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Douglas was definitely opposed to it and that you'd have to watch out for him, because he had great influence with the President at the time. I felt that no matter how much the President had previously committed himself to a public works program to me, Lewis Douglas would be in a position to influence his thinking at this time.

However, we proceeded with the relief program and it met with almost universal immediate approval, because it did work quickly. Hopkins proved to be an extraordinary type of administrator. He had a very broad acquaintanceship in the states among experienced relief administrators. He organized very quickly. He brought in people he knew.

The first kick -back we had against it was from the regular Democrats in Congress and other places in the Democratic state committees in particular, who were ready to scream that people who weren't Democrats were being appointed to help Hopkins. Hopkins was saying. “I don't care what their politics are. I want a man who knows how to handle a relief job. I want a man who knows where the poor are and can tell the poverty stricken from the fakers. I don't even ask their politics. I don't know what they are.” Of course, it did happen that some of the people he appointed had been people that the about Democratic committees had never heard of. The men on the hill in some cases thought that the particular