Part: 123456789         Session: 1         Page na123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333334335336337338339340341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359360361362363364365366367368369370371372373374375376377378379380381382383384385386387388389390391392393394395396397398399400401402403404405406407408409410411412413414415416417418419420421422423424425426427428429430431432433434435436437438439440441442443444445446447448449450451452453454455456457458459460461462463464465466467468469470471472473474475476477478479480481482483484485486487488489490491492493494495496497498499500501502503504505506507508509510511512513514515516517518519520521522523524525526527528529530531532533534535536537538539540541542543544545546547548549550551552553554555556557558559560561562563564565566567568569570571572573574575576577578 of 578

great prestige, he could just announce it, and biff, biff, two strokes, and it was through both houses of Congress. It was closer to the truth in those days than it would have been now, because people were so terrified, Roosevelt's prestige was great, and the members of Congress were so disturbed and had no ideas of their own that they were willing to try almost anything. Nevertheless, I think Slater saw that the idea of having at least one strong Senator in support would be a good idea.

At any rate, the President insisted that they be brought together, and they were brought together in his office. I know that Meyer Jacobstein and Wagner were there and that Richberg was there. Who else was there from Richberg's outfit I can't say. Hugh Johnson was there. Tugwell was there. I don't think Slater was there, because he was always a background men. There were some others whom I can't remember.

The President lectured them a little bit about what a grand idea it was, but he wanted unity. They were all working on the same pattern, but they had to work together. We obviously couldn't have three plans. Obviously it would bring discredit on any recovery plan if there was open squabbling about small parts of it. As he saw it, their plans weren't vastly different.