Eleanor Roosevelt – My Day (Aug. 1941)

eleanor

MY DAY

By Eleanor Roosevelt

August 1, 1941

Eastport, Maine, Thursday –
We had another bright and sunny day yesterday, when it was hard to realize that we could be so far north, for the sun is really hot while it lasts.

Our first guests to arrive were Dr. John Studebaker and Mr. Hardy Steeholm. We met them at the ferry and their first introduction to this part of the world was a walk over slippery seaweed and pools of water. However, they approached the island in a spirit of adventure and when they were told that they could not even be taken to the cottage where they were staying until after the morning lecture, they accepted the routine without a murmur. They came and listened to Mr. Roger Baldwin and the discussion that followed with the young people, on the necessity for the spread of democracy because of the difficulty of living in a world where different ideas and ideals hold sway.

About 10 o’clock, my cousin, Mr. Monroe Douglas Robinson, arrived, having driven from Bangor, Maine. He joined us out on the lawn. He has taken two days out of the short time before he returns to Peru to come up here with us and I have been interested to watch his ability to make the young people talk. I always remember hearing that, during the World War, his soldiers were devoted to him. I think the quality which makes the men in your regiment like you is a quality which makes you get on well with youth. You have to be interested in them and they respond in a most satisfactory manner.

The afternoon lecture was given by Dr. Eagleton of New York University. In the evening, Dr. Studebaker told us briefly about his work as Commissioner of Education in Washington, and some of his plans for adult education. The young people were very much interested and carried on the discussion until after 10 o’clock, when they broke up into little groups.

It is amusing to see how little the generations really change. This house and the house at Hyde Park have housed groups of young people ever since the year that my husband and I were married. My brother came to live with us then and the boys who were his friends are now carrying heavy responsibilities. Some of them are distinguished today in their professions or are serving their country in one way or another.

But just as years ago they could talk far into the night around the fire, so these young people can forget that tomorrow does surely dawn and they even listen to the radio news at midnight with a feeling that the evening has just begun.

I am just leaving to take some of my guests to Quoddy to see the NYA resident project there.


August 2, 1941

Eastport, Maine, Friday –
World events seem to be moving in more satisfactory fashion these days. One cannot help hoping that sometime before long we may read that people who once thought that war was the only way to bring about satisfactory solutions to world difficulties may have reached the conclusion that there are possibilities of mutual cooperation. Acceptance of the fact that we are dependent upon each other, not only as individuals but as nations, for our well-being and that the ultimate solution of world problems will require a willingness to agree to this precept, seems the first step forward toward a peaceful world.

In these closing days of the International Student Service Institute here, the question of the way to make Democracy meet not only our own needs, but world needs, has been discussed by Dr. Eagleton and the students. Much interest and real thinking on the problem, I hope, will result.

I have, of course, spent a very short time with this group of young people and I have nothing whatsoever to do with the running of the institute. But one finds oneself receiving certain impressions. I have found first that after five weeks of hard work there is no real lessening of interest in the study of what democracy means and of how, as individuals, we can function to make democracy meet the needs of all the people.

Dr. Neilson has made a deep impression on all of us. Perhaps the students who have been under his direction at Smith College will understand what I mean when I say that these young men and women have sensed the benediction of his presence. It is character that really gets across to other people and there has been a recognition of the fineness and the gentleness of a human being who has lived up to his ideals and used his abilities to the utmost. Example is far better than precept.

In addition, I think Mr. Joseph Lash, who has really done the day-by-day management of detail and curriculum on which hangs much of the success of an undertaking such as this, has gained the respect and the affectionate cooperation of all the young people under his care in a way which is only possible when there is realization of a fine spirit. People grow through experiences, if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built and young people recognize this ability to grow in those with whom they come in contact.

I think the students will leave here tomorrow with the feeling that they have gained something enduring from their association with Dr. Neilson and Mr. Lash which will remain an inspiration for better living in their own lives.


August 4, 1941

Portland, Maine, Sunday –
I forgot to tell you that on Friday afternoon our whole group of the International Student Service went over to Penguin Island, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Bernhardt. After a wonderful swim in their pool, we had coffee and doughnuts, which disappeared with astounding rapidity. The party was so successful that all the way home the young people were expressing their appreciation of the hospitality shown them.

On Friday night, it seemed to me that we would never get everyone to bed. Like all young people, they left their packing to be done at the last minute. On this last evening, they had prepared an entertainment with graduation certificates, specially written by the entertainment committee for each student. By the time the applause, the songs and the cheers were over, and the packing and the last minute conversations had begun, it was well after 11:00 p.m.

However, somehow or other, everyone made breakfast at 6:30 yesterday morning. Saturday was a sad day of leave-taking, but it had its funny moments as well. Dr. and Mrs. Eagleton went off with their car loaded with young people, whom they very kindly offered to take back with them.

The two Seattle, Wash., boys, with their car, took two others with them and started for Washington, DC, and a sightseeing trip on the way. My mother-in-law’s car, loaded to its full capacity, took others to the train, and the boat took still more across to Eastport, where they caught a day bus.

The laughter over the bags that couldn’t be fitted in, the mock serious horseplay, that is always a part of those tense moments when young people are really moved but do not want to show it, finally ended. We suddenly found ourselves in a very quiet house, with only eight young people left. They were grand workers and helped us put the house to rights and to pick up the things which had been forgotten.

