Eleanor Roosevelt – My Day (1944)

241

October 6, 1944

Washington – (Thursday)
Most of my time yesterday was spent at the Conference on Rural Education at the White House.

The morning session ended with a speech by Dr. John W. Studebaker, commissioner, U.S. Office of Education, and the need for the Office of Education to be in close touch with the problems of rural education, particularly on the administrative side, seemed to me to emerge very clearly. The various states, as they contemplate reorganization, should be able to call upon the Office of Education for information and assistance which can only be given where there is centered a great body of research.

In the afternoon, Dr. Katharine F. Lenroot, chief of the Children’s Bureau, showed how closely the Bureau is interested in all the problems of the rural child. Very informative addresses were also made by Dr. Cyril W. Grace, president of State Teachers College, Mayville, North Dakota, and by Miss Fannie W. Dunn, professor emeritus of Teachers College, Columbia University. The panel discussion, led by Dr. Carl C. Taylor, head of the Division of Farm Population and Rural Welfare, U.S. Department of Agriculture, also brought out many important and interesting sidelights.

After the president addressed the conference, everybody wandered through the rooms and came into the State Dining Room for a cup of tea.

My anxiety to miss nothing this morning brought me downstairs at 9 o’clock, only to find we had half an hour’s grace and were not to assemble until 9:30.

This morning the five committees set up to consider ten specific phases of rural education made their reports. I found it a most interesting session; but as usual, I think the most interesting time is the discussion period. This was made one minute shorter by a request that I produce Fala. I also had to produce a piece of cake so Fala would do his tricks!

Last evening I went with my daughter to see the Theatre Guild production of Embezzled Heaven, with Ethel Barrymore in the leading role, and Albert Basserman as the Pope. The play is based on Franz Werfel’s novel and is written by L. Bush-Fekete and Mary Helen Fay. The story is slight, but the production is excellent; and, as so often happens, profound truths are casually expressed.

242

October 7, 1944

Washington – (Friday)
Last evening a few of us gathered in the Diplomatic Reception Room to hear the President make his speech. One member of the group, who had not been with us before, remarked that she had always wondered, when listening on the radio, whether the President could really be as calm as he sounded. It was a great satisfaction to her, she added, actually to see that one could speak on the radio as easily and with as little excitement as if one were speaking to a friend in the same room.

The President devoted his speech in large part to the importance of the work which is done by precinct workers in getting people to register and vote. This work is very largely done by women, and he took the opportunity to explain to women how great is their responsibility in this election. At this time of historical crisis, it seems important that all people in a democracy, regardless of political affiliation, be urged to express their will.

It is important, of course, that they do this after seeking information and giving thought to the issues at stake. But to have such important issues decided by a small group of citizens would seem to be really a tragedy. One can well understand the great preoccupation of our people with the war at the present time. It is particularly difficult for workers in cities to find the time to get the proper information, register in person, and vote. It is to be hoped that all possible effort will be made to give them the opportunity to perform these civic duties with as little harm to their work as possible.

The other afternoon Madame Manuel Quezon and her two daughters came to say goodbye. They are going to the West Coast, where they will feel a little nearer their own beloved islands. It must be very sad to contemplate their return without the late President Quezon, who worked so constructively for his people. The personal loss, of course, is very great, and in this case it is also a national loss for the Philippines.

Yesterday saw the final sessions of the White House Conference on Rural Education. The close of the meeting left us all, I think, with a feeling of determination to do something to improve rural education throughout the country. Many people went back to their homes hoping to hold more meetings, and to spread the information which they had acquired and which is essential before localities can work out new methods of meeting the difficulties which face them.

243

October 9, 1944

Hyde Park, New York – (Sunday)
I left Washington Friday on the night train to attend former Governor Smith’s funeral. In the past few years I had seen comparatively little of the former Governor, but for many years while he was Governor of New York, and particularly when he campaigned for the Presidency in 1928, I saw much of him. He did a great deal for his state, and the people of New York should be extremely grateful for the years he gave in their service.

The romance that began when he was a young man never died, and after his wife’s death I think he probably had very little desire to live. His children will feel sadly bereft, because I think he was always the center of his family, and they counted on him to share their joys and their sorrows.

I have always been grateful to him personally for allowing me the experience of working with Mrs. Belle Moskowitz, who was his close adviser during the years in which he was doing the most constructive work for the people in the State of New York.

In Washington, on Friday, we held a committee meeting of the National Achievement Award, sponsored by Chi Omega, to consider the candidates for the coming year’s award. Afterward, a small luncheon was given in honor of this year’s recipient, Dr. Florence B. Seibert, a biochemist who has done remarkable work in research on tuberculosis. At 2:30, a larger meeting was called in the East Room, and some 75 people were present when the speeches were made and the medal presented.

