Paul Sann Journalism, Letters , Writings

memos

OUR MOTTO: ONE IDEA TO A SENTENCE

3 August 1973

MEMO: Messrs Spitzler, Hoge, Porte, Whitney
SUBJECT: Watergate

While the undersigned cannot regard himself as any kind of authority on the sort of thing, since all he ever did was cover the Pearl Harbor hearings and thereafter keep a bloodshot eye on the Quiz Show hearings, the Army vs. McCarthy hearings and the Kefauver crime hearings, in which he had some direct influence, he wishes to submit nonetheless that the job done around here in the current Watergate hearings over these long weeks has been, to him, and he says so without fear of contradiction from any source, a model of professional newspaper work, up and down the line here on South Street, and he is therefore in the eternal debt of all of you at this point in time.

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tues

BOB/WARREN:

WAR: I have experience in these matters.
The easy way is for you to admit you were
against it all along and say you're now for it.

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wed

W/ANDY:

You're all in charge of this. I just can't
do it when I'm doing every other goddamn
thing around here.

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wed

BOB/WARREN:

At 2:30 if you want me, I'm going to the morgue.

I need a change of atmosphere.

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thurs

W: In the cold light of dawn, some observations--
It is incumbent upon us to
+ tighten up our stories
+ squeeze back on jumps
+ push the local notion harder

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DEAR FELLOW WORKER: This is not to dampen the fire fed by the attached offering, but it is a fact of life here, in the vineyard. The bonus -- any bonus -- is truly a piece of profit sharing. Alas, the '74 semester has foreboding overtones (newsprint and the new scales for the oarsmen). Thus it is for us all to bend our efforts toward the dollar-saving measure wherever we can without damaging the product. It is in every sense our money in the pot. I don't remember a year when I had to say this before. This message will self-destruct after you have read it, and God Bless you.

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26 April

BOB/WARREN:

Yesterday we took out of Carpozi that Mr. Holder had terrible gas pains and Miss Lynn said she would kiss his ass anyway and he said, "Gee, good, will it hurt?" and his mother said, "Oh, he's always complaining about gas, you shouldn't worry."
Today we took out of Hamill that Sen. McGovern had to go the bathroom in the middle of the victory celebration and out of Aronowitz that Aronowitz has bad eyes, bad teeth and a bad problem with his proctologist. Shitwise, a busy couple of days.

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