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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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hours, though it's a frightfully long journey. I waited just long enough for the first of my guests to get in the house for the supper party. Most of them hadn't heard of it. Such a peaceful world it was that most of them arrived without having heard about this and found me all dressed, with my bags in the car, just waiting to say, “Now supper's all ready. Have a good time, but I must go.” I remember old Cousin Joe Glidden a very handsome and distinguished man, who knew about it. He's an elderly party, but a sophisticated man. He was a regular army man who rose to be major before he retired. He was very disturbed. When I was setting off, Joe said, “Now Frances, take it easy. Don't be rash. Don't go and get us into this war before we've had time to think about it.” I remember laughing about it and thinking, “Joe thinks I'm going to declare war personally and privately.” They all had the sense that I was going to Washington, the seat of power, and I was going to participate in momentous decisions. I didn't have the heart to tell them that I probably would never be consulted about the wisdom of declaring war. That wasn't the way the line was played. I was an administrative officer helping the President on one particular set of problems, but the tension in this





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