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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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there waiting for a chance to talk. I thought I'd scream because the President, although I could see that he wasn't agreeing with Forrestal, didn't seem to know how to cross-examine him to bring out the items, either of fact, or of theory, or of opinion, which would give him, the President, the basis upon which to say, “No, I cannot accept that. No, I can't go along with that.” He just asked sort of vague questions. He didn't seem to know how to cross-examine. Even as I sat there, I could think of eight or ten questions which if Forrestal had answered, and he would answered truthfully if he'd been asked, would have given the President the reasons why he, the President, couldn't go along with the program. As it was, I think that Forrestal walked out of the room that day not knowing that he'd been turned down, not really believing that he'd been endorsed and was going to go along with him, but thinking that he probably was going to go along with him.

I never asked the President to support me on a matter where action was going to be taken without telling him three times what it was. I never told him what I was going to do without giving him the alternatives that were available, telling him what the arguments were against my position, who it was who would have





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