Then we had lunch and a leisurely talk before two of them departed with another friend, who was motoring down through the White Mountains and offered to take them along. Six others went over to Eastport by boat to take the evening bus to Boston, Massachusetts.

Finally, three of us were left alone, feeling like very small peas in a very large pod, but suddenly conscious of a peace and quiet never part of one’s existence when one is in the midst of a crowd. We had supper with my mother-in-law and spent a quiet evening. This morning, bright and early, we started on our drive home.


August 5, 1941

New York, Monday –
We spent a good part of yesterday driving through not only the heaviest rain I have ever seen, but a hailstorm! I began to wonder if the hailstones would come through the top of my car, since they were bouncing off the hood to the ground and hitting hard against our windows. I could not help feeling sorry for the farmers, for it must have done much damage to their crops.

Finally, a little after 1 o’clock, we found a place to turn off the road and managed to eat a picnic lunch in the car while the storm wore itself out. After that, it rained very heavily until fairly late in the afternoon, but no more hail came down.

When we stopped for gas, just before 7:00, the friendly garage man said that their storm had been chiefly wind and rain. His wife came out of the station and asked if I was Mrs. Roosevelt, saying she had recognized me, but the girls there insisted I could not be myself!

A little after 7:00, we stopped for dinner at Lamie’s, which is on the corner of the road that goes to Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. They have very good food, but the crowd was so great that I wondered whether it would be worth waiting fifteen minutes for a table.

We decided that on a Sunday evening every restaurant would be crowded, and finally we sat down to a very good dinner. The proprietor said he had never had so busy a summer. On Saturday they had 3,000 people and they closed at 3:00 a.m. and opened again at 6:00 the next morning. He told me that, like many other places, they use college boys and girls to wait on table, but have a regular staff as well and are busy all through the winter.

We did not intend to stop in Boston, but it seemed to be the only place where we could find accommodations, so we spent the night at the Statler Hotel. Providence sometimes is kind, for I found a message there to call one of my sons who has his orders and is off tomorrow for some time. If I had not come to Boston, I would have missed saying goodbye.

I have been hearing lately how much women pilots are doing in England. They ferry planes to places of safety when they are not in use, and fill in so that men can get some rest when duty is neither combat duty nor dangerous service. I wonder if, in this country, in the CAA courses or in the services, we have begun to train women so they may perform such duties. It would seem to be wise to give women pilots this opportunity, since we know they have been so useful in other countries.


August 6, 1941

New York, Tuesday –
Yesterday was beautiful and we enjoyed our drive from Boston to New York City. We had a nice picnic lunch by the side of a little brook, quite the perfect place at which to eat. With a late start, however, we did not reach New York City until about 4:15. It was rather nice to walk into our little apartment there and to find the beds all turned down and everything clean and ready for us tonight.

We went out to dine and then to the theatre to a musical show, Panama Hattie. All winter my friends have been telling me how entertaining it is, and I thought that after some weeks in the country the young people with me would enjoy something light and amusing.

I was amused by the picture in the World-Telegram last night of everyone trying to buy silk stockings. I must say I like silk stockings very much, and it will be very sad when those I have are worn out. I plan to be particularly careful with my evening ones, for I think I shall mind most when they are gone. I envy my daughters in-law, who frequently go without stockings.

Probably, because I am old-fashioned, I can’t quite get accustomed to that, except in the country in the daytime. However, I grew up when cotton stockings were very much in vogue and remember when fine lisle and cotton mesh were really very nice and considered most becoming. So, perhaps, we shall all find some consolation in the changes which are forced upon us.

I wonder whether you noticed something which interested me very much. A Chinese botanist, in spite of the war, is still travelling and collecting in Gansu Province, northwestern China, for the Smithsonian Institution. He has found a real Shangri-La in an inaccessible mountain fastness, flowers which are every color of the rainbow from June until August.

It all sounds inconceivably far away and out of the world of struggle between Japan and China. Somehow it gives one a sense of the vastness of that country, which goes on its way calmly and which will probably continue developing its civilization through the ages, despite the fact that Japan may nibble at the edges of China.

It may be just another newspaper story, which I read yesterday morning, about a young German aviator turning against his own side and fighting with the Russians and then coming down and surrendering to them. His explanation was that some of the men in his division had been killed because they expressed some anti-Nazi opinions.

If it should happen to be true, it is a very encouraging piece of news, for in such ways do movements begin to crack. What is going on now in the world must be beaten from within as well as from without.


August 7, 1941

Hyde Park, Wednesday –
I returned to Hyde Park yesterday in time for a swim and a nice, cool dinner on the porch. Then came long hours of work at my desk, catching up with the mail.

Yesterday, in New York City, was given over in great part to seeing various people, after which I visited the hairdresser, a very feminine occupation.

I was glad to see that the House of Representatives, in considering the tax bill, did not accept the idea of joint income tax returns for husband and wife. I realize that this might bring in a higher revenue, for it would frequently put the tax returns in the group where surtaxes make the tax much higher.

However, it seems to me that some other way of obtaining money would be wiser than a measure which strikes at the roots of a fundamental principle, which we in this country have been establishing over a long period of years; the right of women to be considered as persons. There was a time when a woman married and her property became her husband’s, her earnings were her husband’s and the control of the children was never in her hands.

