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was in the White House or whether he was somewhere else.

I told him on the telephone that we had evolved a plan but that it would require his assent and cooperation, although it was a very good plan without it, and this was it.

He said, “Well, will the mine workers go back to work for the Government?”

I said, “Yes. John L. Lewis says they will be delighted to work for their country.”

“I'll be damned!” said the President. “Well, this is a great surprise.”

I said, “He understands it's a legal seizure, that no military will go anywheres near the mines. There will not be a soldier in sight. I have proposed to him that Ickes would be the man you would select, as Secretary of the Interior, since a natural function of his is to harbor the resources of the country, so you would make a natural selection of him to be the administrator.”

“Well, I'll be damned you have,” said the President.

“Well,” I said, “I just thought I'd explore it all while I was at it.”

He said, “Will Ickes do it?”

I said, “Yes, Ickes will do it.”

He said, “How does that happen?”

I said, “Well, they had a talk this morning, frankly.”

Oh, it was all right.





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