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but pure dictatorship and fascism and not the way to run things.”

Johnson told me later that he then followed a principle of his - if a fellow is against you, always get him to come in with you. So he turned to Henderson and said, “Well, Mr. Henderson, you seem to know a lot about this. I hereby invite you to join the NRA. You can go on the Consumers' Committee. You come here and work and if we're not doing things right, you come and tell us how to do them right.”

I think that did take Leon aback. It served the purpose of quelling the riot, astonishing him and shutting him up for the moment. But of course Johnson didn't have any idea of what he was getting into. Although Leon Henderson's mouth was stopped for the moment, his energies and activities and mentality went right on. One he got into the inside he was a problem, although he did, I think, do a great deal of first-class work for the NRA - really first-class, although he made lots of trouble for Hugh Johnson.

At any rate, Mary telephoned me and said, “Be sure and come home early. I've invited this Mr. Henderson to tea.”

So I got home about half past six, or something. She introduced him. I remember thinking, “What a strange thing for Mary to do - inviting him for tea.” Then they told me that Johnson had invited him to join the NRA and come on the Consumers' Committee. Mary was urging him to come on.