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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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Walter Chrysler sitting in the President's waiting room. I mean, you know, that kind of thing. He was very quick to stop gossip things. And he was a military man; he didn't pretend to give advice on the military situation.

Q:

Was he always a military man?

Perkins:

Yes. He was born and bred a military man. He was a West Pointer.

Q:

Where did Roosevelt meet him?

Perkins:

I think he met him after he came to Washington here. You know how militray aides are assigned. McIntyre sat down in that chair, in that seat, first, you see, and it wasn't until after McIntyre died that Pa Watson came to be his appointment secretary. He was a military aide, and as a military aide he was fine, because he was big. You see, another thing that Roosevelt was wanting was a man taller than he was, to lean on. You can't lean on a little bit of a short man, you know, comfortably. If you're a tall man with great long legs, your leaning has to be done on a very strong arm that's slightly higher than your arm, you know? And Watson filled that bill. He was big and strong, and you could lean on him without the slightest sense that you were going to crush him, you know. You could lean on him without its appearing ridiculous. He





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