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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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away without recognizing itself as an era which had finished and would begin in another place next month. There was no pledging that this would never die. There was no, “What we have implanted in the minds of the American people goes on forever.” When you think of the tremendous social evolution and change, plus the meeting of the challenge of an impossible war, the arming of America intellectually, spiritually and physically in record time to fight and win that war on a world basis, then the combination of decisions and accidents which have brought America into a position of world leadership, however reluctantly, yet gathering ourselves together and accepting it, you have to realize that these were the people who did it. All those people took some part in one or the other o those three terrific projects which are the events of this twenty year period which are now ending because the people want somebody else to do it. Pray God that they will do as well as we have done.

I thought of things like that to say then. I thought of a thousand speeches as I listened. I thought to myself, Why didn't I realize this? Why didn't I butt in and write somebody's little remarks for them the way I used to?” If I had been preparing remarks for the President, I think I would have prepared them in the feeling with which I went to it—





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