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to work when the President tells them to go back to work. Take that from me. That is the way they operate.”
I had a great deal of conversation with Byrnes about it. What makes me remember this is that at least a year or two years later he said to me, “You know, Madam Secretary, many thing you've said to me have surprised me, but I want to tell you that I didn't think it was reasonable when you told me the miners wouldn't go back to work if the President asked them. I just didn't think that was reasonable. I couldn't believe you knew what you were talking about. But I found out you were right. You've been right about a number of things, but that was one of the things that I remember you were right about and you had the right idea. It would have been much better if we hadn't put the President on the air for that, much better, because it gave him an awful rebuff.”
Foster Rhea Dulles discusses this in his book Labor in America, on page 340. He says there that twenty minutes before the President went on the air, Lewis announced the fifteen day truce. So Lewis beat him to the draw. That was fortuitous. That is true. Lewis didn't know the President was going on the air. 1 didn't tell Lewis and I don't think anybody else would have. I don't think anybody else even thought of Lewis. I walked up and down the room trying to make up my mind whether I would or whether I wouldn't tell
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