The ceremony was to have taken place last spring, but had to be postponed on account of Dr. Seibert’s illness. I was happy, as I always am, to have it here in the White House, since this award, which honors a woman every year, has great significance for me. Many awards are granted to men for achievement in various fields, but there are comparatively few which single out women in different fields of work and call to our attention the fact that they have achieved eminence. This award has been given in the field of the arts, of science, of government work, and of business.

I still remember Alexander Woollcott delivering an address when Katharine Cornell received the award. Miss Cornell trembled as she sat beside me, knowing that she would have to respond. At that time she confided to me that a speech was far worse than acting a part in a play, because the part was a shield between you and the public across the footlights. I was reminded of this when Ethel Barrymore came to tea with me the other afternoon, and told me how she dreaded speaking at a meeting of the OPA staff on Friday afternoon, in which she and I took part.

244

October 10, 1944

New York – (Monday)
I merely mentioned the fact yesterday that Ethel Barrymore had come to tea the other day. I want to say that it was a joy to see her again, and that her charm and beauty have grown with the years.

I went to Hyde Park Saturday afternoon, taking a friend and two small boys with me. It was a busy, but very pleasant weekend. Dr. and Mrs. David Levy came to luncheon on Sunday, and we visited the Wiltwyck School at Esopus, New York. Otherwise, our time was spent in walking through the woods and rejoicing in this opportunity to be in the country.

Today I am back in New York City to keep several engagements and to see a number of people, which is what usually happens whenever it is rumored that I am to be here. Both in New York and in Washington, I can always fill up an hour or two listening to interesting problems that are brought to me.

A friend of mine has been sending me editorials written by Miss Ruth Taylor. They are largely on questions of tolerance and understanding between different groups of people. They are extremely well written, and since they go, I understand, to various labor papers and to the newspapers of various racial groups, I think they must be an influence for good.

A new radio series, known as Eternal Light, and sponsored by the Jewish Theological Seminary in cooperation with the National Broadcasting Company, was inaugurated on Sunday. It is unique in that it is the first broadcast religious program which is not a religious service. The premiere revolved around the story of the famous Touro Synagogue founded in pre-Revolutionary days. It was to this synagogue that George Washington wrote his famous letter, in 1790, promising religious freedom to the Hebrew congregation of Newport, Rhode Island. I can quote only a little of that letter here, but it is one which I think we should all reread.

Washington wrote:

It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.

One other significant line in the letter should be spread abroad to the world. Washington said: “There shall be none to make him afraid.” Let us hope that will be true in the future for every man as regards his religion.

245

October 11, 1944

New York – (Tuesday)
I came down on the train yesterday morning and, as usual, practically every seat soon filled up.

At Beacon, a charming-looking woman sat down beside me. I smiled at her and went on reading my paper. When I finished, she spoke to me, and in the course of conversation I discovered that she and her husband were going down to New York City to celebrate the first year of their marriage. They had not married very young, but in spite of her gray hair she looked young and very happy, and I feel sure that it was a real celebration. The encounter started my day off very nicely, for a glimpse of real happiness in this troubled world is always a pleasant thing!

I went first to the lunch of the Women’s Division of the National Citizens Committee for Political Action. I was sorry that I had to leave before I had finished hearing Dr. Frank Kingdon, who is always an interesting speaker, and Quentin Reynolds, who is one of my favorite speakers. I did have the pleasure, however, of hearing two charming ladies as presiding officers, Mrs. Edward Warburg and Dorothy Parker. Frank Sinatra then spoke briefly, and was followed by Orson Welles, who spoke with his usual force and vigor.

Finally, Helen Keller spoke. To look at her and have her thoughts interpreted is always an inspiration, and I recalled a doctor who told me of her visit to some of our blind soldiers. “Just to know of her presence,” he said, “seemed to encourage the boys.” I told Miss Keller of this, and she informed me that she was planning to make a tour of various hospitals.

I saw a number of my friends at lunch, among them Mrs. Rufus Choate, Mrs. William Dick Sporborg and Mrs. Edgerton Parsons. I wish I had had the time to speak with more people, but engagements awaited me at home. First, a lady with four brothers in the service wished advice as to how she could best use her time and talents. Then Mrs. Elizabeth von Hesse and her daughter, Maxeda, came to tea. Since I have had no time of late to take lessons in improving my voice, it was at least a pleasure to see the lady who helped me in the past.

Last night I went to Carnegie Hall for an independent voters meeting, to speak again on registration and voting. This is the opening day for registration in New York City, where, as in many other cities, one has to register in person. If one is a first voter and cannot produce a school certificate, one has to take a literacy test. It is therefore important to register early, and I am glad so much emphasis is being put on it this year.

246

October 12, 1944

Washington – (Wednesday)
Yesterday afternoon I represented my husband at Wendell Willkie’s funeral.

Only twice did I ever have the opportunity of meeting Mr. Willkie personally, and I never had an opportunity to talk with him. Yet no one who has watched his political career during the past few years could have failed to recognize the growth of the man and his great leadership qualities.

