Session: 123456789101112131415161718192021         Page 337338339340341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357 [missing]358359360361362363364365366367368369370371372373374375376377378379380381382383384385386387388389390391392393394 of 1029

Magazine, in its sponsorship of Chiang Kai-shek, made the rulers of China today our implacable enemies.

Edgar Snow remained a good friend of mine. We were together the night Roosevelt died. He was in my office when a girl ran in and said, “Mr. Roosevelt's dead.” We both admired Roosevelt very deeply. We went over to the Plaza Hotel, Edgar and I. We were shattered. When we went to the Oak Room in the Plaza, everybody was gay and making noise but then the news obviously hit one corner of the room and spread. It was as though somebody was pulling a tarpaulin over a wet baseball diamond...the wave of silence. Then we got into a taxicab to come home--Ed and I. The taxi driver said, “Well, I see that old bastard's dead. It's a great thing for this country.” I remember Ed and I got out of the cab. We wouldn't ride in it.

I think that Ed is not a Communist, but he's prejudiced in favor of these old friends of his and he will not see that they are probably the greatest enemies that this country has today.

What kind of man is he?

A very serious man--very serious. Very nice, but difficult.

Did you have to do a lot of editing on his book?