general he claimed that I was trying to knife Porter out of business and transfer it to G.E.! that the men here ought to be entirely disinterested etc., etc. Charlie finally got so mad he hung up on Evans and swears he will write up the whole situation for Stevenson's information and further is going to clamp down on Porter and make them hew to the line from now on and no more monkey business. I contemplated tendering my resignation and did at once tell Charlie I would have nothing further to do with the Porter schedule - Charlie agreed I was right and asked me to turn it over kit and kaboodle to Mat Tate, which I did very promptly. This is