Eleanor Roosevelt – My Day (1944)

April 26, 1944

Washington – (Tuesday)
Last evening, I enjoyed very much meeting with Dr. Davenport’s interns from the National Institute of Public Affairs, who have been coming every year to spend an evening with me while they are here at work.

Tonight, I am having a dinner for the Prime Minister of Australia and Mrs. Curtin. When I was in Australia, I was not able to meet Mrs. Curtin because she was at her home in Perth on the west coast, and travelling for civilians was almost impossible. When I hear people complain here, I often wonder if they realize that in Australia, which is as large as the United States, only one train and two planes a week were used for civilian transportation last summer. They carried 16 and 21 passengers respectively.

Of course, there is some difference in the size of population, but we have sent many soldiers into Australia, and that adds a considerable amount to their transportation difficulties.

Mr. Curtin was so kind to me that I was very happy to have this chance to see him again and to meet Mrs. Curtin, and I hope that we shall see both the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Prime Minister of Australia on their return from Great Britain.

I was reminded by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that this is the week which they designate as “Be Kind to Animals Week.” To most of us in this country, it hardly seems possible that we need such a reminder, because the boys in our Armed Forces are notoriously devoted to pets of every kind. They have mascots for bomber groups, mascots on ships, and wherever they go, they pick up some animal which they can train and “be kind to.”

On the other hand, sometimes one sees sad things done unthinkingly, such as when families move away leaving their cats and dogs uncared for and homeless. I think that all children should be made to feel that if they have pets it is not just for their own pleasure, but that there is an obligation to take proper care of any animal and to train it so that it will not be a nuisance to other people.

We are approaching the end of April, and I am reminded by some friends in Buffalo, New York, who run the committee there for Russian War Relief, that they have had a campaign this month to fill 35,000 kits for Russian housewives. These are direct gifts from the American housewife to a housewife in Russia. They contain things that are very scarce in Russia, but which we here are still able to obtain, and I hope that this particular campaign will go over successfully not only in Buffalo, but all over our country.

April 27, 1944

Washington – (Wednesday)
I did not mention yesterday that the Prime Minister of Australia, Mrs. Curtin, President-elect and Senora de Picado and I had lunch with the President at my husband’s vacation residence in the South. I was extremely glad to have the opportunity to meet the man who will be at the head of the Costa Rican government in the near future, and I am sorry that his stay in this country will be so short.

I look forward, however, to the chance to talk with him further when he and his charming wife come to tea tomorrow. Senora de Picado speaks only Spanish but I was glad to find that I could understand her when she said a few words to me! I doubt if I shall ever have courage enough to launch forth in Spanish myself. It needs the assurance of youth, I think, to become fluent or even to speak hesitatingly in a new language.

The President-elect of Costa Rica speaks Spanish, Polish (his mother was Polish), French and English, so there are very few parts of the world in which he would have to be silent.

Ever since the story was published telling of something which the President is supposed to have done for a particular soldier, the White House has been deluged with appeals – over the telephone, by telegraph and by mail, so I think it is only fair to many people all over the country to tell them the real procedure in any case that comes to the attention of the White House.

Obviously, neither the President nor I can direct that anything is to be done or not done. That must remain in the hands of the department heads and the people under them in whose jurisdiction the particular case may fall. Whenever a letter comes to either of us, we send it over to someone who we think can not only investigate the case, but who is able to find out whether the department can do anything about it.

There are many cases which in themselves are entitled to consideration, but because of military necessity, or special difficulties or needs, cannot be considered. Sometimes it may be possible to do something for one person, and the case of another person whose cause is just as good may not be handled because of outside considerations which are greater than those of any individuals involved.

In wartime, general considerations always come first because it is the whole situation that is most important and not the individual. But the individual is helped whenever possible. Anyone who asks either the President or myself for help on any subject must realize that the appeal has to go through the regular channels and that the results desired may or may not be achieved. The decision will rest with responsible people in charge of that particular activity and not with us.

April 28, 1944

Washington – (Thursday)
Yesterday morning I went to Walter Reed Hospital. There were a number of guests at luncheon and from 4 o’clock on I had half hour appointments with a variety of persons, all with different interests. At 5 o’clock Miss Craig McGeachy who is head of welfare activities in the UNRRA, brought in two British women, Miss Kathleen Courtney, chairman of the general-purposes committee of the London International Assembly, and Miss Florence Horsbrugh, member of Parliament, both of whom I had met before.

Miss Horsbrugh is on her way back after passing some time in Canada. She told me she though the last winter had been a long pull for British women. I cannot help praying that this will be the last winter in which they will have is to expend such a great amount of reserve energy, because as time goes on that is harder and harder to do.

Some time ago we had a movie here called The Story of Dr. Wassell. Everyone will see it, not only because of the inspiration to be derived, but because 5 percent of all proceeds goes to Navy relief.

The War Department’s latest film in the series, Why We Fight, is on China. It is a remarkable film, which I hope will be, released for the public as well as for our fighting forces.

