Part: 123456789         Session: 1         Page na123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495050a51525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333334335336337338339340341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359358359360361362363364365366367368369370371372373374375376377378379380381382383384385386387388389390391392393394395396397398399400401402403404405406407408409410411412413414415416417418419420421422423424425426427428429430431432433434435436437438439440441442443444445446447448449450451452453454455456457458459460462463464465466467468469470471472473474475476477478479480481482483484485486487488489490491492493494495496497498499500501502503504505506507508509510511512513514515516517518519520521522523524525526527528529530531532533534536537538539540541542 of 542

happened before. He had said, “This has happened before. Don't be disturbed about it, Miss Perkins. It isn't serious. It'll blow over. We've been in touch with these people. They're all right. This'll blow over in time.”

However, the second or third morning I came to my office and almost immediately the Secretary of State called. He said, “I'm calling you about this general strike in San Francisco. It's very serious.” I knew from the tone of his voice that he was speaking lugubriously and that it was awful serious as far as he was concerned.

I said, “Yes, it's very unfortunate, Mr. Secretary, but we have good reports. We think that it will soon be over and that there's not much to it.”

“I am afraid that you're mistaken about that,” he said. “I think there is more to it. I think it's a very serious matter. You know, a general strike is very serious.”

“But,” I said, “you know, this is not a general strike, Mr. Secretary. This is not what is technically called a general strike. This is a sort of a sporadic walk-out with no particular demand. It's a kind of sympathy walk-out for the longshoremen. You must remember