It was shortly after this, on an evening early in 1940 while we were sitting in the library at home, that the telephone rang. It was the watchman over at the plant. “Secretary Morgenthau has just walked in,” he said, “and he would like to see you.” CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE An Unfavorable Climate As I backed my convertible out of the garage, and eased it from the driveway onto Albany Avenue, I speculated as to what might have brought Secretary Morgenthau to Hartford in the middle of the night. It might, I thought, have something to do with the new British inquiry which had been discussed earlier in Harry Collins’s office in the Treasury. There, a number of aircraft manufacturers had met to be introduced to Sir Henry Self and a newcomer to the French negotiations, M. René Plevin. Sir Henry, very British, had tried not to appear condescending to us provincials, but it was apparent early that he had brought his trading vest along, determined to give us a sample of British tradesmanship. I had noticed at the time that Col. Paul Jacquin, with whom we had had such intelligent dealings, was not present. M. René Plevin, the new Frenchman, looked to me like the story-book Frenchman, suave, polished, and clever. It occurred to me that Colonel Jacquin might need a little help from us, and this was confirmed by the drift of the conversation. Sir Henry Self made it clear that he and M. Plevin would act in unison in all matters of future procurement. They had looked over the earlier contracts and concluded that the terms had not been as advantageous to the customer as must any future terms. At any rate they appeared out of line with what had been customary in Old England. The British were in the market for large quantities of war material, but England was a poor country and we must learn to sharpen our pencils and cut prices. England had shielded us during the first war, but she was not now so strong, etc., etc. Sir Henry had expressed interest in negotiating for the construction of new facilities from which aircraft engine production could flow; he had wondered if we might not now undertake immediate expansion of our facilities—but of course under more favorable terms to England than we had apparently exacted from France. To this I pointed out that the French terms had been arrived at after painstaking negotiation under the commission headed by Col. Paul Jacquin. They had not been predicated on chiseling tactics, but designed to give us every incentive to take the heavy risks paramount to quick deliveries. We had found no reason to question that procedure but had, on the other hand, experienced many incidents in which the wisdom of this procedure had been proved. Time had been of the essence and time had proved to be something that could not be bought. With less time now, we could see no basis for further discussion of the terms.