Because I wrote about the importance of girls’ clubs on the home front, I am getting material from many places. Boston, Massachusetts, and a Waterbury, Connecticut, both seem to be active in this field. Boston has two clubhouses and prospects of more. Eighteen hundred girls between 7 and 18 are being served by the two Boston clubhouses.

There is one sentence in the letter they wrote me which I think should be the goal aimed at for boys’ and girls’ clubs, so I quote it here:

Drawing youngsters in from all the social strata with no religious, racial or economic restrictions, by treating them as equals among themselves, the Girls’ Clubs of Boston, Inc., have made an enviable record of achievement in character building, mind developing and body conditioning.

Today I am going to the benefit fashion luncheon given by the American Theater Wing stage door canteen.

April 29, 1944

Washington – (Friday)
We are all shocked today by the news of Secretary Knox’s death. My husband and I have known, of course, that he was seriously ill, but we have hoped, as did everyone else, that he would recover. During these years of the war, the Secretary has taken many arduous trips. I know well how exhausting such trips are, but he felt that he must see at first hand, and his devotion to duty and his pride in the Navy’s achievements made him feel, I am sure, that no personal exertion or sacrifice should be evaded.

To Mrs. Knox and the other members of the family goes our deepest sympathy in these sad hours. There can be only one consolation, and that is that like the men in the field, he died in the service of his country. War takes a toll of men in all branches of the government service, for work in offices under pressure of war is completely exhausting, and the heads of departments have an especially heavy burden both in their offices and in travel.

A death such as this brings one closer to the many people in the country who day by day, face telegrams from the War and Navy Departments announcing the death of loved ones in faraway lands. Yesterday one of my visitors told me that over a period of three weeks he had taken to a mother three telegrams, announcing first the death of one of her sons, then that another son was missing in battle, and finally that the last one was wounded and in a hospital abroad.

Life seems to be so full of sorrow that one only lives from day to day with the hope that the war will soon be over and the prayer that the weight of the world’s sorrow will somehow purify humanity and make us all more worthy of God’s help in building a better world.

I saw three gentlemen yesterday who were here from Red Oak, Iowa. They are hoping to obtain from the Veterans’ Bureau, the location of a hospital in their town in memory of the youngsters who went from there in great numbers and died for their country in Africa. These boys belonged to the National Guard and the percentage of killed, wounded and missing must be very high, for some of the companies have had to have almost total replacement.

One cannot help hoping that someday a memorial such as this will be a reality, not just to honor the dead, but to remind the living of the human costs involved in war and keep them constantly fighting for peace.

May 1, 1944

Washington – (Sunday)
Last Thursday a delightful fashion show was put on by the Stage Door Canteen in Washington, which is run under the auspices of the American Theatre Wing. They managed to place tables for several hundred people in the theatre which is usually filled with servicemen, and they served a very good cold lunch with hot coffee.

On the stage, a “Washington Wartime Wardrobe” was paraded before us. The mistress of ceremonies was Miss Arlene Francis, of radio fame, and the models for both juniors and seniors were shown by the most lovely Washington ladies of fashion. That was the only discouraging thing – you knew that you could never look as well as those who walked the stage even if you bought the identical models.

Some of the designers donated dresses which were sold at auction. We were all asked to take chances on a dress donated by Hattie Carnegie. My daughter was the lucky winner, but as she does not feel that she would be quite happy walking around in a $185 dress, she has suggested that Miss Carnegie donate the money to the Stage Door Canteen in whatever way she likes best.

We saw a dress draped and cut for a lady on the stage by Madame Louise Bruns, and I must say I admired her abandon with the scissors. I am sure that Mrs. A. G. Robinson, who is chairman of the committee putting on this benefit, went home satisfied with a very successful occasion. The best dressed ladies to appear on the stage were four members of the Armed Forces in their summer uniforms: Lt. Robin Elliott, WAC; Ens. Marjorie Hatch, USNR; Lt. Ferne Wait, USMCWR; and Ens. Kathryn Kumler, USCGR.

That same afternoon I went out to the discussion group at Walter Reed Hospital again, and had an opportunity to go through a few of the wards afterwards. The cheerfulness and courage of these boys is something beyond words. It makes me feel that nothing that any of us can do in the future to make sure that their lives are made worthwhile and to make this country the kind of place they want it to be must be neglected. People’s memories are so short! What these boys have done is one of the things we must not be allowed to forget.

On Friday afternoon I went to the Red Cross to see more of the pictures of New Guinea and other places in the Southwest Pacific at the Art Exhibit. This time my special interest was in those done by Frederick Douglas Greenbowe. He has sent me a picture of Ragni, the well-known Māori guide in New Zealand, which I am glad to have. Everything he has done is full of life, and I was glad to hear that some organization has sent materials which these boys can use, for all of them have had to work with anything they could lay their hands on.

May 2, 1944

Washington – (Monday)
Speaking of short memories in a previous column made me want to give you an illustration of how short they really are!

I wonder how many of you read the following quotation from Mr. Eric Johnston’s speech to the publishers and editors a few nights ago.

