National Affairs: A Dinger

In the little white chapel at Key West, Navy Chaplain Harold F. Menges, a Baptist, stepped forward to deliver his sermon. From I Corinthians 13:9 ("For we know in part, and we prophesy in part"), he led into a discussion of criticism. He condemned malicious and uninformed criticism, but added: "It's the wise man who can take and accept honest criticism and make good use of it." Listening raptly was Harry Truman, who has been subjected to infinite varieties of censure, and has done his share of censuring. After the service, the President grabbed the preacher's hand, pumped it heartily and cried: "Well, that was a dinger,* chaplain." Commander Menges didn't seem to understand the colloquialism, so Truman repeated: "I said it was a dinger."