The loss of a man of courage is deeply felt at all times by any American citizen as a loss to the country, but especially at the present time it affects each one of us to know that such potentialities for good leadership have been removed from this troubled world. It leaves us all poorer; for men of honest convictions, though they may differ, are bound to make a contribution to the thinking of the world.

I never saw a church with so many flowers, which spoke of the love that people felt for this man. I know that among the friends who knew him well there was the deepest sense of personal loss, as well as of public loss.

Mr. Willkie’s son, who is on the high seas and will never see his father again, has nevertheless something bequeathed to him which will be very precious as the years go on. The gift of making friends, and of binding his followers close, is a thing one’s children are always grateful for, for it means much to them throughout their lives. To Mrs. Willkie and all the family, the heart of this whole nation goes out in sympathy.

Mr. Willkie placed great emphasis on the need we have in this country to be just to all of our citizens, because without equality there can be no democracy. His outspoken opinions on race relations were among his great contributions to the thinking of the world. I thought of that last night when I attended a “register and vote” rally in Harlem. In that great crowd of people, when his name was mentioned, it was quite evident that he was held in great respect and affection.

I came down on the night train, and this morning had a very large gathering at my press conference, which I think was largely because it happened to be on my birthday. Everyone wanted to see if, having lived 60 years, a very sudden change had taken place overnight in my appearance!

247

October 13, 1944

Washington – (Thursday)
So many people have been so kind in remembering my birthday that I feel quite overwhelmed. Not only my room, but all our rooms upstairs are filled with flowers, and many people sent me notes and cards which I deeply appreciate. There must be some special virtue in being 60 years old!

I have just received a little leaflet called Symphony Notes, and I read it with a great deal of interest. Many of you are going to enjoy the 9 weeks’ cycle of Beethoven’s works which Toscanini is going to conduct over the air on the General Motors Symphony Hour, and this leaflet describes the programs. The series starts on October 22, and if you write to Symphony Notes, 32nd Floor, International Building, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City, for a copy, you will enjoy your music a great deal more, because you will know more about it. You will also have the programs in advance, so you will be sure not to miss your favorites.

The editor of this leaflet tells me that he gets about 500 letters a day, with requests from the men in the service coming in surprising numbers. Evidently, the men in the services listen to good music as well as to jazz, and what is more, they want to know more about the director who is going to interpret to them the music of the composer. Then they want to know about the composer – something about his life, the circumstances under which his various compositions were written, and what thoughts the composer had and tried to embody in the music. Sometimes the music will awaken other emotions, but knowing about its background is always interesting. It seems a fine thing to me that this good music should have such a great audience.

Yesterday afternoon I spoke over the air for one minute, introducing the Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, who emphasized the circumstances under which the paintings now being exhibited throughout the country, in preparation for the Sixth War Loan Drive, were done. They will be shown in 38 cities by the Treasury Department, and if you happen to live in one of these cities, be sure not to miss them. They portray our boys in service all over the world, and the men who paint them are in the army just as truly as their subjects. Often the painter fights in battle along with the G.I.

I have been reading a charming book called Your Daddy Did Not Die, by Dr. Daniel A. Poling. This father wrote to ease his own heart and to give his little grandson a permanent memory of the father who gave his life as a chaplain in the war. In writing, Dr. Poling has done something which, I am sure, will help many hundreds of people who have lost dear ones. It is so hard to be reconciled to the passing of young and vigorous men.

248

October 14, 1944

Washington – (Friday)
Yesterday afternoon, being Columbus Day, the President gave a radio speech which was attended by the ambassadors and representatives of the various Latin American Republics. Then they joined us at tea. It was very pleasant to see familiar faces and to meet the new representatives, and I know that the President enjoyed it as much as I did.

A young woman from India came to see me yesterday, a niece of Tagore, the Indian philosopher and poet. I have always loved his writings and therefore I felt it a privilege to see this young woman, who lived so closely to him in her early youth. She has been 11 years in this country studying, and hopes someday to return to India and help her own people. She has studied largely in the field of the arts, and hopes to preserve the native cultures of her country.

We hurried our dinner a little last night, as the President had to speak again over the air in recognition of an award which was made to him by the Italian-American Labor Council.

Burgess Johnson wrote to me the other day from Schenectady, New York, and sent me a pledge which the Citizens Unity Committee of that city circulated. When they found that their two great war industries were bringing them an influx of workers of various races, creeds and color, they feared that unless an attitude of tolerance and common sense was encouraged, some difficulties might arise. They therefore tried to have a clear understanding as to what are the “rights” of citizens as distinct from the “privileges,” and to see to it that the “rights” were assured to all. The pledge, which I give you in the hope that you will keep it before you and live up to it daily, is as follows:

MY COUNTRY is engaged in total war to preserve itself and its ideals. We at home are as deeply involved as the men on the fighting front, and should respond to the best of our ability when asked to give our money, our blood, or our time and strength in public service. As important as any of these is our contribution to the national morale. THEREFORE:

I MAKE THIS PLEDGE to my nation and my community: That I will promote unity instead of discord, true democracy instead of Fascism, by refusing to heed any words written or spoken for the purpose of arousing racial or religious hate. I will discourage by my own words and actions all rumors or reports, however lightly expressed, which reflect upon the character of groups of my fellow Americans who may differ from me in race or creed. I will give no aid or comfort in this or any other way to the enemy.