Mr. Johnston is president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. He is a fine man and a courageous one. He would mean to be truthful but his memory is short. Here is the quotation:

As a people we Americans do not frighten easily. But I would remind you that in the decade before the war we were fed a heavy diet of fear, fear of personal insecurity, fear of another depression, fear of business, fear even of ourselves. Life became just one damned fear after another. The defeatist and pessimist got us so busy fearing other things we forgot to fear that which really is important, and that is big government.

Mr. Johnston forgets to mention the fear of corruption on a big scale, or inefficiency, or uncontrolled world situations, all of which were factors in putting fear in the hearts of people. These fears arose also in business when it was uncontrolled and unhelped by a big enough government. This big fear engulfed us a little more than a decade ago.

Later in his speech Mr. Johnston says that all democratic governments have to be controlled by the people and that we must fear their apathy above everything else. I do not believe that he really fears big business, big government, big armies or navies, big newspapers. I agree that we should fear apathetic people who do not control government or business, who do not watch the public interest in business, in the press, in government and in international relations.

We must remind ourselves, however, that courage and hope have come to the great mass of people since 1933, and fear, which was in the hearts of nearly all the people has revived only to a limited extent in the hearts of those who fear not the disasters of 1929 and 1930, but the inability to repeat a part of the financial program of the ‘20s.

War has put fear in all our hearts for those we love who are in fighting zones, but it has intensified our self-confidence because of our pride in our fighting men and their achievements and the knowledge that as we reach each new crisis at home, the people have so far managed to meet it not only adequately, but magnificently.

Stretch your memories! Where once all were afraid, now very few know fear!

May 3, 1944

Washington – (Tuesday)
Yesterday, Adm. Brown, Gen. Watson, my daughter and I attended the funeral of Secretary Knox. I know of nothing more impressive than a military funeral. The spot where the Secretary lies in Arlington Cemetery is on the side of the hill, and it was very beautiful there yesterday. The simplicity of the service, the firing of the salute and the playing of taps are always very moving and especially so now when they symbolize for everyone present similar funerals all over the world for people whom we have known and loved.

It must be hard for Mrs. Knox to face the future alone, and yet as we get older our children have homes and responsibilities of their own. No matter how many members of our family we may have, all older people must face loneliness and must make their lives important to the people who are able to be around them. This I am sure Mrs. Knox will do, for she is a courageous person and young in spirit.

I was very sorry that because of the Secretary’s death I was not able to attend the luncheon in New York City given by the Union for Democratic Action, to bid their General Secretary, Mr. James Loeb, goodbye and Godspeed as he goes into the Army. I broke a number of engagements this past weekend, but that is the one I really regret having had to break since I was able to put the others off to future dates.

The various Protestant denominations are taking a real interest in post-war planning. The Methodist Church has had a crusade known as the Bishops’ Crusade. The Disciples’ Church, the Congregational Christian Church, and the Northern Baptists are all observing special days and urging their people to take active part in informing their Senators what their feelings are about the basic principles involved and the need for post-war organization.

I think it is a splendid thing for the churches to take this leadership in bringing home to people as individuals and as Christians the need to accept responsibility, not only for a peace treaty, but for an organization within the framework of which our young people can keep building peace in the future. Unless the people in power in our government today establish such machinery there will be no way in which future generations can continue working.

It is very gratifying to know that the Red Cross War Fund has passed by $11,200,000 its minimum quota of $200,000,000. There are several hundred chapters, some of them in big cities, which have not completed their work, so it is safe to say that the people of this country have recognized the fine work done by the Red Cross and have expressed in no uncertain terms their approval and continued support.

May 4, 1944

Washington – (Wednesday)
Yesterday I lunched with Rep. Mary Norton in the Speaker’s Dining Room in the House, to honor some of the Democratic women who have been appointed to key executive positions during the past few years. It was interesting to see how many there were, and what important places they fill, even though some of the most important women had to be away, doing their various jobs in other places. The Speaker gave a little speech which was very thought-provoking, and we were all very much flattered that he took the trouble to come to see us.

I arrived a few minutes late at the Smithsonian Institution where, at 3 o’clock, Vice President Wallace was to present a portrait of George Washington Carver by Mrs. Betsy Graves Reyneau to the Smithsonian Institution. This portrait will be added to the National Collection of Fine Arts and will permanently hang in the Smithsonian. But now it is part of a special exhibition of portraits of leading American Negro citizens painted by Laura Wheeler Waring of Philadelphia and Mrs. Reyneau of Washington, DC.

Many of them are not only interesting portraits, but the achievements of the men themselves are interesting. Dr. Herbert Putnam, who is the Librarian Emeritus of the Library of Congress, sent me a sonnet which appeared in the New York Times, Sunday, February 13, 1944. It was written by Graziella Maggio, 16, of 1935 Andrews Avenue, the Bronx, who is a student of the Washington Irving High School. It won the first prize, a $100 war bond, in the essay contest sponsored by Grand Street Boys Association on the life of Dr. George Washington Carver. I think you will enjoy her sonnet.

