Evening star., 1951-10-21
The ForrestoI Diaries
Events Leading Up to Forrestors Resignation;
His SelfIess Career Ends in Tragedy

r Ends in Tragedy
with him. It is known that he
received an offer. or an intima-
ton of an offer, of one of the
more important ambassadorships,
but declined.
The climax, when 1t came, was
swift. Mr.. Forrestal had an ap-
pointment with the President at
1890 on March /; he left no rec
ord of the interview, but at least
one friend came to understand
later that at this meeting the
President asked Mr.. Forrestai to
send in his letter of resignation at
once. and that this had been a
"shattering experience. Until
this interview he had evidently
felt that the resignation was not
urgent. Now he began to work
on the letter at fever pitch. AS
it went through various revisions
that evening and next day, Mr..
Forrestal kept advancing the ef-
fective date, until it finally stood
lat March 81. His assistant, Marx
Leva. asked whether the President
wanted him out on that day: Mr.
Forrestal replied that the Presi-
dent wished him to stay until
June /. but that he wanted to get
out earlier.
His Letter of Resignation.
The letter went to the White
House on the forenoon of March
%, and was released next day, to-
gether with the announcement
of Mr.. Johnson's appointment.
The letter of resignation pied "ur-
gent personal considerations: the
Presidents letter of acceptance
declared that at my personal
urging" Mr.. Forrestal had served
far longer than he had intended.
For all that you have done" it
ended, "in your country's behalf
and for the service which you will
continue to give out Of your abun-
|dant experience I tender you
heartfelt assurance of my graft
tude and appreciation"
Louis johnson was sworn in as
Secretary of Defense at a brief
ceremony at the Pentagon on
March %. Mr.. Forrestal drove
to the White House to pay his re-
spects and there found. to his
complete surprise. that a secbnd
ceremony had been arranged at
which the President pinned to his
coat the Distinguished Service
Medal.
Next day Mr.. Forrestal flew to
Hobe Sound. Fla, as a guest of
Robert Lovett, his old friend and
colleague in so many crises OF
state. The effect, unfortunately.
was not what had been hoped.
With his final departure from
Office Mr.. Forrestal' was precipi-
tated into a depression so severe
that within a day or two psychi-
atric help seemed imperative. On
April he was flown back to
Washington and was admitted
that evening to the Naval Hos
pital at Bethesda. Md.
Tragic End to His Career.
BY the end of April he was re-
spending well to treatment. He
seemed his old self to number of
his friends and associates. includ-
ing the President, who visited him.
BY the middle of May his physi-
clans were looking forward to his
discharge in another month or
so. and as a necessary part of the
treatment they risked a relaxation
of the restraints which had been
set around him. It was a tragic
misca1culation. On the night of
May 2l-22 he was reading late In
his room on the 10th floor; the
book was Mark Van Doren's AN
thology of World Poetry" and he
was copying from it Winthrop
Praed's translation of
Sophocles' dark and solemn "Chor-
us From Ajax"
Fair Salamis, the pillows roar
Wanders around thee yet,
And sailors gaze upon thy shore
Firm in the Ocean set.
Thy son is in a foreign cline
Where Ida feeds her countless
f1ocks.
Far from thy dear, remembered
rocks,
Worn by the waste of time
comfortless. nameless, hopeless
save
In the dark prospect of the
yaWning grave.
Woe to the mother in her close
Of day,
Woe to her desolate heart and
temples gray,
When she shall hear
Her loved ones story whispered
in her ear
"Woe. woel" will be the cry
No quiet murmur like the
tremulous wall
OF the lone bird, the querulousI
nightingale
The convinp ceased m this