249

October 16, 1944

Washington – (Sunday)
The news from the Pacific is so startling these days that one holds one’s breath. It was to be expected that once German territory was reached the advance in Europe would be slowed up. But there is so much to be covered in the Pacific, one never knows where the news will come from, and lately it has been so much good news.

The distance to and from the areas where we are now operating is so great that I think few people in this country realize what it means to supply our ships and Armed Forces. This question of geographical distance is one which more and more in the next few months we will have to study and understand, because the better we do in the Pacific the further away we get, and the greater is our supply task. This will mean that the demands made on people at home will be just as great, or greater, in the months to come, and unless they realize the distances they will wonder why this is the case.

The American Library Association has just sent me a release which will bring joy to a great many people, especially to some of the school people in rural communities. If this plan, which was announced by the Council of the American Library Association at their meeting in Chicago, is accepted by the surplus property custodian, then on demobilization when Army camps are closed, millions of books which have been provided for the soldiers will be turned over to the libraries in small towns throughout the country. The library equipment and materials are included in the proposal. It is suggested that these items of surplus property be turned over to the U.S. Office of Education and allotted to each state in proportion to its rural population. I hope very much that if this plan goes through, school and traveling libraries will be included, since so many children use exclusively the library in their school and have little access to the public library.

When I was at Mitchel Field, the other day, I saw how much pleasure their setup for telephone calls gave to the wounded boys just returned from overseas. Portable telephones were carried to the boys’ bedside by girls assigned to this job. The girls put in the calls, and even held the telephone if the boy was not strong enough. The boys get these telephone calls free, because the commanding officer has raised a fund to pay for them. I can’t help thinking, however, that this same service should be available in every hospital where boys are landed from any overseas area. It should not fall upon the commanding officer alone, in any hospital, to raise the money. It seems to me that the telephone company might contribute reduced rates, and the Red Cross might make itself responsible for a special drive in every area to keep the fund supplied with cash.

250

October 17, 1944

Washington – (Monday)
Yesterday I went to the National Gallery of Art to see the exhibition of paintings done by Army Air Force painters. I was very much impressed by the collection. I hope there will be many more such paintings for us to see in the future, because there are still many activities that are not covered and have never been covered, as far as I know, in paintings.

Photographs and movies will never be quite the same as paintings done by men who have lived with their subjects, who have seen the country and who know at first hand how the men working and fighting there actually feel.

The series of paintings done in the Aleutians are wonderful studies of rain, gray skies, and snow and shadows. They have the feel of cold and gloom which so many men write about from there. You could not have more interesting subjects than are portrayed in the many portraits, and they are treated with evident sympathy and interest by the artists. Planes have been used in this war for such a variety of activities, however, that I think to have a really valuable historical record, much more will have to be covered than can be achieved in one exhibition.

General and Mrs. Henry Arnold were there, and a great many other people who are familiar with the officers and men in the portrait gallery, and as you made your way through the crowd, you had the feeling that there were many people who had a personal interest in the exhibition.

Later in the afternoon I attended the dedication of the house at 1318 Vermont Avenue, which is to be the headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women. Eugene Meyer was there, and also A. E. Lichtman, who helped to raise the money which enabled the Council to make the needed payments for acquisition of the house. In the days preceding this dedication, women of the Council have been meeting there from all over the United States, and have contributed or pledged a total of $9,200. This has meant hard work for them and for their local organizations, and shows how much this house means as a symbol. Their hope is to have a center where women of all creeds and nationalities can meet and plan for work which they can do together in the future.

Sunday evening, RAdm. Richard Byrd brought over his movie of his last expedition to the Antarctic, and it was a very thrilling account of adventure and of scientific achievements. I will never be able to understand how he lived through the months entirely alone; and yet today he looks young and strong and entirely recovered from an experience which not only physically, but mentally must have been extremely difficult and hazardous.

251

October 18, 1944

Washington – (Tuesday)
Monday afternoon I had the great pleasure of receiving the new Minister from New Zealand and Mrs. Berendsen. I had met them before in Canberra, Australia, at a lunch given by Prime Minister Curtin, but these lunches are rather formal affairs, and it was pleasant to renew our acquaintance under less formal circumstances.

I was just bidding goodbye to some officials of the Disabled Veterans organization, when I heard a small voice call, “Look, grandmere,” from the big staircase. Before I had time to greet my New Zealand guests, a procession descended upon us. In the lead was a black dog, followed very solemnly by a five-year-old boy with a flag twice as big as himself. It was evidently meant to be a very solemn occasion, so we all waited for the procession to pass. Then Minister and Mrs. Berendsen and I had tea and reminisced about their delightful country, which has been so kind and hospitable to our men.

