John Carter wanted Steinbeck to appear with him on the radio on 13 September 1938. Though he was pressured by Soule (Regional Information Adviser at the San Francisco office of the Farm Security Administration) to do so, Steinbeck did not wish to go on the air because it would be "deadly" to his life (see his journal entries for 7 and 8 September). Lorentz agreed with Steinbeck, and sent a series of at least three telegrams (MA 6426.31-33) to that effect on 8 September. See Working Days, ed. Robert Demott (New York: Viking Penguin, 1989), p. 67-69.
MA 6426.31-34 were originally pinned together in that order.
Part of a collection of letters and telegrams primarily between John Steinbeck and Pare Lorentz.
Noting that Steinbeck is worried about his novel [The Grapes of Wrath], politics and his home, and that therefore Lorentz thinks Steinbeck should not go on the air with Carter. Elaborating that a radio appearance would "throw [Steinbeck] off the track of ... writing one of the great novels of our time." Mentioning that Lorentz suggested to [Frederick] Soule that they use a "Texan or Oklahoman for [Carter] to do a case history story on migratory workers." Sending regards to Sheila, and replying (to a query in MA 6426.34) that Lorentz has "no further family as yet."