The battle for the individual rights of women is one of long-standing and none of us should countenance anything which undermines it. In a lighter vein, it has been said that this bill is an encouragement to immorality. But that, of course, is said only by those who believe that the way to make people conscious of anything, is to make it preposterous. It might, however, prove to be a real deterrent to the work of women, and that brings us to another rather fundamental question.

Do we believe that work of any kind, honestly performed, creates work? If so, then it is an advantage to have every individual using his abilities productively. It is true that machines have taken over the work of human hands to a great extent, but the real problem before us is how to make the work of the machines a benefit to human beings and not a detriment.

I do not think that, fundamentally, the way to solve the problem is to say that people should grow lazy and not use what abilities and wits a kindly Providence may have given them. I realize that this is a question which can be argued from many points of view and this column is too short to cover it adequately. I am only trying to point out the fact that we have some decisions to make in the future, and we had better think them through intelligently and make sure of what we really believe.


August 8, 1941

Hyde Park, Thursday –
Yesterday was a particularly pleasant and uneventful day. A friend came with her little daughter to lunch, and we swam and sat about in the sun for a while.

In the evening, I read aloud Mr. David Cushman Coyle’s little book, America. He has gathered together in brief form many of the arguments which most of us find convincing today in our outlook on world and domestic affairs. I think this short recapitulation will prove of value to schools and colleges as well as individual readers.

A letter has just come to me which I want to quote and answer in this column:

Referring to a recent “My Day” article, the following is your statement:

In the United States there are many areas where children cannot get to school and besides there are many families who have no clothes for their children.

For more than eight years, your husband has been the directing head of the United States and his announced policy on taking office was the “forgotten man.”

With the information you must have on the matter I have quoted, I would be pleased to have your explanation as to why such conditions continue to exist in the United States.

Your explanation, I think, should have the same amount of publicity as your original statement.

The answer seems to me fairly simple. This administration has put on the statute books a great deal of social legislation. Much of it was passed in opposition to the desires of many people, who honestly believed that conditions would return to what they once were and that it is a mistake to try to find new ways to adjust to new conditions. Experience alone can prove whether plans undertaken can have permanent value or not.

Some of them have already been in operation long enough to prove themselves. Others are in process of trial. The social security program as a whole, housing, WPA and NYA have all been factors in meeting the needs of what my correspondent calls the “forgotten man.”

To wipe out, however, all injustices and inequalities in our democracy, to make in a period of twelve years a decent corner of the world for everyone to live, in the face of world conditions such as have existed, is beyond the hope of even the most sanguine. We can only be grateful for the fact that more people are aware of the problems of forgotten children as well as forgotten men and women, and that we are working together to make our corner of the world a better place for all of us to live.


August 9, 1941

Hyde Park, Friday –
I took my annual pilgrimage last night to Stockbridge, Mass., to hear the fourth program of the Berkshire Music Festival. In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Mozart’s death, excerpts were played from his requiem mass. His Symphony in G Minor was also played and, after the intermission, the Beethoven Eroica.

The chorus of the Berkshire Musical Association, of which Horace Hunt is the conductor, sang the mass and the whole program was a most finished and beautiful performance. I enjoyed every minute of it. Even though we did not return until rather late, for it takes us two hours to drive from here, still it was well worth it.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Serge Koussevitzky for a few minutes during the intermission. My admiration for his work increases every year.

On the way up, we met Mrs. Henry Morgenthau Jr. and her daughter Joan, and had a picnic supper together in a field on a dirt road leading off from Route 7, before we reached Great Barrington. One of the boys with us carelessly put his hand on the wire which surrounded part of the field we were in and discovered that it was charged. I suppose it was intended to keep erring cattle who attempted to jump the fence, within proper limits.

We picked up everything very carefully like good Boy Scouts, not even leaving chicken bones about, for fear the dogs or cattle might find them. We were very grateful for the nice, grassy spot under the shade of a tree and the view of the gently flowing stream below us.

I have just been told that there is a great shortage of young women entering the nursing schools. At this time nurses are much needed, and it has always seemed to me that it is good training for any girl to take, whether she means to take up nursing as a profession or not. At the present time, the girls in training release nurses already trained, for duty where they are needed.

If later, these girls marry, or have no reason for earning a living by nursing, but wish to serve in some way in their community, there are innumerable opportunities to use the knowledge they have acquired in the service of a great many people. Therefore, if any young woman feels she wishes to do something for her country in the present crisis, and is willing to work hard, put in long hours, and sacrifice her leisure during these years of stress, I can think of few things as useful as taking a course in one of our good training schools for nurses.


August 11, 1941

Hyde Park, Sunday –
I woke today to a strong breeze and, for a moment, thought that autumn was already with us. The trees were blowing and the air had a snap almost like September. I was beginning to feel really melancholy, when I remembered that August occasionally gives us days like these to remind us that our summer days are drawing to a close and we must enjoy them to the full.

That reminded me of a quotation which came to me in a letter the other day from a young man who used to work with an airline and with whom Franklin Jr. and I once went on a special trip to Chicago. This young man is now in the Army and seems to be getting much out of his military service. The explanation of his success may lie in the fact that this quotation appeals to him:

Today is your day and mine:
The only day we have;
The day in which we play our part,
What our part may signify in the great world we may not understand,
But we are here to play it and now is our time.

(David Starr Jordan)

We spent a quiet day yesterday. In the afternoon, Mr. C. R. Smith, President of the American Airlines, came in time for a swim, and then we all went to dine with Secretary and Mrs. Morgenthau.

