Des Moines, Iowa July 29, 1943
Dear Bess:
I hope that you and Margie and Christie and the kids got home safely from the station and I hope that everyone was convinced I had a good time and didn't want to leave. I also hope that the beds were not all too hard sleeping that night. The Mo. P was rough and probably did as much swaying around as a torpedo boat. Anyway, I was up at 5:30 Central W. time and ready to get off at 6:15. We got in at 6:35, ten minutes ahead of time and I was at the President at 6:50. They gave me a nice room, an area full of mail and I had breakfast.
Vivian came by about 7:40 and brought me the mail from Indep. which I'd asked him to go by for. Went to the office after making a date with Spina for 9:00 o'clock, found more mail piled up and the new suit. It's a nice one, vest and all, but big enough for Canfil. So I put it in a desk drawer and left it there. Sent my laundry to the President's wash room before I went to the office. So if you go to town Monday or Tuesday or some other day, please get it. Should be 5 shirts, 1 pajamas, and 1 suit of underwear. Soon as I'd sent Bill about 40 letters to answer I got my hair cut and then bought a ticket to Des Moines, one from Des Moines to St. Joe and one from St. Joe to Hastings, Neb. They are putting on a dinner for Dick Saturday night and I thought I should be there. Had a nice ride on the R.I. stream liner, the Rocket. Mr. Greenlease and his second wife, their one year old daughter and his new mother-in-law were aboard going to Canada for a few weeks' stay. Two other K.C. couples were also aboard, whose names I can't remember. They were with Hall Bros. and asked me to eat sandwiches and drink Coca Colas with them for lunch, which I did, and saved six bits.
Was met at the station in due style, put up in an air conditioned room at the Ft. Des Moines Hotel and taken to dinner by the National Committeeman and the State Dem. Chairman for Iowa and their wives. We called on Mrs. Herring and she told me all about her son being captured in Africa. He's in a concentration camp in the Reich. Mrs. H looks almost exactly like the Washington blond. Could they be sisters?
I almost missed my train at K.C. on account of the phone calls. Talked to Mary and Mamma and Natalie and Hugh and Jeff. City and Vivian and Joe McGee came in and got me to the train. Mary is at home. She passed out last week at her desk and they had a time reviving her but she said she is going back to work Monday. She likes her job. I don't know hardly what to do about it.
Natalie said she'd meet you on the morning of the second at 7:30. Hope you come through on time with no [illegible].
I sure hated to leave you and I had the dumps for most of the evening - remembering what you said about my being a Senator (wish I'd stayed a clod hopper). I'm in for a real go around up here and am afraid I'm going to like it. I also called on the V.P. She was in and glad to see me; he wasn't - had gone somewhere to speak.
Kiss Margie, Love to you. Harry