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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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in the bucket on their own terrace because they can keep an eye on the baby, rather than going down to the bank of the river to wash. You talk about that. Then you talk about her life. Then you talk about France, saying, “Wouldn't it be nice if you had a central water supply system.”

“Hah, hah, we will never have that.” Then they tell you. “We don't have that because these people who run the government don't care whether we have water or whether we don't have water.” In the mood of vituperation they usually put the blame where it probably belongs - on the lack of enterprise about doing anything for the people.

So I told the President all these things. I told him that I had spoken to Bill Bullitt and that Bullitt told me that I was mistaken and that his information came from a much broader basis than mine, that he had studied the actual reports of the various governmental departments and knew much more than I did. But this was only the impression offered by a social worker who used the social worker's techniques in inquiring. I felt that if you gave France a good poke it would fall over, that certainly large elements of the population would fall over if there was any pressure put on them.





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