The Pittsburgh Press (January 20, 1945)
Roosevelt takes fourth term oath
President warns we must approach peace without mistrust or fear
By Lyle C. Wilson, United Press staff writer
Washington –
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, inaugurated today as President for the fourth term, warned that we shall have no lasting peace if we approach its commitments with suspicion, mistrust and fear.
He took the oath of his office on the South Portico of the White House instead of the East Capitol steps where inaugurations are traditionally held. Some 7,000 specially invited guests stood on the snow-sodden lawn below him.
Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone administered the oath a few minutes after noon. Just before Mr. Roosevelt was sworn, his 1944 running mate, Harry S. Truman, took the oath of office as Vice President. It was administered by Henry A. Wallace, who was chosen by Mr. Roosevelt as his campaign partner in 1940 but was discarded last year in favor of the Missourian.
Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Truman, their families and their closest political associates and friends were in the shelter of the South Portico.
The other card-holding, carefully-sifted guests stood down below, churning a two-inch snow into the White House turf. This was not the worst inauguration weather on record – the Taft affair in 1909 and Mr. Roosevelt’s 1937 ceremony were in a class by themselves.
For the President, this day was one of prayer. For him it began with family prayers at 10:00 a.m. EWT in the East Room of the White House. On each of his successive inaugurations, he has thus sought Divine guidance.
To the inaugural guests after the oath-taking, he said:
We pray now to Him for the vision to seek our way clearly – to see the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for all our fellow men to the achievement of His will to peace on earth.
The cost of the war is a fearful cost, he told them, and from it we are learning our lesson. And he promised better days to come.
Diplomats, political figures of local and national importance, the Cabinet, the judiciary, the top figures of the armed services, a few campaign contributors were in the crowd of inauguration guests. They listened in chill and solemn silence as Mr. Roosevelt uttered his fourth inaugural address, a quickie of 540 words. He told them it was appropriate that this occasion be both simple and brief.
To the south, outside the White House fence and some hundred yards away, was the public. Loudspeakers carried the words but the public couldn’t see much nor distinguish who was who.
Mr. Roosevelt ended with a prayer for vision and peace on earth.
It was all over, the important parts, almost before the guests and fence peckers knew it had begun. While some few were still shuffling to their appointed places, Capt. William F. Santelmann flipped a baton and the U.S. Marine band hit “Hail to the Chief.”
The Rt. Rev. Angus Dun, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, delivered the invocation and the Rt. Rev. Msgr. John A. Ryan, director of the Social Action Department of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, uttered thre benediction.
That was all. The band hit up “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Inside the White House, servants were ready with coffee, cakes and chicken salad to give a dab of food and a lot of White House hospitality to 1,500 or more guests. A tea party was scheduled for 4:45 p.m. Presidential electors and party leaders will attend that.
There is a big party tonight, sponsored by the Thousand Club, each member of which anted up at least $1,000 toward Mr. Roosevelt’s campaign expenses. And there will be much lifting of glasses and celebrating on into the night.
This was Mr. Roosevelt’s first wartime inauguration and possibly the most solemn moment in his life, barring that blustery March day in 1933 when, aged 51, he stood on the East Capitol steps calm and unafraid with his first inaugural proclamation of a New Deal. Mr. Roosevelt will celebrate his 63rd birthday Jan. 30.
Precedents broken
Precedents and tradition have taken a licking since 1933. This fourth inaugural is no exception and is itself the biggest break in tradition of them all – the old tradition about two terms in the White House.
Mr. Roosevelt abruptly canceled Congressional plans to put on the customary Capitol inaugural circus. He announced that a $2,000 party would suit him and that he’d have it right in the backyard, handy to his office. He barred the public – the Secret Service was a factor in that.
The war and chances of early victory in Europe overshadow inaugural events. An uneasy public and disturbed officials look to the coming Big Three conference to reorient United Nations political actions and aspirations. They hope that causes of friction or suspicion among Washington, London and Moscow will be removed. They look to the central figure of today’s ceremony to come back from the conference with some plain and reassuring answers to some questions on a number of subjects – Poland, Germany, all of Europe.
Victory assured
Good news from the European and Pacific fronts made today a happier occasion than it might have been. Victory is assured. The question now is merely when. But there are grave problems of the peace to be considered by Mr. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and Marshal Stalin.
In 12 years since his first inaugural, Mr. Roosevelt has turned gradually from domestic reform to urgent matters of foreign affairs which culminated in war with Germany, Japan and some of their now-reeling satellites.
Makes, breaks leaders
Almost everything pertaining to his administration has been bigger or better or both than anything which went before. He has handed Republican candidates four successive and spectacular defeats at the polls.
He made radio a political instrument of incalculable significance in the United States – a trend which had its parallels throughout the world.
Seven of the nine justices of the Supreme Court were appointed by Mr. Roosevelt.
He has been able to make and break Congressional leaders almost at will.
He took the country off the gold standard, closed all the banks and assured the reopening of most of them, reorganized the executive branch of government and made it more powerful than either the legislative or judicial.
Faces 13th deficit
Mr. Roosevelt has never been able to run the government on tax revenue. He is budgeted now for his 13th successive Treasury deficit and directs a stupendous war spending program in which the figures involved are so large as to be almost improbable.
The daily spending rate for war purposes is averaging more than $290 million. The public debt, a matter of about $16 billion when Mr. Roosevelt took office, has grown to $233 billion and will hit at least $300 billion.
Defense and war spending from July 1, 1940, to Dec. 31, 1944, aggregated $244.5 billion.
Silent on No. 5
The President now is shooting at a high rolling post-war economy in which the government will collect and spend about $25 billion a year, including an annual sum, yet undetermined, for the orderly liquidation of the public debt.
Mr. Roosevelt undertakes his fourth term without any commitments for or against seeking a fifth. That was the situation, too, when he was sworn four years ago for No. 3.