Later, the annual visit paid to the President by the members of the Supreme Court proved to be a very informal and pleasant opportunity for talk with these busy and important gentlemen. As my daughter and Miss Margaret Suckley poured tea, I had a chance to talk to a good many members of the Court.

In the evening, Cdr. Tyree and his wife dined with me, and then we went to the rally at Constitution Hall for the Community War Fund. I discovered for the first time, though Cdr. Tyree has been here as Adm. Brown’s aide for some time, that I had visited his submarine in Hawaii while he was absent on emergency leave. The moment he spoke of it, I remembered the many tales of adventure clustered around that particular craft, which had a very remarkable record.

Archibald MacLeish presided at the rally, and I do not think there is anyone who can equal him in speaking and writing the English language. His prose sounds like poetry, and his closing words were very stirring. The music was furnished by the U.S. Navy School of Music band and chorus, which is conducted by Lt. James Thurmond, and is extraordinarily good. A big chorus of young men’s voices is always stirring, and it fitted in well with the rest of the exercises.

The British Ambassador spoke for the United Nations, and a Norwegian leader of the underground, who has just come to this country, spoke for the underground movement in Europe. There was a massing of the flags of the United Nations, because the Community War Fund is shared by the various nations. Altogether it was a stirring pageant, and I am sure everyone there went out prepared to work and to give.

252

October 19, 1944

Washington – (Wednesday)
I was particularly happy yesterday to welcome here Lord and Lady Gowrie. Lord Gowrie is just returning to England, after serving in Australia as Governor General. They were more than kind to me when I was in Australia, and I am delighted to have this opportunity to renew our acquaintanceship.

Washington could not have given them a more beautiful day on which to arrive, and they went at once for a drive around the city. Lady Gowrie said she had been longing to visit here, and was delighted to find that it was one of her wishes that could be fulfilled.

At tea time we had with us Lord and Lady Gowrie, Alan S. Watt, charge d’affaires of the Australian Legation, and Mrs. Watt, and in the evening we went to the concert given by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy. Mr. and Mrs. Ormandy were in Australia not long ago and saw a great deal of Lord and Lady Gowrie there. They told me that two Australian girls had obtained scholarships to study in Philadelphia, and when the train came through that city they were at the station to wave to Lord and Lady Gowrie. It was a beautiful concert and we enjoyed it very much.

This morning I had to bid our guests good-bye, and after receiving Mr. and Mrs. Ormandy at the White House at 11 o’clock, Miss Thompson and I took the train for New York City, where I am attending a tea in honor of Senator Wagner.

I failed to mention the other day that I went to see some paintings by Candido Portinari of Brazil. There is a mural by him in the Congressional Library which I have not yet had time to see. He paints in a very modern style which I am never sure that I quite understand, but there is vigor and strength in his work.

I had a most interesting letter recently from William H. Dennis, who is with the Science, Education and Art Division of the Department of State. He wrote me from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he had been meeting with the Chinese students studying there, who invited him to celebrate their national day with them. Something which he says in his letter seems to me very important, namely:

China needs more than technicians, good citizens and good leaders who, when the promised elections came to pass, would know how to handle the situation in a traditionally democratic manner. The hope for this era lay largely in those returned students who had availed themselves of the opportunities to observe the successful practices and errors to be found in other countries of similar traditions.

This remark, of course, is applicable to the many foreign students studying in this country who will go back after the war, having received from us opportunities for observation as to our way of life and governmental practices. We should strive to make our way of life worthwhile to them as an example of true democracy in action.

253

October 20, 1944

Buffalo, New York – (Thursday)
I came up to Buffalo last night on the midnight train, and my old friend, Mrs. Norman Mack, met me and gave me a chance for a bath and breakfast at her very comfortable home. This was a wonderful way to start what will be a very busy day.

At 10:30, I am to meet the press, and I imagine I will be asked whether I object to the skit which caused Mrs. Mack to resign from the 20th Century Club here last week. Not having seen the skit, which reportedly satirized me, I can have no opinion on the subject, because in a thing like that it all depends on the way in which it is done. I can remember many skits done by the newspaper women in Washington at their annual parties, and also when I used to give parties for them at the White House. Much fun was poked at me, but on the whole it was kindly fun and not meant to be really malicious or bitter.

I have never been able to see, however, how anyone could resent what people felt or said about you. One might be sorry that in some way one had hurt or offended an individual or a group, but certainly in a free country everyone has a right to an opinion and to the expression of it.

I am here today to speak at a luncheon sponsored by the Independent Voters Committee for the reelection of Roosevelt on the importance of using one’s right to vote. A group of YMCA people who are meeting here heard that I was coming, and asked me to stop in at one of their sessions. I want very much to stop at a little factory where handicapped people are being put to work; but I am told that this is only just started, and there may not as yet be a great deal to show in the way of accomplishment.

