[Blair House, Washington, D.C.] June 25, 1951
Dear Bess:
It was grand to have you and Margaret on the telephone yesterday. She is still going at a grand pace for our public relations in Europe, and I think she is also having a good time.
After I talked to you, I went for a drive. Picked up the Vinsons and drove to Leesburg. General and Mrs. Marshall and Mr. Baruch and Mr. Baruch's secretary and nurse were there. The old man has had an operation on his face. General Marshall thought it was cancer. So do I--it looked like it. The old man wept and said he hoped our misunderstanding would be something in the past and not happen again. Of course I agreed to it. He left shortly after the Chief, Mrs. Vinson, and I arrived.
We had a most pleasant afternoon and a good supper with the Marshalls. Fred and the general told a lot of good stories about their careers and experiences. It was most interesting.
Mrs. Marshall's son was there, offered to take me for a swim in one of the neighbors' pools. I didn't go. He had a date for supper somewhere else, and when he left, he said "Goodbye, colonel," to General Marshall. The general said all the family called him colonel--that he said seemed to be his first name to them.
I'm leaving for Tennessee shortly to speak at the dedication of an air research center, named for General Arnold. I'm going to tear the Russians and the Republicans apart--call a spade just what it is and tell Malik if Russia wants peace, peace is available and has been since 1945. This is the anniversary of the flight from Independence a year ago that has been quite a day in history. All the papers except the sabotage sheets gave me the best of it yesterday.
This week contains another very important--most important--anniversary. Thursday will be thirty-two years. What a thirty-two years! I've never been anything but happy for that anniversary. Maybe I haven't given you all you're entitled to, but I've done my best, and I'm still in love with the prettiest girl in the world.
Hope all are well. We'll talk to Margie in Rome next Sunday.
Lots of love, Harry