The Women’s Democratic Club of Hyde Park gave its annual card party on our picnic grounds. I went down to greet them and found myself signing quite a number of books which had been given as prizes for the card games.

This is a day for walking in high places. I am sure that the view from the top of the hill will be clear and far flung, so that is where I am going.

A friend of mine in Connecticut has just sent me a record of the accomplishments of the CCC camps in that state. It is an impressive list of achievements and one does not wonder that he feels sad at the realization that a carefully built supervisory personnel has practically disintegrated because there is at present such a cut in the number of CCC boys.

I wonder if those men rejected for Army service might not be greatly improved in health, if they could receive basic medical care and then be assigned to CCC camp work for a while. It also seems necessary, however, to change some of the opportunities offered and give boys in CCC a chance for training as well as for work on forest and conservation projects.


August 12, 1941

Hyde Park, Tuesday –
A number of guests are coming to lunch with us today. The day began early, for we motored over to the New Hackensack flying field to see two guests off by air for New York City. The house seems a little quiet as we settle down to do some of the work which is always on our desks.

People seem to be sending me all kinds of information these days. The various fields covered give one a faint inkling of what it means to belong to a nation of 150,000,000 people, all of whom are as full of personal interests and individuality as possible.

I must have said something in my column the other day that implied that Tacoma, Wash., was not doing enough for the entertainment of the soldiers in the nearby area. A few days ago I received a wire from Mr. Bennie Crann, of the Tacoma Philharmonic Orchestra, telling me that my readers will undoubtedly be glad to know that all soldiers in uniform from Fort Lewis and Fort McChord Field, will be admitted free this month to three concerts in which Helen Jepson, Marie Louise Quevli and Mona Paulee are being presented with the orchestra at the Tacoma Stadium.

I am sure my readers are glad, just as I am, every time they hear of something which is being done in any community by any individual or by an organization to give our boys, wherever they may be, pleasure and entertainment in their hours of freedom.

However, I didn’t mean to imply, that all communities had not been doing whatever they could do. I simply hope that all of us will grasp every opportunity to be of service to both the families and the men in our armed forces.

I want to congratulate the Jewish Braille Review, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month. This magazine was founded primarily to meet the cultural and spiritual needs of the Jewish blind but it has from the first been sent free to many non-Jewish readers as well. Today there are as many Christians of various denominations as there are people of the Jewish faith enjoying this unique magazine, which serves the needs of the blind.

Helen Keller has always been one of those to whom this magazine has meant something of real value. I think all of us who realize the limitations of the blind are grateful for each thing which is done to widen the horizon of their possible activities.


August 13, 1941

Hyde Park, Tuesday –
Mr. Emilio Delboy, who is a feature writer for some Peruvian newspapers, came with my cousin, Mr. Monroe Robinson, to lunch yesterday and was a delightful guest. He kept assuring me that he understood all that was said, but that his own English was so limited that he could not express his appreciation of the opportunity to spend these few hours with us.

I kept assuring him that if I found myself with a group of Spanish speaking people, I would have been far less articulate than he was and not as understanding. When I am given plenty of time, I can read simple Spanish, but I cannot say one sentence.

After lunch, I took three gentlemen, Mr. W. Colston Leigh, Mr. Robinson and Mr. Delboy over to see the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, and they were very much interested in the various collections.

Monday being the day when the library is closed, I felt very guilty when I looked up to see a group of girls from the Dominican Fathers Camp, gazing at me through the windows as we walked about. A little later I went out and sat in the car, waited for the others and read my newspaper.

All the girls gathered around me and took photographs and just gazed at me while I tried to find out if there was any special thing they wanted to talk about. There did not seem to be, and so they started off on their hike back to camp. We returned to the cottage in time for a short chat before our guests had to leave on the afternoon train.

Then a young man came to see me and brought me a copy of a song which he had written. He had spent some time in various veterans’ hospitals and was concerned in this emergency to do what he could with other American veterans to help some of the English wounded. He hoped his song would contribute to the support of St. Dunstan’s, which is a very remarkable school for the blind.

This morning we left fairly early, crossed the river at Highland, and travelled up on its west side to the Pioneer Youth Camp. I have long been interested in this camp, which is supported partly by contributions from union labor organizations, partly by youngsters who can pay, and partly by private individuals who give contributions.

The camp has been run on interesting lines. The attempt is always made to let the children develop themselves through working out projects and interests of their own. Many of them come from the city and have never had any contact with country life. To see a cow milked, to set a hen and see the chicks hatch out, to find out about a water system, or make a topographical map of their own surroundings, is an entirely new experience and a very thrilling one.


August 14, 1941

Hyde Park, Wednesday –
After our visit to the Pioneer Youth Camp yesterday, we motored on up to Camp William James. There a group of young people are trying to find out the value of working with their hands. At the same time, they are deciding their evaluation of future occupations.

They want to know what they really do want out of life, what they think democracy means, what they can do to help develop their country and make it strong in democratic principles.

Some of the young people who worked here are at present working in Mexico with a group of young Mexicans in the territory where the earthquake created such havoc. Others are now in the Army, but wherever they go, they carry with them the results of this experience. I think they will lead more interesting lives, because they have set themselves to find the reasons for their beliefs and to translate into daily living their ideas and ideals.

