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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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mind. I don't recall them. I remember Somervel, because we had long dealings with him, and I remember Admiral Jerry Land. I remember him very well, because of course I knew him socially and personally, and I saw a good deal of him one way and another, and we served on committees together. But for the most part, the Army fellows that I worked with at that time have just popped out of my mind. I cannot remember.

But they were needling the President. Lewis B. Hersey took no part in that. He was retired for disability, He was Head of the Draft Board. He was doing that kind of work, but he was a retired officer. He'd lost his eye, you remember. He wasn't urging any of these things. He didn't have anything to say about policy.

Well, at any rate, I broke the news to Roosevelt that I had approached Ickes on the matter and that Ickes was willing. He said a few more, “I'll be dammeds”, and I said, “Now if you can keep this to yourself until tomorrow night, and if you think well of it--if you really and honestly think well of it, and give us the go-ahead signal--I think that I can give you a pattern of what you do.

“You seize the mines first, and everybody expresses surprise, you know, and satisfaction. You give the newspapers just time enough to express their satisfaction: ‘The President's done the right thing.' And then, order the United States flag, in the same message, pulled up over the mouth of every





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