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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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I can do it when I have been the Secretary of Commerce better than I can do it now. Now, we are still in the War and the bullets are flying, and nobody's going to have time to talk with you or even assess the economic and social needs of the various countries. Whether we're going to help them or not, we don't know. That's a political question. There's nothing to be done about it. I'd made a vague set of recommendations, ‘we'll help you'. I would rather be Secretary of Commerce.”

I said, “Well, all right. Shall I tell that to the President?”

He said, “Yes, that's all right.”

So I went down to see the President. I think I went almost straight from Honry's office. I told the President, “Well, I talked with Wallace, and he says he would like Commerce. I told him he couldn't have State and he said Commerce would suit him and that would be fine, and he sees what he could do.”

“Well, why does he want Commerce?” the President said. And the President said, “Doesn't he want Agriculture?”

“No, he doesn't want to go back to Agriculture.”

“Well,” he said, “the important thing is to please Henry. The important thing is to suit Henry Wallace. As a matter of fact, I don't know that Jesse is so loyal to us, really, you know.”





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