The drive up was very beautiful and we found another route to follow coming down, which gave us a variety of scenery.

Last February, there was held in Washington an Institute of Rural Youth Guidance. In this institute the following organizations cooperated, The Alliance for the Guidance of Rural Youth; The American Youth Commission; The Harlan County (Kentucky) Planning Council; The National Education Association; The National Youth Administration; The United States Department of Agriculture; The United States Employment Service; The United States Office of Education.

I have just received a report of the proceedings and a “suggested plan of action.” These pamphlets are going to be distributed by the agencies interested to those concerned with this problem in various parts of the country. I hope that many newspapers in rural areas, particularly the country weekly papers, will quote many of the recommendations.

There is a great deal of emphasis laid on the possibilities in selective service for training which may be given these young men while in the Army, which will be valuable to them when they return to civilian life. I know that this is true, for one boy from my own county writes me that he has been assigned to radio work, which is something he has wanted to study for a long time. Let us hope that this will be the experience of many of the boys now being inducted into service from rural areas.

August 15, 1941

Hyde Park, Thursday –
I have just received a letter which, in itself, would not be so significant, but taken together with various other reports reaching me, is very disquieting. I am quoting it here approximately as it is written, changing only such things as might identify the writer.

Several years ago, like many others, my family suffered financial reverses and we accepted FERA work, but not relief. I have supported my mother, who is a chronic invalid, and assisted my father through wages received through WPA work. From December 1938 to May 1941, I was fortunate to be on the administrative staff, first as a stenographer and later as an occupational interviewer, receiving when I left, $1,440 a year.

My record for this period had been excellent, I was dropped from payrolls through no fault of my own, and was thankful that I had been permitted to hold the job as long as I had. I desired to try my luck in private industry.

I started June 1, making a tour of every agency handling stenographic, clerical and typing positions. The interviewers show their interest in my appearance, my ability to operate a typewriter, stenography and my ambition to continue college, even if it meant working at night; yet they are sorry they can do nothing for me because I have worked for the Works Progress Administration, and I will not lie about my work history. I am 26 years of age, of good parentage, have good training, good educational background, am attending Columbia with money saved over a period of five years in order to learn steno-typing, and yet I can not get a job in New York City unless I lie, because I worked on WPA.

A similar picture is fairly true in other parts of the country. While this is not a universal experience, there are still enough employers who have this attitude to make it a very serious situation. Some eight and a half million Americans temporarily found work on WPA during the last six years. Their abilities and talents represent a pretty good cross-section of the American public and it seems to me very sad that any employer anywhere should not recognize that misfortune has come to people regardless of their own wishes or abilities.


August 16, 1941

Hyde Park, Friday –
We all listened breathlessly yesterday when the radio from England gave us a statement of the peace aims, drawn up by the President and Mr. Winston Churchill. There was nothing new, nothing which I had not heard many times before in conversation about our foreign policy. Yet, stated this way to the people of the world, one felt it was an important moment in the history of world progress. Chairman May, of the Military Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, expressed very well in his short speech which followed Senator Connally’s, the feeling which many of us shared.

The radio this morning brought me the news that our two sons, Elliott and Franklin Jr., were with their father during these last days “somewhere at sea.” I knew that Franklin Jr. had gone off for an undisclosed length of time to these waters, but the last I heard of Elliott was several weeks ago, when he was starting to fly over undisclosed and barren areas, and no word from that time on.

It is foolish to worry, for all of us know that whatever comes we have to meet it. Everybody has to do his job in the world, but just the same that statement on the radio this morning started me off for the rest of the day with a lighter heart.

Yesterday was a very nice day. Mr. Marshall Field came to lunch with us, after which we went over to look at the library before he went to visit the Greenwich House Camp at Lagrangeville, NY, which is in this county. There are not many people who take their positions on boards and various organizations as seriously as Mr. Field.

I have grown to know him better through our association on the United States Committee for the Care of European Children, and constantly am impressed with the fact that he gives so much of himself. He never seems to consider that the money he has donated absolves him from a personal responsibility.

There are few young men I know, who would start out for a day in the country and remember that an organization with which they had been long connected, had a boys’ camp near the place where they lunched. I am sure that it would have been easy to find many reasons why it was necessary to drive straight back to town, without taking the extra time to see these youngsters in their camp.

I think Mr. Field has learned what I feel is a great lesson for all of us to learn. Namely, that if we really want to know and understand the life of this nation, we must see things with our own eyes, talk to people ourselves, and build up a power of understanding through personal contact.

Last night, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller were here for the night, and a few friends were here for dinner. We had a very pleasant evening and talked about hemispheric affairs to our hearts’ content.


August 18, 1941

Hyde Park, Sunday –
Yesterday morning looked so rainy that we dared not rush having the meeting of the Central Good Neighbor Committee on the picnic grounds, as we had hoped to do. Very hurriedly, we made arrangements to hold it in the big house instead. By 10:00, people were already arriving and the morning session opened at 11:00.

Dr. John L. Elliott described the purpose of the meeting very well. He hopes that “Good Neighbors” all over the country will use the unit of the community, taking advantage of every organization, philanthropic, political or social, to meet the new needs as they arise. This does not mean that, of necessity, we must have a new organization every where, though there will be many places where people will want to form Good Neighbor Committees.

Even though the membership consists largely of people working in existing organizations, they may hope to use this committee as a clearing house where all constructive forces in the community may come together to discuss their programs, in order to meet more effectively the new demands brought about by the national emergency.

