Roosevelt Papers

Record of Presidential Press Conference No. 897
[Extracts]1
confidential

Mr. Donaldson: All in.

The President: I don’t think I have anything of any importance.

I have just had—in the past hour—a very satisfactory conference with the Duke of Windsor. And as you probably know, we are bringing a large number—several thousand—of laborers from the Bahamas, and others from Jamaica, to help out the farm labor this summer and autumn. And I think it’s progressing very well.2

The talks of the Prime Minister are going along very satisfactorily. They are not finished yet.

I think that’s about all.

Q. Is the Prime Minister going to be subjected to the tender mercies of a Press Conference, Mr. President?

The President: Yes, I think so. He doesn’t worry about it any more than I do. (laughter)

Q. Would Friday be a good guess, sir?

The President: I don’t know. I have no idea about it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Q. Mr. President, has Prime Minister Mackenzie King (of Canada) joined the conferences yet?

The President: No. He—I understand that he just got into town this afternoon, and he is coming to the White House in the morning, to spend the night.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[Page 110]

Q. Mr. President, I didn’t understand you a moment ago to say that the Prime Minister met the Duke of Windsor?

The President: No. I did.

Q. He did?

Q. The Prime Minister did not meet him.

The President: The Prime Minister—I don’t know, this is society column—(laughter)—the Prime Minister lunched up at the British Embassy. The Duke and Duchess were there, I think. And afterwards, the Prime Minister brought the Duke of Windsor down, and the Duke and I talked for about an hour; and we would be talking longer if I hadn’t noticed that it was four o’clock.

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  1. Only those portions of the press conference dealing with the Trident Conference and related matters are printed here.
  2. No other record of the substance of Roosevelt’s meeting with the Duke of Windsor has been found.