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It is a terrific strain, isn't it?

Oh! You never know what's going to happen or whether it will come out all right. And unless people know a great many people and have a lot of fish to fry, it isn't particularly amusing for them to get into groups as large as that, unless they can have someone taking care of them all the time. I couldn't take care of anybody but myself and my 500 guests in general.

How did you get involved in giving this party?

Well, Mr. Abe Fortas is a great friend of Isaac Stern, and he's also a great friend of the President and Mrs. Johnson. So he said, “You know.” So I said, “why, Idon't want to be co-chairman of this thing. That means I have to sell tickets.” He said, “Tickets? You don't have to sell tickets. This is honorific. All you have to do is just be there and sit.” I said, “Well, that doesn't sound likely. I've never been involved in anything like that.” He said, “Oh, yes. You don't have to sell any tickets. But we might he to have a little party afterward at my house, or something, for the artists. They don't like it unless they're thanked by the President. People that get $5,000 a night don't like to do these things unless they get thanked by the President of the United States for doing it.” He said, “I'm sure Lyndon won't come, but Lady Bird will come and that will be it.”