It is perfectly obvious, of course, that any communities situated near camps, or in areas where defense industries have largely augmented the working population, are finding themselves faced with many new difficulties. Inadequate housing, school facilities and recreation are a few of these problems. To meet them will require the cooperation of every citizen.

Ten possible areas of work were suggested, among them;

To interpret the national defense effort, not only generally, but in specific terms, concerning the ways in which it affects your own community.

To sponsor local meetings, or forums, to discuss the meaning of democracy.

To arrange neighborhood and community hospitality for soldiers on furlough, without regard to race or creed.

To cooperate actively in the spread of the nutrition program.

There are many other suggestions, but one of them I think of paramount importance.

To work actively to minimize racial and religious antagonisms, not only through the written or spoken word, but also through direct and active intervention to prevent discrimination in housing projects, in the operation of selective service, and in other actual relationships in which bias should not be countenanced.


August 19, 1941

Hyde Park, Monday –
Yesterday we had a quiet and peaceful Sunday. The high spot of the day was a talk with the President in Washington after his return. I shall be seeing him there on Tuesday evening, but I could hardly wait to hear some of the details of his trip and some news of our two sons. He did not know that the destroyer on which Franklin Jr. is an ensign, would be anywhere near him, so it was a pleasant surprise when he was told it was part of the group of ships in attendance. I can well imagine what it meant to both Elliott and Franklin Jr. to have this chance with their father.

I forgot to tell you yesterday about the gala benefit given under the auspices of the Berkshire Music Festival and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, Mass., last Friday.

Not even the rain, which would ordinarily have spoiled most festivals, had any effect on this one. Crowds were there. The music was perfect and the speeches, including Lord Halifax’s which had to be read since he could not be present to deliver it, seemed to give the audience pleasure.

We were whisked away for dinner with kind Mr. and Mrs. Myron Taylor and had a delightful time, though it nearly broke my heart to come in after Albert Spaulding had begun to play. We were able, however to hear most of the evening concert and went home very happy that we had had the opportunity to take part in this benefit, given for our United Service Organizations and the British War Relief.

Each time I go to these concerts, I am more and more impressed with the wonderful piece of work which Miss Gertrude Robinson-Smith and her committee did in building the “Shed,” which is one of the pleasantest places I know of in which to listen to music.

I have just received a cookbook, compiled by the American Friends of France, called Specialites de la Maison. The preface is written by no less a person than Louis Bromfield and I must quote one statement:

A man indifferent to food not only is uncivilized, he is without a soul.

So it is fitting that the proceeds of the sale of this book should go to:

…help those who are fighting for civilization, and in civilization the art of cooking holds a high place.

The illustrations by Alajalov will certainly catch your eye. I have chuckled long over the cow with the top hat and the duck with bonnet strings trailing behind her. The jacket, by Clement Hurd, should surely attract you so that you cannot pass by without buying this book for your cookbook shelf.

Today I am driving with Mrs. Lyman Delano to the Girl Scout Encampment near Springfield, Mass., but I shall have to tell you about that tomorrow.


August 20, 1941

Hyde Park, Monday –
We had a lovely drive yesterday. The roads through the Berkshires are always pleasant, and not too frequented. The Western Hemisphere Girl Scout Encampment, near Otis, Mass., is situated on a lake, with plenty of trees to shade the tents and cabins. When we arrived, the girls, representing 24 states and 16 countries, greeted us through three of their representatives and then everyone passed by and shook hands.

After this, we started an inspection of the whole camp, which meant walking for nearly an hour and a half, a pleasant activity after the long drive.

My cousin, Mrs. Lyman Delano, went with me, which made the whole day especially enjoyable. She recently resigned as chairman of the committee which arranges for these international encampments, but she is still vice chairman and has a keen interest in scouting. My friends, Mrs. Arthur Choate and Mrs. Frederick Brooke, were both there and I saw many other familiar faces.

Craft work is carried on in all the tents and the girls do a great deal of swimming, boating and hiking. I thought it particularly good that each unit cooked at least one meal a day and ate it in their own open air dining room, for this gives a chance for familiarity with outdoor cooking conditions. The girls who live in what they call the enchanted forest, which is a lovely grove of hemlock trees some distance from the main building, cook their own breakfast and supper.

Camp Bonnie Brae has a stable and a number of horses with a very able teacher in attendance. I think this is the only Girl Scout camp I have ever visited where the girls could learn to ride. It has proved so popular that nearly a hundred girls signed up for this particular activity.

None of them have had as many hours on horseback as would be required for really adequate training, but most of them have learned something about the handling and care of horses, a very good foundation on which to build for future horsemanship.

We all lunched together in the main building and I was glad to see again Mrs. Leigh-White from England, who has visited many of the other countries in this hemisphere since we met last year. Mayor Putnam of Springfield, Mass., was very kind and drove Mrs. Delano and me to the city, while a state trooper drove my car. At the broadcasting station, I was presented with a beautiful wooden key to the city. I took part in the broadcast which went out to the other groups of Girl Scouts throughout the country, and which I think was later repeated to South and Central American countries.

The drive home into a most beautiful sunset sky, was unforgettable. I arrived a little after 8:00, somewhat weary, but very happy to have taken part in this celebration.