For George Washington Carver

He took the warm, brown earth into his hand,
The warm, brown earth which matched his own dark skin.
He closed his fist and felt the heat expand,
The heat a southern sun had put therein.
He took the pure bright colors of the earth
And to the world he made a gift of them.
He took a plant man said had little worth
And found a use for fruit and leaves and stem.
But though he did these things and many more,
He did not take the praise, instead disclosed
That it had been the hand of God that tore
The lock which keeps the book of knowledge closed.
Good fertile fields he made from useless sod–
This man with willing hands and faith in God.

From the Smithsonian I went to the exhibition and sale of children’s paintings at the Whyte Galleries. These were all done by children attending the Children’s Art Center on K Street, where without expense, any child can attend classes in art.

May 5, 1944

Washington – (Thursday)
Mrs. Curtin, the wife of the Prime Minister of Australia, lunched with me yesterday, and I also asked Miss Craig McGeachy, who is head of the Welfare Division of UNRRA, to come so that she might tell us a little about the work which her group is planning. This led to some interesting information which Dr. Louise Stanley was able to give us.

Dr. Stanley is now special assistant to the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Administration. When we discussed the experiences after the last war, and what could be done to quickly restore the health of the children in reconquered countries, she was able to tell us that proper use is being made of sharks’ liver, which will help the children. She also told us of the various ways in which the necessary vitamins and proteins can be shipped to foreign countries.

Miss Katharine Lenroot of the Children’s Bureau, who was also present, is giving a great deal of help to Miss McGeachy from the experience which has been accumulated in the Children’s Bureau. She is lending trained personnel.

I was quite pleased that we were able to get together those who really could give us information on a subject which interests so many people in every country. We are all vitally concerned about the children who must be restored to health and strength if the world is to be a decent place in which to live in the future.

I have had two things drawn to my attention just recently. It was said that in writing back from various places on my Caribbean trip, I did not make clear that much of the initial work on our many bases was done by contractors with civilian employees. They met the first hardships of climate, they established sanitation and fought the jungle and the lack of fresh water. They had the imagination to see the possibilities of development in many cases. They were helped and followed in their work by our servicemen, but they should be given credit for their great achievement.

Secondly, I should like to mention the fact that many citizens of the United States, who work for United States corporations and businesses long established in various Caribbean and South and Central American countries, have taken much responsibility in helping the USO and the Red Cross after their working hours, and in extending hospitality to their countrymen in the military services under the direction of our diplomats or consular agents, and USO and Red Cross leaders. Although they are out of the United States, they have helped the war both by their regular work and in their leisure time.

If anyone is looking for a book to hold a five-year-old’s attention I can recommend a discovery of my grandson’s called “Mr. Penny” by Marie Hallets. We searched the shelf where I keep children’s books for various ages and this was chosen. The pictures seemed to give him great satisfaction and the text was just right for that age, which is a combination one does not always find.

May 6, 1944

Washington – (Friday)
Yesterday, in coming out on the front porch of the White House, I was suddenly struck with the perfection of pink tulips around the fountain, and on the south porch of the White House we look out at a blaze of red tulips. They speak of spring and its ever-renewed beauty.

These tulips have a special meaning for me, since they were the gift of the eminent historian, Dr. Hendrik van Loon. They were sent to him from his beloved Holland. He offered them to the White House. He felt that as these tulips grew and flourished, it would be fitting to say that they had been presented by a good American historian who came from Holland to a President, some of whose forebears also came from Holland many generations ago.

Dr. Van Loon loved Holland and suffered because of her bondage. He fought until his death to make us in this country realize the dangers of Fascism. He wanted us to recognize the type of thinking that led to Fascism and the type of character that accepted Fascism. He knew that unless a people recognized the evils of this doctrine, any nation in the world could fall prey to the unrecognized infiltration of dangerous ideas. He was a very great man and a man to whom this country and the world owes a debt of gratitude.

For the mothers in this country, I want to quote from a mother’s letter. She wrote it in answer to a letter of sympathy written to her by a friend, after the death of her son in the service of his country.

Your letter I put aside to reread to draw sweet comfort from it. No, we only lose the earthly being of our children, not their hearts or souls. They live on. God in His goodness loans us our children for our greater happiness, Tom [her husband] and I are so much richer for having had him. He was a wonderful son and a gallant soldier. When I lost a little son a few years ago, Tommy came to me and said, “Don’t cry, Mom, Heaven would be dull with just old folks.” I know he is now lighting some corner with his glorious Irish smile. My faith which is strong, like yours, thanks to God’s great goodness, is carrying me on. I can feel Tommy walking by my side each step of the way with his great love and understanding. We were great pals, I shall miss him terribly, but I know he has gone to prepare a place for me in His Father’s mansions. Into each life some rain must fall, and that makes us stronger and better men and women. The thought has occurred to me so many times these past few weeks – why couldn’t the men who are to sit at the peace table settle it all before it started? There are many, many questions we cannot answer, but I am sure our dear Lord is suffering as we are.

