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I didn't think he was an appropriate person at all to be the head of the Social Security Agency.
By that time, of course, the agency was pretty well organized and Arthur Altmeyer had it pretty well under control. But Arthur Altmeyer should have been appointed if anybody was going to be appointed. However, McNutt wanted it and the President said, “We have to take care of McNutt. We have to give him what he wants. I don't want him against us.”
I said, “Why do you think he wants it?”
The President said, “Don't you know? His name will be signed to quantities of documents that bear money and good will to the people. He's the head of the agency that gives them their old age checks, their unemployment checks, money to build a hospital with, and all that kind of thing. That is quite a lot of very good publicity.”
Of course, he did not know anything about the subject. I didn't see that he was particularly well versed in any subject that I had definite contact with him on, but that doesn't mean that he wasn't, because there were plenty of areas of his life that I know nothing of. I'm told he's a very good lawyer, that he was a competent lawyer, that he knew the law, that he practiced law successfully in Indiana. I have reliable information
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