Several girls who could not attend the luncheon asked to meet me at the train just before I leave. That will end my stay in Buffalo, and I will go on to Rochester, where I am attending a dinner under the auspices of the Independent Citizens Committee and where I shall speak on the same subject – the importance of voting. Then I take a night train back to New York City.

I have received requests for clothes, blankets and other materials from Belgian, Czechoslovakian, French, Italian and Greek relief groups – in fact, from all the countries which have suffered so terribly during this war. They also appeal for workers to help sort and pack these things, and to sew or knit, either in their workrooms or at home. The children in all of these countries are suffering from tuberculosis, rickets and malnutrition.

I know that UNRRA has made an appeal, but these separate organizations appeal to people who have friends or relatives in these various countries. Such people will perhaps give more and do more if they feel they are giving to their own.

254

October 21, 1944

New York – (Friday)
I did find time yesterday, in Buffalo, to go to the factory where only handicapped people are employed. It is still not established financially and its founders need some help; but I believe that eventually it can pay for itself, because of the devotion of every individual working there.

The venture was started by Harold McMahon, who put his savings into it. He himself walks around on crutches, yet he goes up and down stairs in the most rapid manner you have ever seen. As you go in, you see a watch repairman at work in a little office by himself. Upstairs you see the toymakers, all of whom belong to the toymakers guild, hard at work. The toys are wooden toys, but they take skill to create, and they are perfect. They are sold through two wholesale outlets and can be bought at many places in the bigger shops.

Every one of the 34 individuals either is holding a job for the first time, or has been taken off the relief rolls since going to work. In addition, all have improved physically! I think Buffalo is going to have the honor of starting something which may take a great many people off the city’s welfare rolls, as well as create an amount of happiness which some of us who have never faced a handicap will find it hard to grasp. If any of you go through Buffalo and should happen to feel rather low, just drop in at 496 Pearl Street. You will find it quite a tonic for your morale.

A group of young high school people came to see me before the dinner in Rochester. Among their questions was one asking what I thought young people themselves could contribute toward the elimination of juvenile delinquency. If we could allow them to do so, I imagine they could contribute more than we ordinarily think is possible. It might be very helpful if, when the heads of organizations meet, they invited the heads of student government groups and the editors of student magazines to meet with them and give their point of view on some of the questions which are under discussion.

Today I am attending a luncheon organized by Mrs. Henry Goddard Leach for the Democratic National Committee, and this afternoon I am going to an exhibition of paintings, sculpture and photographs at the Vanderbilt Gallery, 215 West 57th Street. This exhibition, a “Tribute to President Roosevelt,” is sponsored by the artists committee of the Independent Voters’ Committee of the Arts and Sciences for Roosevelt, and will continue for several weeks.

255

October 23, 1944

Hyde Park, New York – (Sunday)
Yesterday I accompanied my husband on his trip around New York. It is a long time since we have done anything of this kind. In spite of the bad weather, it was an interesting experience, and I was glad that the President had this stimulating drive and could attend the rally for Senator Wagner.

The luncheon Friday for the Democratic National Committee was made really delightful by Clifton Fadiman, who presided and, in addition, made a very eloquent speech. In the afternoon, I enjoyed the exhibition at the Vanderbilt Gallery very much. There are some very interesting portraits and pieces of sculpture included. Jo Davidson has made a tremendous head of the President which faces you as you go in, and is enlarged from the small one. Both are remarkable likenesses. The whole back of the room is a photographic story of the nearly twelve years that now lie behind the Roosevelt administration. For once, statistics are not dry, since they are accompanied by very illuminating and interesting photographs.

Friday evening I saw Rose Franken’s play, Soldier’s Wife. It is witty and entertaining; and though perhaps no real lesson was intended, it certainly carries one. Starting out with a remark which I have heard many, many times – “I had to learn to do things” – the story tells the tale of so many returning husbands who have not found the clinging vines they left behind, and are not quite sure that they like it.

This particular soldier’s wife found herself an authoress overnight, but decided that her marriage meant more to her than all the possibilities temptingly held out to her. There may be a good many wives to whom this play will be more than an entertaining evening.

I had a very nice note from a French woman who took refuge in England when France fell. She says:

I may mention that for the past ten months I have had the good fortune of meeting and entertaining some of your boys in khaki. I think they are real, grand “guys,” from a grand country. I have made several friends amongst them, and would like you to know that their behavior has been of the best. They have shown kind hearts toward the children over here, and lovely consideration toward the aged people. All in all, I think their presence in our midst has given us the opportunity of knowing your people and of appreciating the very nice way in which your boys have been brought up. Personally, I have nothing but praise to give on their behalf; and thanks to one of them, now somewhere in France, I have been able to ascertain that my parents are still all right after four years under the German heel.