Human mistakes and human frailties bring about the sorrows of the world. May we have the wisdom to establish machinery where men and women can meet to avoid future wars.

1 Like

May 8, 1944

New York – (Sunday)
Saturday morning at 10 o’clock, Capt. Giles G. Stedman called for me and we went to visit the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. This is a very unique spot, beautifully landscaped and with permanent buildings. The old Chrysler House has been painted to conform with the newer buildings. On one side of the campus are the shops and study halls, on the other, the barracks where the boys live. Down along the waterfront you can find small motorboats, rowboats, sailboats and one boat devoid of sails but with modern engines.

The first thing I did on arrival was to be conducted to the Amphitrite Pool, where just before exams, the cadets toss in pennies. They brought a supply for my use, but when I delved into my pocketbook, I found two. Luckily the second one landed in the correct spot, which I suppose indicated that I would pass my exam when I took it. It looked as though I was going to be put to the test right away, for shortly afterwards, we found ourselves on the platform before our first audience!

These pennies have an ultimate purpose as well as an immediate one. Someday they hope to erect a memorial to the members of the group who have died at sea during the war. Already 124 have died and some are missing, for the Merchant Marine is a dangerous service. There are some fine stories of heroism on which to begin building the traditions of the cadet midshipmen of the Merchant Marine Academy.

Like all other military establishments, the barracks are beautifully neat. I lunched with the midshipmen and enjoyed very much the opportunity of seeing this very fine group of young men. As they marched past us in review, I was greatly impressed by them. The work must be extraordinarily heavy. Forty-two hours a week is a hard schedule, and they still find time to engage in extracurricular activities, such as publishing a fine magazine called Polaris, putting on dramatic shows, taking part in athletics and drilling and boating. I decided they never slept.

After lunch I went to Adelphi College in Garden City, which has just established a nursing course where 300 United States cadet nurses are being trained. The occasion was the acceptance by the college of two residence halls which have just been completed by the Federal Works Agency for the use of the nurses. The exercises were interesting and this group of cadet nurses will be a great addition to the hospitals where they will be taking part of their training. One of the advantages of this course is that the girls can be useful while they are still in training.

I stopped for a few minutes at the USO in Hempstead on the way home. It was too early for many of the men from Mitchell Field to be there, but I could see that it was well run and a comfortable and homelike place. I reached home a little before seven and I was glad that my only engagement was to have dinner with a friend.

May 9, 1944

New York – (Monday)
At 1:30 Sunday afternoon, I went to the New School for Social Research to speak at a luncheon meeting held jointly by the International Student Assembly and the United States Student Assembly. Both organizations have held very successful two-day conventions and were closing in the afternoon.

The International Student Assembly was formed a year ago last September at a meeting in Washington, held under the auspices of the United States branch of the International Student Service. Later, the International Student Service, while retaining a skeleton organization, gave up its work, feeling that too many young people would be in the Armed Forces to make working with them as students feasible or important. The young people themselves seemed to feel differently, and the International group continued to work. Delegates were sent from foreign countries to study here in various schools and colleges and to work with the International Student Assembly.

The United States Student Assembly, which also decided to continue working in this country, has made some rather notable advances. Most important, I think, is the way the young people, with very limited assistance from a few older people, have increased participation in college groups. They have held several interesting meetings at which they obtained good speakers, and from which the young people have gained valuable knowledge and inspiration. The great advantage in work of this kind is the experience in organization, and the concern which is developed for questions affecting the wellbeing of the students’ own country and the various other countries of the world.

I think the two organizations have been very successful in doing this, and they deserve much credit, for they have done it with little outside help.

Last night I had a delightful time with the members of the Graduate Club of Teachers College. I spent a few very pleasant minutes with Dean and Mrs. Russell first, seeing the pictures of their grandchild, in whom I have a special interest. I have been interested in the young mother, the former Miss Jane Seaver, ever since I first met her at Mount Holyoke College. Then we went to the Graduate Club for the coffee hour, and finally to the Horace Mann school auditorium where I heard two delightful musical selections before speaking.

It seems appropriate while I am in New York to mention the fact that on April 18, the 1944 drive was started to raise $4,500,000 for the Greater New York Fund. This money is distributed among 403 voluntary hospitals, health and welfare agencies in New York City, and as usual I am sure it has had wholehearted support.

May 10, 1944

New York – (Tuesday)
Early yesterday morning I went to the Horace Mann-Lincoln School. This school certainly believes in “learning by doing” and their young people seem to have an extraordinary awareness about the world in which they live. The assembly yesterday dealt with the subject of the improvement of relations between the various races of the world. In one of the classrooms, I later heard a discussion about whether the German people as a whole, or only a small group of them should be held responsible for Hitler and his activities.

It seems to me increasingly true that the educators are pushing young people to make their own discoveries through reading and discussion, and perhaps practical experiments. I suppose this is simply an acknowledgement of something which nearly all parents find out in the course of bringing up their children. The parents would like to pass on some of their hard-earned experience, but they find themselves talking to deaf ears. As a rule, they have to watch their children go through different experiences which they could have warned them about, but which would have had no meaning for the young people until they had been through the experiences themselves.

