1932
I understand that Burke once said, "Magnanimity in politics is not seldom the truest wisdom." Please turn to the "Letters to the Editor" section, to which the discussion of politics has been diverted.
I should like also to refer you to the Club Notes, where there appears a reference to the Dartmouth Club of Washington luncheon of January 25. Howie Sargeant was the guest speaker, and we succeeded in collecting eleven members of '32 at a separate table. Howie's talk was most interesting, and at last the Washington '32 delegation is getting to recognize one another's changing faces and figures. I have just learned that Bill Cole will be joining our group. having been assigned to duty in the State Department after a tour in foreign service at various posts. At the lunch BenBurch told me that he and Dorothy Kenna were married on Christmas Eve. She comes from Boston and helped Ben last summer to learn how to run a ski lodge. Good luck to both of them!
I was sufficiently intrigued by the mention of the Leah Grierson case in the article I saw on Frank Peyser to ask him to let us hear about it. Here is what he wrote:
"Florence Leah W. Grierson was a gal who had a drink or two and when her boy friend, who also had a few, slapped her around a little (which had happened many times before) she upped with a paring knife and let him have it. I tried the case at our last term of court, and obtained a conviction from a petty jury of first degree manslaughter. Right now the matter of sentence is pending disposition of her appeal to the Supreme Court on a bill of exceptions. Since my term as County Solicitor expires on the 31st of December, I will probably have no further part to play in the case.
"I was elected in November 1946 for a two- year term as County Solicitor. The job was a very interesting one, although it took up a considerable amount of time and called for a good deal of out of office and after hours work, on a small salary. However, it was an extremely valuable experience, particularly to one who had just returned to practice after nearly four years of being out of touch with the courts, and I do not regret what it may have cost me in private practice, possibly lost through absences from the office, for one minute. Come the first of January, I expect to be able to devote my time steadily to my private practice, and when the phone rings at eleven o'clock at night, I won't have to anticipate getting into my pants to go down to supervise the taking of measurements, etc., at some fatal automobile accident or other ruckus.
"As to my defeat for re-election, you can blame it on whatever you want to, but I shall stick with my belief that it was the wrong year to be a Republican—and to my strong belief that it will prove to be a bad thing for the country that more people did not think it the right year to be a Republican. I take a dim view of the chute-the-chute to Socialism down which we are sliding."
Ed Marks' long poem of Season's Greetings was too good not to be reproduced at least in part:
"Life in La Suisse is toujours gai, But still we miss the U.S.A. Friends, accept these greetings, please, From Switzerland the land of cheese For Robert Coltman and Natalia, Good snow for skiing, inter alia, And steaming grog to warm the bellies Of Falks, Exekiels and Fanellis. For Don and Eleanor MacPhail A brace of partridge, grouse or quail; With Robert Ryan in the cast, The Oscars will come thick and fast. We lavish every warmest wish On Carlos Baker's Percy Bysshe. How are you, Beth and Billy Brister? Fond love to Hatchers, Kellers, Hoz, To Baumann, George, and his sweet coz. To those of you who've just been married; To those whose unions have miscarried; To others worthy of attention Whose names we haven't room to mention (Such as both our families) Wassail! from vingt huit Route de Drize."
Ed is still with the International Refugee Organization, which is trying to re-establish the displaced persons in Europe, the Middle East and China. His particular work is liaison between IRO and the voluntary organizations helping in the program. He finds life comfortable but expensive, and his French lags behind that of the rest of his family.
Dick Cleaves describes his job in Japan as Deputy Chief of the Textile Division of SCAP, with the aim of disposing of the stocks of Japanese textiles. He expects to be there until September, and then to return around the world the other way—with his wife and three children, ages 7, 5 and 2. At a Dartmouth gettogether recently '32 was the best represented, with Dick and Marque Richard, who is in the Natural Resources Section of SCAP. The Cleaves family is roughing it in "a large house, half western style, half Japanese, fourteen rooms, good heat, a large yard and garden, and toilets that work"—which is paid for out of his allowances.
Al Snite has collaborated with others, including W. H. Taylor '23, in a book entitled Yachting in North America, which seems to the editors of the New Yorker to be an "excellent survey of all phases of yachting" .... Rev. Shirley Greene collaborated in January in carrying on a workshop on "How pastors can help to improve their communities," in connection with a Rural Life Conference for Vermont pastors Rumor hath it that the Hatchers have returned to the U. S. from Brussels John Weisenfluh was on the Dartmouth (N. Y.) Club squash team that won the Class B Squash Raquets League in New York in January Tiny Giles is said to have moved to Manchester, N. H., from where he covers New England and part of New York for a drug arm Sey (Jacobson) Rogers has moved from New York to Greensboro, N. C., with his wife (whose roots are there) and son, to take up practice of surgery with a busy, older doctor who wants more time to enjoy life In January Ken Hill was reelected an Assistant Treasurer of the New Hampshire Savings Bank, Concord Morry Hubbard is on the Board of Governors of the Dartmouth Club of New York Fritz Browning in January was elected Chief of Staff of the Woman's Hospital in Cleveland, O The Worcester (Mass.) Telegram reports that JoeByram, Councilman from Ward 10 (R) , proposed that a "gigantic mulch pile" be created out of the leaves swept off the city streets, and used for plant food for the city parks and recreation areas Frank Westheimer has received a certificate of appreciation from the President for important scientific contribution to the war effort; Frank is an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago.
John Keller sends a letter pointing out that the dinner to which Ping Ferry referred in his comment on the political views of the class was held in 1946, not 1945. as Ping stated John's letter has much delightful satire, and Ping's reply also deserves a hearing. But they will keep until I need something special to liven up a future column.
The Class dinner at the New York Dartmouth Club will be held on March 16, and wives are included in the urging to attend. It sounded like a great success last year.
Secretary, 3909 North 5th St., Arlington, Va.
Treasurer, 607 Front St., Hempstead, N. Y.
Class Agent, 3448 81st St., Jackson Heights, L. I., N. Y.
