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Well, of course, I had had a great many dealings with John L. Lawis over the years, beginning way back in 1933 when I invited him to a conference of labor leaders, somewhat to the consternation of the old-line A.F. of L. labor leaders. I described that meeting. I invited John L. Lewis to that, giving him a certain recognition by inviting him, a recognition which he did not have by the A.F. of L., because he was not on the executive board at that time.

I don't altogether recall what my reasons were. I think it was the general opinion of Otto Beyer and people like that that Lewis was an extremely able man, and that we would be losing something if he were not brought into the picture. Otto Beyer was a member of the Railway Mediation Board, and he had formerly been the labor director of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. He was a very well-known engineer, very much thought of. He's since died. I used to talk with him about labor matters a good deal, because he was very much on to certain labor leaders here in Washington, certain individuals and their characteristics, who you could talk with and who would be faithful to an agreement and so forth. I mean, not an agreement with employers, but an agreement with an independent Government individual.

He thought that Lewis was a very able man. He thought he was a reliable man, and trustworthy--recognizing certain idiosyncracies that he had. I remember thinking it was