August 21, 1941

Washington, Wednesday –
When I reached home on Monday evening, I found Mrs. Dorothy Roosevelt and her youngest daughter, Janet, had driven from Vermont to spend the night with us. They had visited the library and had a swim, in spite of the chilly weather which persisted through this week.

We talked all evening. Yesterday morning, in spite of the rain, I sent my little niece over to the stables to try to get a ride, for she is very fond of horses. They left us at noon yesterday, to take a plane back to Detroit, Mich., and I hope that they met clearing skies and no bad weather.

Again we had to shift a party over to the big house, which I had planned to have out of doors at the cottage. The rainy weather is making this a habit with us. This party was given by a group of Democratic workers in honor of Mrs. Edward Conger, who has been vice president of our Democratic county committee for a long while.

She has given active and devoted service, not only doing work here in this county, but being called upon often to speak in nearby counties and to help with organization. Mrs. Conger has many loyal friends and, since she feels she must resign because of ill health, we felt we wanted to do something to show our appreciation of her services.

The party was a great success and I hope she enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed having an opportunity to see her and thank her for the inspiration she has given us over a long period.

A little after 5:00, Miss Thompson and I were on our way to New York City. We had dinner at our little apartment and then drove out to LaGuardia Field to take the 10:00 o’clock plane to Washington. The difference between standard time and daylight time makes it very pleasant when one is going southward. I reached the White House a little before 11:00 o’clock and was able to have a real chat with the President.

After all the happenings of the last few weeks, it was quite exciting. Our son, Jimmy, and his wife were fortunately still there, but they have found a little house and are moving soon. I was glad to have them with us, so that we could all have breakfast together this morning and catch up on the family news.

Coming back to Washington just at this moment, when everyone seems so busy, makes me realize that living away from the center of government activity does dull one’s sense of the greatness of the struggle which is going on in the world. Reading about it in the papers, or hearing about it over the radio, is not quite the same as actually seeing people at work carrying a heavy burden on their minds and hearts all the time.


August 22, 1941

Pensacola, Fla., Thursday –
Yesterday morning, very soon after breakfast, I left Washington by plane for Jacksonville, Florida. I have hoped for some time to find 48 hours when I could get away to visit some friends who are now stationed near here. The young man, Lieutenant E. R. Miller, is a Naval Reserve Officer and he and his wife are from the North and therefore not accustomed to Southern summers. The heat has seemed a little extreme at times, I think, particularly since they moved into a new house and completely settled it during the hottest month of the summer.

It is fun, though, spending 24 hours with young people who are enthusiastic about a new home and all that they are doing. So many of us never show our enthusiasm about anything, and I think that does make life rather drab.

When I was in Washington yesterday, a kind friend spoke to me about the work carried on by the Little Sisters of the Poor. These sisters, who are devoted to poverty, are the most indefatigable workers. With the gifts which they collect, they care for old people, children and all those who, for one reason or another are overwhelmed by the difficulties of living and need kindly support for a time. Sometimes, in the case of old people, they care for them until they die. In spite of the hard work, the care is gentle and there is always an element of gaiety in whatever they do.

My friend tells me that in summer it is even harder than in winter for the sisters to obtain the gifts they need to carry on their ministrations. Each time that I visit the old people’s home in Washington, which these sisters run, I marvel at what they accomplish. I hope that we shall make their tasks easier by remembering them both in winter and in summer.

I hear that there is to be a conference at Williams College on August 24-29, which has as its purpose a discussion of the problems which may be faced in the postwar world, if we are to build a permanent peace. This conference is called “The Williamstown Institute of Human Relations.” Because many religious leaders of various denominations feel the urgency of arousing public opinion now to discuss these problems, I feel sure that there will be good speakers and a large attendance.


August 23, 1941

Pensacola, Fla., Friday –
I enjoyed my time in Pensacola. One is certainly conscious of the activity of the training program going on and all that it entails, but nothing can mar the charm of the Southern atmosphere. Even if you are busy, you feel less busy in the South than you do in the North. I am just about to leave on the return flight to New York City, for tomorrow I must be at Hyde Park to welcome the Duke of Kent and some other guests.

The President reached Hyde Park yesterday, so he was there to welcome my daughter-in-law, Mrs. Elliott Roosevelt, and her two children. They will be with us, I hope, for a long visit. I have not seen the children for some time and I am looking forward very much to having them at Hyde Park.

The pony has had very little exercise of late and I hope they will ride him every day, except when he will be away at the Dutchess County Fair. There is always a horse show during the fair and I imagine we shall enter the pony and one other horse, if one of our little neighbors is willing to ride them.

Today, I had better take up something which has come to me from Lexington, Kentucky. I am asked to explain how I happened to be one of the sponsors for “Finland, Inc.” The answer is very simple. After the Finnish-Russian War, a great many of us wanted to help Finland in any way that we could, and this was an organization which was started to be of assistance in any way that seemed possible.

At present, the Finns are fighting with the Germans against Russia. I doubt if they had any choice, but, of course, “For Finland Inc.” can do little or nothing for them. For the time being I have resigned from the organization. I have also been supporting a Finnish orphan.

I have written to find out whether there is any assurance that the money contributed now actually feeds that child. I would not want to make any child suffer if I could help at the present time, but if the money is not accomplishing its object, I shall put it in a fund to await the day when peace comes. With our small contributions each of us can help the building processes which will have to go on in some many parts of the world.