Yesterday evening I went to Carnegie Hall to the meeting of the B’nai B’rith Centennial War Service Convention. In 1843 B’nai B’rith was founded, and since then it has grown until there is no city with a fair-sized Jewish community which is without an active chapter. They showed a short movie of the 825th recreation room which has been furnished for the Service Command guarding the District of Columbia. The head of the District chapter woman’s auxiliary presented me with a plaque which I shall take to the recreation room on the first opportunity, and I shall formally present it.

In addition, I accepted for my husband a copy of the Salisbury portrait which is to hang in the Hunter College Inter-Faith House. I know my husband would have been glad to attend this meeting and to hear Justice Murphy’s fine speech. Since that was impossible, he asked me to take his place, and I was very happy to hear the Justice take his stand so courageously against all religious and racial intolerance.

He pointed out that to allow antisemitism to grow among us would be to play into Hitler’s hands. That is what Hitler wants – a division in our own ranks. If the seeds of intolerance towards other races and creeds which Hitler sowed in Germany were to crop up in the other nations of the world, Hitler might well feel satisfied that no military victory could be completely won over his ideas.

May 11, 1944

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – (Wednesday)
Last evening, I went to Freedom House to speak at the opening of an exhibit which shows, in photographs and documents, information collected by the underground information center, functioning under the American Labor Archives and Research Institute, Inc.

Here we see what labor and social conditions are like in Europe today. This is an attempt to show the force of passive and aggressive resistance to the invader by European underground organizations, and by the representatives of free labor who are now in exile in other countries.

This exhibition should be of great interest to us in this country, for it will serve as a valuable source of information to those who attempt to restore free government in the conquered countries after the war.

It has been obvious for a long time that labor needed a research institute, but in order to do research, one must first gather material. This is now being done, and the function of the Labor Archive and Research Institute is first to collect, preserve and make available the historical records of the labor movement; second, to promote research studies that will be useful to labor and civic bodies.

This institute should help to give the public a better understanding of questions which arise between labor and management. If the institute uses impartial, scientific research methods and people who can be trusted to make objective and comprehensive studies on any question presented to them, I think this may prove a great factor in bringing about better understanding between capital and labor, and a better-informed public opinion on controversial questions. Here is one activity in which the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations are joining together, and on the executive committee and advisory board appear the names of people who haven’t often been in the same room during the past few years.

Any division in the ranks of labor is regrettable because just as we need unity as a country to win the war, so workers must be united to preserve their democratic rights and strengthen our democracy.

Last night I took the train to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I have a fairly busy day here beginning with a visit to the USO at the station and a press conference. At noon I pay a short visit to the American Legion lunch and give a speech at the Rotary Club luncheon. My greatest interest is in visiting the Deshon General Hospital in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the Army is doing such interesting work with the boys whose hearing has been impaired. I will tell you more about this tomorrow. After speaking to the teachers this evening, I am taking a night train for Washington.

May 12, 1944

Washington – (Thursday)
Yesterday proved to be quite a day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their USO near the station is very attractive, with plenty of room for various activities and a nice canteen. Since they mostly entertain transients, it is a busy place.

I was quite thrilled to have a chance to meet Commando Kelly at the Rotary Club lunch. He looked so young! I would have liked to sit down and really talk to him, but of course, that was not possible, so I had to be content to wish him luck in the future. Perhaps if he comes to Washington, I may have a chance to see him.

At the Deshon General Hospital, which is a very wonderful place because the atmosphere is so cheerful and the surroundings are so pleasant, I talked for a few minutes with Sgt. Forrest L. Vosler of Livonia, New York. I remembered reading in the paper about how courageous he was after he had been wounded in both legs. When he realized that he was blind, and that the plane he was in was losing altitude, he asked his buddies to throw him out as well as some of their cargo. They hope now to save the sight of one eye. We are all glad his buddies refused to obey him. He is another young man I hope I shall have a chance to see when he comes to Washington.

They certainly are doing great things at Deshon General Hospital for the hard of hearing. I looked at the schoolrooms for teaching lip reading, and saw many young men walking around with their hearing aids. Nowhere did I see a dejected face.

I did not get back to the hotel until six o’clock. In the evening I spoke for the Teachers’ Association, and there was time for questions after the talk, so I did not get on the train until about 10 o’clock. Strange to say, I was quite glad to go to sleep. Someone asked me if I found it hard to sleep after a busy day, and I blithely answered that sleep is one thing I rarely have to woo, since I am able to fall asleep as soon as I get into bed. If you are a strong and healthy person, you do not become nervously exhausted – you just become physically tired and you wake up the next morning quite fit again.

My great excitement was finding the President home. He looks so well that all of us have decided we are going to keep him away from work for certain periods of time, no matter how unpopular we are, because when he is not tired, he gives everybody else in the house such a tremendous impetus to do more work and take more interest in whatever they are doing.

