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By Root 2090 0

Franklin did not worry about details. Sunday afternoon, after services at St. Thomas’ Church,* Roosevelt convened the cabinet to review the situation. “The President outlined more coherently than I had heard it outlined before, just what this banking crisis was and what the legal problems were,” Frances Perkins remembered.3 Armed with Cummings’s opinion, FDR said he would issue a proclamation that evening that would declare a four-day bank holiday, embargo the transfer of gold and silver, and prohibit the exchange of dollars into foreign currency. The purpose of the bank holiday, he informed the cabinet, was to prevent further runs on the banks and allow Woodin time to draft the necessary legislation. Roosevelt said he would recall Congress on March 9 so Woodin’s bill could be acted upon as soon as it was ready.4

That evening FDR met with congressional leaders in the White House. In addition, he invited Senator Glass and Representative Henry B. Steagall of Alabama, chairmen of the respective committees that would report the legislation. Later in the evening he met with House minority leader Bertrand H. Snell of New York and Republican senator Hiram Johnson of California. The most remarkable thing, said Johnson afterward, was Roosevelt’s “readiness to assume responsibility and his taking that responsibility with a smile.”5 After eight years as assistant secretary of the Navy, working with Josephus Daniels and observing his easy relations with Capitol Hill, Roosevelt had an unparalleled understanding of how to deal with Congress. He knew how to stroke the members, how to play to their vanity, and how to accommodate their needs. “No president ever approached the prerogatives of the legislative body with more scrupulous attention to detail,” said John Gunther, one of Washington’s most astute observers.6

At 11 P.M. Sunday, after FDR was satisfied that the congressional leadership would be supportive, the White House issued the president’s proclamation recalling Congress at noon on Thursday, March 9. Three hours later, Roosevelt’s proclamation declaring a bank holiday was released, the delay occasioned by doubts expressed by several directors of the Federal Reserve that the president had the authority to close their banks. At 2 A.M., Woodin, supported by outgoing Treasury secretary Ogden Mills and Fed chairman Eugene Meyer, overrode the directors’ objections and ordered the banks closed.*

Monday morning, FDR met with the governors of the forty-eight states in the East Room of the White House. Most were in town to attend the inauguration, and the president had intended to spend the day with them discussing common problems. But the banking crisis took priority. “I have been so occupied that I have not had a chance to prepare any formal remarks,” Roosevelt told the governors. He spoke impromptu for ten minutes, explained why he had closed the banks, pledged to provide unemployment relief, and said the national government must find a way to prevent the continued foreclosure of farm and home mortgages.7 He was given a prolonged standing ovation, and in a pledge of support those present stated, “Without regard to our political affiliations we Governors of the States … hereby express our confidence and faith in our President and urge the Congress and all the people of our united country to cooperate with him.… He is ready to lead if we are ready to follow.”8

Roosevelt was riding a tidal wave of support. First reaching out to the leaders of Congress, then appealing to the governors were the instinctive acts of a consummate politician. FDR needed no focus groups or opinion polls; he did not require staff direction or an array of political consultants. He was the quarterback calling the plays, and the people responded by giving him their confidence.†

Monday afternoon, Senate Democrats took the unprecedented step of agreeing to bind themselves to support the president whenever a majority of the caucus voted to do so.9 Since the Democrats controlled the Senate 60–35, that ensured quick passage of whatever emergency measures Roosevelt