The U.S. At War, BOTTLENECKS: Dialogue in the White House

The most popular story in Washington last week, at bars, dinner tables, cloakrooms, hash-houses and in any corner where a man could talk behind his hand:

One day recently General George C. Marshall, Army chief, and Admiral Harold R. Stark, Navy chief, entered the White House, went in to see the President. They had a most urgent matter to discuss, said they. The President was all ears. No, insisted the commanders, Harry Hopkins must be present to hear it. Hopkins was summoned. When he was seated, Chiefs Stark and Marshall turned to the President and said in chorus: “Hopkins must go!”

The President asked why. When they had finished telling him how Hopkins was bottlenecking the war effort (many defense policy matters require Hopkins’ approval, and he cannot work regularly), the President (according to the tale) said: “O.K., Hopkins will go.”

Everyone who told the story had heard it on the highest authority. No one knew whether it was true.