256

October 24, 1944

Hyde Park, New York – (Monday)
I have a letter from one of our American military officers in France which I am going to reprint exactly as it came to me. It is an appeal to a special group in this country, but it is typical of what I think will be asked of many other cities throughout the nations; and I am hoping that it will meet with a response in the hearts of the American people, and that they will find out what they can do, and try to do it. The letter follows:

I am one of the American Army officers who is attached for liaison and observation to the 2nd British Army Civil Affairs. It has been my recent privilege to talk with M. Paul Sion, Mayor of Lens, member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of France. He was formerly a miner, and is of the Socialist Party here.

You perhaps know that the first week of this month it was a matter of military necessity that this city had to be very heavily bombed, by Americans. They had suffered very much during previous bombardments and under the German heel, but the recent damage was simply terrific. Nevertheless, the people have taken it magnificently, and are very friendly and cooperative. They are very bravely and sturdily going about the rebuilding of the city – a city of some 30,000 people normally, mostly coal miners, and highly important to the war effort and to the economy of France, now and in the future.

Monsieur Sion told me that the city of Lens was planning to build, with its own funds and labor, a large municipal center for welfare, medical, dental, prenatal and maternal care on a low-cost cooperative basis. His plan sounds very practical and has aroused great hope among his people.

He asked me if I would write to you for him (since the civil mail does not yet operate) simply to ask this favor: That you should ask some city or group of cities in the United States to act as sponsor or godfather to this city of Lens. He wants only moral and spiritual backing and approval for his plan for the renaissance of Lens – he is not seeking loans or material.

The American people are greatly admired and loved here. It would be a splendid gesture, and a great builder of morale for a brave and hardworking industrial and mining people, if some city in the United States, particularly a mining city, were to assume this sponsorship.

I feel, of course, that the contact should be made direct, but I hope a group of cities will do more than give moral support.

257

October 25, 1944

Washington – (Tuesday)
I did not have room in my Sunday column to mention the Foreign Policy Association dinner on Saturday night in New York. It was an extraordinary audience – responsive, attentive and enthusiastic! I am sure that speaking to such an audience must have been a great pleasure.

I really think that the reason my husband arrived back here this morning in such good spirits is that both in his rainy drive on Saturday morning and in his talk on Saturday night, he felt himself in contact with a big group of people, and that to all of us is stimulating.

It is the real reason why I hope that whoever is elected on November 7 will not find himself the choice of the minority of those eligible to vote in this country. In serious times, in spite of all the preoccupations and worries which close in on every individual citizen, I think we must recognize that it is the due of every man we put in office in a democracy to feel that back of him really is the majority of people who are eligible to vote. If only a small minority vote, it can always stand in the future as a challenge to the elected official that he does not really represent the will of the people. That is not fair to our public servants in times such as these.

Today I want to apologize to a patriotic group of musicians. They are the members of the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, who played the Fifth Symphony of Beethoven when Secretary Stimson and I spoke for the Treasury Department. We told of the art exhibit which is being sent around the country before the Sixth War Loan Drive begins. The members of this orchestra played without charge. They wrote me rather sadly that their feelings were hurt that I had not mentioned how gladly they gave of their art for patriotic reasons. I can only say that, rather stupidly, I did not ask who played that day; but I am more than glad to say how much I appreciate all that is done by the various orchestras and artists as a patriotic service.

Yesterday afternoon I went to Newburgh, New York, to speak at a women’s meeting. It was started as a tea for 150 women; but it turned into a meeting in a high school auditorium holding 800 people, and much to my surprise there were quite a number of men present as well as women!

We arrived back in Washington to find that it is certainly milder and less snappy here than it is further north. Perhaps that is the reason why the trees are not as brilliantly colored. Yesterday and the day before, walking through the fields and woods was a joy, because every hillside was a blaze of color.

This is a busy day here. I have a press conference at 11, and then at 12:15 I speak for a few minutes at a rally on the monument grounds, sponsored by the Servicemen’s Wives to Reelect Roosevelt.

258

October 26, 1944

Washington – (Wednesday)
Mrs. Jonathan Wainwright, wife of Lt. Gen. Wainwright, was one of my luncheon guests yesterday, and I could not help feeling the greatest admiration for her courage. I want to share with you my feeling, because I think it is an inspiration to all women in this war.

In the two and a half years since her husband was taken prisoner by the Japanese in the Philippines, she has had only seven of those 25-word printed letters from him. He, in turn, has never had a word from home. Yet she is concerned about the relatives of the other men in his command, she speaks on the radio, and she does all she can, not only to keep her own courage up, but to help the other women who are going through with her the ordeal of waiting until liberation brings them an answer as to where and how their men have stood these years of imprisonment.

Mrs. George Ashton Oldham, wife of the Bishop of Albany, New York, lunched with me also. Her husband, the Bishop, is in London at the present time, and she hopes he will have an opportunity to visit our troops in other theaters of the war. Mrs. Oldham described the hurried preparations for his trip, and how the various “shots,” which had to be concentrated in a short time, gave him two sore arms and a high temperature, in spite of which he had to shop and pack and leave! Many other people will remember the same conditions under which they have started off for far distant parts.

