"Macedonian Cry"

If Congress needed a further example of Presidential bad temper, it was supplied by New Hampshire's Republican Senator Charles W. Tobey (who was largely responsible for persuading the Senate not to accept Ed Pauley as Under Secretary of the Navy). A month ago he had written the President about the grain shortage which was forcing New England farmers to slaughter their chickens. Said Senator Tobey: "This is a Macedonian cry."*

The President wrote him a blistering, tactless reply:

"It seems to me that you have been making Macedonian cries or yells ever since I have been in the White House. . .. Your unwarranted attacks on Mr. Pauley almost ruined a good public servant. . . . You have made it exceedingly difficult for me to get good men to fill the necessary places in the Government. You are still continuing your Macedonian cries and I hope you will get a lot of pleasure out of them."

As for the grain shortage, said the President: "It is a matter of chickens or people, and if it comes to the decision as to which should be kept from starving, naturally, if I make the decision, it will be the people. . . . I don't know whether that will please you or not. . . . Some time when you have reached a cooling-off period, I'd be glad to talk with you about the whole situation." Scrawled across the bottom of the typewritten page, in the President's hand, was the command invitation: "Come and see me."

Senator Tobey ignored the invitation, instead grumbled a while in private, finally publicized the whole correspondence last week in the Congressional Record.

*And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us --Acts, 16:9.

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