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Bennett CerfBennett Cerf
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Session:         Page of 1029

Q:

I've read about it.

Cerf:

Liberals were furious about this lack of interest in the Spanish Republic and our sort of hands-off policy. I must say that we seem to excel in helping the wrong people, like dictators in South America.

One last story to show you how clever F.D.R. was about avoiding things--Supreme Court Justice Frankfurter told about two very distinguished Englishmen who came over here during the War. There was something they wanted very much from the President. They were going down to see him and bring it up. They spent the whole evening down at Washington and then they came up to Boston to see Frankfurter. Frankfurter said, “Well, how did you make out with the President?" They said, “We don't think that he's as smart as we heard that he was.” Frankfurter said, “Why?" They said, “Well, he knew perfectly well why we came there to see him, but the subject never came up. He kept evading it and telling stories. When we left there the next morning, we had never brought the subject up at all the whole time we were there and that's what we had come for. Isn't that stupid of him?" Frankfurter said, “Yes. That's very strange.” Roosevelt of course had deliverately not allowed them to bring the subject up. He was brilliant at that sort of thing.

Q:

What were his ideas of books? You said you discussed books.





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