On the Griddle

Twice a year, the select, exclusive and somewhat stuffy organization of 50 Washington newsmen known as the Gridiron Club holds a white-tie dinner and frolic in the capital. Traditionally, the guest of honor and principal butt of the Gridironers' jokes is the President of the U.S. Last December, Harry Truman, who does not enjoy the club's satire, was able to miss the Gridiron frolic because he was acquiring a less painful burn, in the sun at Key West, Fla. Although Gridironers were miffed, the club nevertheless invited the President to its May meeting. This time the President turned down the invitation because he was making his "nonpolitical" trip out west (TIME, May 22).

Presidential Press Secretary Charles Ross, a past president of the Gridiron Club and now an associate member, rightly guessed that other Gridironers would not take the second Truman refusal lightly. To cool off the hot tempers in advance, Ross put together a Gridiron-style skit and song, entitled "When We Ride, We Always Ride with Harry." Then Ross and the three other Gridironers aboard the presidential train made a record of the skit. On the third stanza of the song ("When I laugh, I always laugh with Harry . . ."), Harry Truman himself added his bathtub baritone. He also sent his greetings to the Gridironers.

The recording was flown back east for the dinner, but the assembled Gridironers and their 500 guests never heard it. Last week Hearstling George Dixon, professional Washington funnyman and not a member of the Gridiron Club, told what had happened. The club had decided to snub Harry Truman in May as the President had snubbed the club in December. The record was not played. Chided Columnist Dixon: "A spirit of pique and wounded self-importance . . ."

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