We have really started our summer here in Washington, and the trees and flowers are beautiful.

May 13, 1944

Washington – (Friday)
Sunday will be the 30th observance of Mother’s Day. This is a nice gesture, and this year it is a particularly significant one. War has placed new responsibilities upon mothers, greater sacrifices are demanded of them, and whether they are young or old, their lives are much more difficult. I wish that we could celebrate a Parent’s Day, for it seems to me that in this country what we really care about is the home, which is created by the parents. Nevertheless, I hope this Mother’s Day will bring to many mothers a sense of the important position which they hold in the life of the country, and that the praise and honor accorded them will compensate for the hardships and anxieties which they are courageously enduring.

I have just received a pamphlet which claims to have found a satisfactory solution to racial questions. The gentleman who is the author of it would like to take one of our minority groups and transport all its members to another land. He would have us build roads there and give them equipment and trained personnel to start them off. This would remove much manpower and machinery from our country. But to the author of this pamphlet, this means a real solution.

I am afraid that this could never be a permanent solution, because if we decided to move one minority group and settle it in some other part of the world, why shouldn’t we decide to do the same thing with another group with which we found it difficult to get along at some time or other?

We have among us a number of groups which some of our people would undoubtedly like to remove to other parts of the world on occasion. If we begin this, it would seem quite logical to me to go on, and I wonder just where we would stop dividing up our nation. Perhaps it would come about that we would eventually return our country to those who originally owned it, the Indians, whom we have now more or less segregated on reservations.

Quite seriously, however, I wonder if the problem does not go deeper. Isn’t our real problem how to get along with all the people who make up the citizenry of the United States at the present time, in the places where they live? Isn’t it necessary to face getting on with people all over the world who are going to be our very close neighbors in the future, and who are going to come and go and trade with us and live among us now and then?

They may learn much from us, and they may want to teach us things also. If this is going to happen, and it must happen if there is going to be peace in the world, I wonder if my correspondent, who would deport any group he considered undesirable here, has wondered how the bigger problem would ever be solved?

May 15, 1944

Washington – (Sunday)
Friday morning at 9:30, I went out to Forest Glen, the Army convalescent hospital connected with Walter Reed Hospital, and attended an hour of discussion which was part of a series which they are conducting out there to better prepare citizens for their responsibilities in the future.

In the afternoon I attended the tea given by the Democratic Women’s National Council. This is an annual affair, but this year it was given for the girls in the military services, many of whom were present.

On Saturday I attended a luncheon given by the Guidance and Personnel Association of the District of Columbia. It is made up of educators and guidance and personnel workers in government and in the schools. They were particularly interested in the problems of young people who are preparing now for employment in the post-war world. I think this is a subject of great importance, for it is difficult to forecast the kind of preparation that young people will need in the rather complicated period which will follow the end of the war. We can well afford to spend some time thinking this problem through.

In the afternoon I attended the graduation exercises of another large group of cadet nurses, and I am very proud that so many young women are answering this call to service.

It has been brought to my attention that in New York City, Mayor La Guardia inaugurated a project known as the Fur Vest Project, which is carried through by the fur industry workers in the city. They asked for donations of used furs, and their workers make these furs into fur-lined vests for the Merchant Marine of the United Nations. Of course, they go primarily to those who sail the northern seas. Women all over the country have been sending in used furs, and 75,000 fur-lined vests have already been made. Congratulations to an industry which found something useful to do for the war effort, even though one would not generally think of it as a war industry.

Saturday, May 13, was the day which the American Automobile Association designated as Recognition Day to honor the 300,000 boys and girls who are serving on school safety patrols throughout the nation. These youngsters have done a remarkably good job, and I think this recognition by the public will give them a sense of importance which they truly deserve.

At noon today we had another group of veterans who are studying at George Washington University to lunch, and I enjoy talking to these young men who are facing the aftermath of war and building up new lives.

May 16, 1944

Washington – (Monday)
Sunday morning, I went over to the YMCA to speak to their group composed of civilians and Army and Navy men. The new president of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, Mrs. LaFell Dickinson, introduced me, and they all seemed to be enjoying good breakfasts.

We had a quiet Sunday evening, with supper on the porch. I love to watch the changing light on the Washington Monument and gradually see the vista fade out, through which we catch a glimpse of the Jefferson Memorial. Many people can hardly believe that from the south porch of the White House we look straight at the Jefferson Memorial, but my husband discovered it was visible some time ago and the vista was made complete by the removal of two trees. Just now there is a flagpole that has been placed so it shows up against the Memorial, but perhaps someday the Park Authorities will find a new place for that.

Tonight, I am going to pay a second visit to the United Nations Service Center. Volunteers work here all night and they have been anxious that I see something of their work since it is increasing in volume all the time.

In Washington Merry-Go-Round a few days ago there was a story which assumed large proportions considering that the gesture was such a simple one. A young woman spoke to me after I left the U.S. Information Center and we walked along together. She said she was on her “day off” as she put it, and she often went sightseeing, so I asked if she would like to walk into the White House with me and look around. It was very simple and it never occurred to me that anything would come of it.