In the afternoon I spent some time going through the wards at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. I was chiefly in the orthopedic and surgical wards, and will visit the others the next time I have a free afternoon here. Not all the cases were overseas casualties. There were in addition a number of men suffering from injuries sustained in automobiles, airplanes and while playing football. Many of the men are getting well and will have no serious after-effects, and that is the important thing which makes me happy.

At tea time a very interesting Hungarian woman, Mrs. Cornelia St. George, came to see me at the request of Mrs. Thomas F. McAllister, at one time the vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee. I found Mrs. St. George chiefly interested in how we could promote better understanding in the future among young people of all nations. She feels much can be done with children by revising our history books, and by creating among the young people of the world a desire for goodwill rather than hatred and fear.

259

October 27, 1944

New York – (Thursday)
On Tuesday evening I attended the rally at the Hotel Willard sponsored by the District of Columbia Democratic Central Committee and the Servicemen’s Wives to Reelect Roosevelt. An original song, dedicated to the President, was sung, and I received an armful of red roses which was one of the most beautiful I have seen in a long time.

This morning, bright and early, two gentlemen came to breakfast with me. It is a wonderful thing to talk to people who have courage about the future. So many people approach the problem of jobs for all with a defeatist attitude. So when you find yourself with two people whose feeling about the economic problems of the future is the same as the country as a whole has felt about winning the war, it gives you a tremendous sense of confidence.

The people of this country accomplished the unbelievable in production during the war. Many of them would have considered it impossible if anyone had told them that they had to provide an army such as we now have in the field; to build as big a navy and merchant marine as they now have built; to produce the number of planes and the amount of war materials which they have now produced. It is therefore not surprising to find that some of our leaders, at the inception of these plans, thought them fantastic.

The same kind of courage and vision will carry us through to full employment in the postwar period, and to a really better life, one hopes, for all the world. But it does require imagination and confidence in ourselves. Whenever I meet people with those two attributes, it gives me a feeling of real inspiration, and it was with this spirit that I started my day.

Another morning visitor was a woman from Liberia, Mrs. Sarah Simpson George, who is here studying kindergartens. Following her was a gentleman who thought he had a plan to help home owners in the future.

I took the noon train to New York on Wednesday, and in the evening went to Public School 194. A new program is being inaugurated there. A community worker is being employed, and the school is planning to be a more useful part of the community as a whole. The evening was extremely instructive to me, and though I did not know much about the details of their plans before, I shall now watch the developments with keen interest.

Today I shall visit the homemaking show at Gimbel’s, which is sponsored by the Civilian Defense Volunteer Office, and shall tell you more about it tomorrow.

260

October 28, 1944

Boston, Massachusetts – (Friday)
On Thursday I found the homemaking show very interesting, as I always do. Like most women, anything that has to do with a home fascinates me, and I could have spent a long time just looking around.

I was due, however, at a meeting of the Hillel Foundation of City College uptown, where I was to speak and answer questions. These meetings with young people always seem to me valuable. The question period seems most essential, for without it one might easily not get at the things that are primarily on the minds of the young people today.

In the afternoon I returned to my apartment to see Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Benjamin of Los Angeles, our eldest son’s friends as well as mine, who happen to be in New York City. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Robinson came in to play for me some of his campaign compositions, which all of us enjoyed. Mr. Robinson, you will remember, is the composer of “Ballad for Americans.”

Early in the evening I went to the Needle Trades High School to address Local 142 of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. My address was made in response to the request of my old friend, Miss Rose Schneiderman.

After a bite of supper, I took the midnight train to Boston. Here I am having a comfortable breakfast and preparing to leave at 11:30 with a group of young people representing the Boston United States Student Assembly. This group is organized in several colleges here, and a joint meeting is being held today at Simmons College. The subject is “The Returning Serviceman and His Problems.” There is an increasing interest among all young people, I think, in what their responsibilities will be in meeting this situation, which they know is bound to be a difficult one when men come home in increasing numbers from the far corners of the world.

At 4 o’clock I am catching a train to go and visit one of our grandsons at school. Tomorrow I shall return in the afternoon and take a train to Saybrook, Connecticut, where I will visit an old friend.

Visiting Connecticut reminds me of a plan which the Audubon Nature Center of Greenwich has inaugurated. They hope very much to have these “outdoor laboratories” extended all over the country. In the letter which a friend wrote me about this project, she explained that the Society is striving to show the “interdependence of human kind” – the animals, the earth and human beings. The Society was presented with 300 acres of woodland, and they set up a capable staff. The whole thing, of course, is “conservation,” but it is so easy to understand because it is done so simply. It shows clearly the whole setup of nature, going from the underlying rock, through plant and animal life, to human beings at the peak.