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many towns were full every night of people who were not what we ordinarily call prisoners. They hadn't committed any crime. They would just ask to be taken in. They were being allowed to sleep in the jails and were given at least an apology for a breakfast, something to eat in the morning. They traveled by foot and by thumbing a ride, as well as in crowded old jalopies. That was very great all over the country.

This conference was within a days or two of inauguration, because the Governors had been in Washington for the inauguration. That was why it was a good time to hold it. It was help in the big East Room of the White House. I had prepared this memorandum, hoping that it would get serious attention. I was invited to come. In fact all the Cabinet officers were invited to come, but I seem to recall that it was hinted to us that it would be a good idea to be there, but to make ourselves scarce. In other words, we were not to enter into competition with me Governors in speechmaking, or in expression of personal view, and not to try to bolster the President's proposals, if he made any, but let him take that himself. He thought he knew how to handle it better than we did. In other words, I could see that he was very much afraid that some of us would pull something that would offend a Governor and he wanted this thing to go off well.