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Prances Perkins - Interview 94, side 1 - 3 May, 1955 - 2127 LeRoy Place N.W., Washington, D.C. This interview taken on a tape-recorder.

Miss Perkins:

In skipping over to the settlements toward the end of the war, when the War Labor Board came into the picture, what you had asked me was what the President thought of John L. Lewis and how Lewis showed himself in regard to the President. The President curbed his resentment against Lewis, and I think got over it very quickly--his resentment against Lewis's outburst. He thought it was somewhat funny because it was so exaggerated. He was a little sore, but he didn't bother with it long and it passed out of his mind.

Within the next year or two, there was somewhat of a rapprochement, and he saw Lewis occasionally-- usually at my suggestion, and I usually laid out an outline of what he'd better talk to him about, providing him with some interesting materials. He occasionally would send for two or three labor leaders, you see, and talk to them together. That was never done in a very serious way of getting their advice, but of just keeping in touch with them and keeping them happy at being consulted. He had learned the idea, you know, that they wanted to be consulted. They never had much to say. They were usually quite charmed by him. I've seen Lewis sit through one of these conferences





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