There is a slight mistake in the story as Mr. Pearson gave it, however, which I feel must be corrected. The books given every two years by the various publishers to the White House are kept in a library on the first floor. From there they are taken upstairs as needed and brought back when not in use. They are not sent to the library at Hyde Park because they are given with the purpose of building up a library here in the White House so that no President, on coming in, will find his shelves denuded and have no book to read on his first night in new surroundings.

There are, of course, a great many books given to the President and to me, as it has long been the custom to send books as they are published to the occupants of the White House. These we often do take to Hyde Park, though I send a great many of mine, after reading them, to various libraries where I know they have difficulty in buying books because of limited funds. For instance, I send books to Mr. James T. Richmond of the Wilderness Library in Mount Sherman, Arkansas; the Arthurdale School Library and the school library at Dyess Colony in Arkansas.

May 17, 1944

Washington – (Tuesday)
This morning I went out to the University of Maryland to meet with the group that is at present studying for welfare work with the UNRRA. These students make up a very distinguished group. A few of them are refugees from various European and Near East countries. All of them have had training in some field of work. There are experts in the management of warehouses, or transportation, agricultural experts who have dealt with displaced peoples, engineers, bankers, and even the head of a large industrial business. They are learning to talk the languages of the countries in which they are going to work, and to approach their new problems with a knowledge of existing conditions.

I could easily see, after talking with those people, that no one who was not an expert in some field would be of use. One has the greatest respect for their courage, for besides background training, it will take an extraordinary amount of emotional stability and physical strength to go through what lies before them.

As I looked at their faces, I realized that many of them had already done similar work. I saw Miss Elizabeth Gardiner, who has World War I experience, and has added much more since then. The records of the others show that there is no one listed who cannot make a contribution. From the bottom of my heart I wish them well on their errand of mercy, and I would be happy if there were something more I could contribute to their success.

Many letters have come to me lately advocating that the nation be able to go into its churches on the day the great invasion of Europe starts, in order to pray for the men who will be risking their lives. It would certainly ease the hearts of many wives and mothers, and I hope that every church will be opened as soon as it is known that the invasion has begun. For many of us, this day which we know must come and which we want to reach because we feel it is the necessary prelude to the end of the war in Europe, still is approached with dread, because of the young lives we know must be lost on that day. To pray together will probably be a great help to many people.

Here and there I have also seen the suggestion that instead of getting the news in the press and over the radio, bells should be rung all over the nation. I hope this will not happen, for bells indicate victory to most of us, and at best this day is only the beginning of a final victory. In between there must lie hardship, destruction and death. When finally the Fascists have surrendered, then our bells can indeed ring, and many hearts which have had to suffer will rejoice that others will be spared the same suffering from then on.

May 18, 1944

Washington – (Wednesday)
Yesterday the ladies of the Cabinet, Mrs. Wallace and I entertained the Senate ladies at our annual picnic lunch on the lawn. We have been fortunate in having good weather almost every year. Yesterday was one of the nicest days we have ever had. I think the weather man must take a special interest in this party, for on many occasions parties planned for the garden had to come indoors, but never to date when the Senate ladies were coming.

I am very interested in the stories which are now being sent to me about the efforts which various industries are making to prepare themselves to employ handicapped people in their plants. This is being done largely as a patriotic gesture with the idea of retraining war veterans, but I think it will have a lasting effect on the employment of all handicapped people.

Two thrilling stories have come to me recently. One, of a man who was blind and a deaf mute, and yet strongly felt the urge to do something for the war. He presented himself at a plant, and traced the following words on the palm of the interviewer’s hand: “I can’t see, I can’t hear, I can’t talk, but I can work.” They trained him, and his highly developed sense of touch and his great desire to learn proved great assets. He was hired as a bench-hand in the repair department where defective parts are inspected and sorted to salvage metal for future use. Now, less than a year later, he is outproducing his co-workers three to one, is working full time and is earning full-time pay.

But the remarkable part of the story is not that he managed to go to work. It is that he has a very high record of steady hours of work, month in and month out. He comes to work all alone, transfers twice to reach the plant, and those who work with him have caught something of his fine spirit. They recognize his courage. In spite of his handicaps, he has kept a sense of humor and an understanding and appreciation of other human beings. All of these qualities make him a valuable co-worker, who puts to shame anyone who might feel entitled to let down in his efforts.

The other story was of a Czechoslovakian who spent many years on relief because of a stroke which paralyzed one side of his body. Finally, he was retrained, and he became a welder in spite of a paralyzed hand and arm. He is now earning $45 a week. He is a man again, life has changed, and out of his salary, he is weekly repaying something to the government. He says he will continue to do this until he has returned all that was given to him during the years when he accepted relief. The doctor who told me about him said that when he was given a prize last year, the expression on his face was one of the most moving he had ever seen. To the doctor, he seemed to epitomize all of the oppressed people in Europe and their determination to triumph and again win freedom.

1 Like