Greetings, my friends!
It's been a long time since we've had a chat over the back fence. "What's happened to the BY-WAYS?" you ask. How shall I answer that? All life - since the beginning of time - is a communication system; speak and response - from the cave man's Ugh to that high telepathy between God and man. Even the hills echo when you shout to them. I guess we're always in search of a sounding board - from the exquisite frame of a Stradivarius to the heart of a sympathetic friend. I think I got tired of writing without a reply. But now a new and exciting experience is in the offing: a wonderful bus trip - with my beloved - to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Albany. I couldn't think of taking a trip like that without sharing it with old friends. Our vacation begins on the 15th, and that is the day we set out for Washington. Fifteen days of sight-seeing and visiting old friends. Since April 27, there have been volumes of news and countless personalities to describe, but precious little time to tell it. That was the date I started to work at the Information Desk of Hotel Cleveland. What a parade of personalities. What a fascinating job - watching them, helping them solve their problems, etc.! The great and near-great come from all parts of the earth: Homer D. Rodeheaver, George Matthew Adams, Alec Templeton, the Duke of Windsor (incognito), the delegates to the Y.M.C.A. World Congress, consuls and dignitaries from many countries. We had a distinguished visitor from Kiski School - whom I wanted to call on the 'phone - but felt it might be an intrusion.
Dear old Connie Mack comes each time with his Philadelphia Athletics. The Yankees and the Browns and the Washington Senators come here, too. That means a flurry of feminine calls and a rash of small boys seeking autographs. Somehow we lost out in the honor of having our illustrious General MacArthur stay with us. The Carter Hotel invited him, and spent - they say - $4000, for the privilege. The city of Cleveland certainly let MacArthur know how they felt about him and the magnificent job he has done in the Far East. 250,000 turned out to watch him in the downtown reception, or to greet him in the factories he visited. 10,000 assembled in our vast public auditorium (Virgil and I among them) to hear his wonderful speech. MacArthur is a man of great moral as well as physical courage. Without personal rancor or vindictiveness he spoke out sharply against the policies of the present administration. History will prove many things now seen through the glass darkly. MacArthur's petite and gracious wife captured the hearts of all who saw her. When our audience gave the general a prolonged ovation at the end of his address, he beckoned to his wife to come up on the stage. She was a bit flustered, but he put his arm around her and introduced her as "My commander-in-chief and my best girl." I must close; but more next week.
Sincerely,
Florence B. Taylor
1711 Preyer Rd.,
Cleveland Hts., Ohio
Next - 9/20/51 - The Lafayette Hotel, Washington, D.C.
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