August 25, 1941

Hyde Park, Sunday –
I returned here before lunch yesterday and we are having a delightful time. His Royal Highness, the Duke of Kent, with his party are perfect guests. They enjoy riding and swimming and being in the country. I hope after all their travels and the constant strain of life in England today, this Sunday will be an island of peace in their memory.

Tonight we have to return to Washington and tomorrow promises to be a very busy day, so we have revelled in the leisure of these two days in the country.

I wonder if you know a little magazine called Horizon, a review of literature and art. It is an English publication and it was sent me the other day because of an article entitled “Painting In America,” written by John Rothenstein, who is the curator of the Tate Gallery in London.

If you know the Tate Gallery, you will hope that its treasures are safely hidden away during the present period of destruction. You will also be pleased that its curator is so appreciative of the development in art which has come about in the past few years in the United States.

I want to quote some of the things which he says:

It is a melancholy fact that modern democracy, which has to its credit a long and brilliant succession of triumphs in so many spheres of human activity, has as a patron of art, shown less enlightenment, less generosity, less responsibility, than some of the darkest tyrannies of the past.

In speaking of the “Forty-Eight State mural competition,” held in the Corcoran Gallery in Washington about two years ago, he has this to say:

Even the least study there, gave utterance, however faltering, to what the best so resoundingly proclaimed; that there was a new spirit abroad in America, a spirit by which artists were also moved and willingly expressed in terms which all could understand. Every shade of the Anglo-Saxon spirit has been reflected in literature, always adequately, often with transcending splendor, but in painting and sculpture, how rarely and faintly in comparison.

He then names a number of painters he thinks are creating an American tradition and style, and he ends with this interesting observation:

It seems likely that in the arts as in other spheres of creation, the American genius, like the medieval genius, is adapted rather to tremendous collective achievements than to studied expression of the individual spirit.


August 26, 1941

Washington, Monday –
We said au revoir this morning on the train to the young Duke of Kent and his aide, who started off on a long day of inspection which will take them to Norfolk, Va., and back here by 7:00 this evening. I think what impresses me most of all in meeting English people today, is the great strain under which they have been and their sense of obligation in fulfilling whatever they consider is their duty. In coming to Canada and the United States, they represent the British people and they try in every way to express to us the appreciation they feel for the constant flow of aid from this country.

I have been able to say so little in my column the last few days about what I have actually seen, that I want to add a bit to my impressions of Pensacola, Florida. While there, we lunched at the San Carlos Hotel with the Mayor. I think one gets the feeling in that attractive hotel of the change and growth of the whole city.

Life is really humming in Pensacola. Captain Read drove me around in the morning to see as much as possible of the naval training station. I saw the various air squadrons, where the boys learn the different phases of flying which are necessary in the Navy. I saw their auditorium, where movies are given free for their entertainment, and where many classes are also held.

I saw the section which is given over to the training of British pilots and met their commanding officers, who spoke with appreciation of the training their boys are receiving. I do not think I have seen in any station, a more complete setup for physical exercise and recreation. Every available space is used for courts and playgrounds, so that the boys may have different kinds of exercise according to their tastes.

Great attention is paid to their physical development through participation in the athletic program. Mr. Gene Tunney and his superiors must be very happy over their accomplishments along these lines.

There is, as yet, no USO building or program being carried on in the city, though the money raising campaign went over the top. It seems to me important that these buildings be erected as quickly as possible and the programs begin to function, for they are much needed in the towns near our various training stations and camps.

August 27, 1941

New York, Tuesday –
I have just finished reading a book by Mrs. Elizabeth von Hesse called So To Speak, which was published on August 20. I think it will be of great assistance to everyone interested in improving his ability to think on his feet and speak effectively. There are many quotations in it which are delightful and I was particularly struck by one or two poems by Maxeda von Hesse, the daughter of the author.

I hope this book will be widely read. It gives good advice for our physical and mental well-being, as well as assuring to us, if we follow its advice, a more pleasing presentation of our ideas to the public.

Yesterday was a busy day in Washington. A press conference at 11:00, to which Dr. Louise Stanley of the Bureau of Home Economics, in the Department of Agriculture, brought the various samples they have developed in cotton stockings.

She then showed us some very charming models of work clothes developed for housewives and women workers on the farm and in the factory. The designs were not only practical but very attractive. Since the Department offers its designs to the trade, I hope some of these garments will be on the market shortly at attractive prices.

At noon, Mrs. Dana Backus brought Mr. William A. Dillon of Ithaca, NY, winner of the first prize in the national competition for a “song of the hour” sponsored by the Women’s Division of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies. He wrote a song many years ago which you will remember entitled “I Want a Girl.” That song has been sung from coast to coast in many gatherings in this country.

Mr. Dillon entered this competition because he and Mrs. Dillon apparently make it a hobby to bring up young people. They have brought up eight youngsters besides their own, so the young girl who is at present growing up in their home, begged him to win this competition so she might put aside $300 towards her college fund.

Well, the $300 were won and the song is called “Me And My Uncle Sam.” I hope you will insist on hearing it. There were many other prize winners, so we shall be hearing a number of good songs that have as their object making us understand some phase of our obligations as citizens of the USA today.

Mrs. Hobby from Texas, Mr. and Mrs. John Herrick and one or two other friends lunched with me yesterday. The afternoon was taken up with appointments. At about 7:00, the Duke of Kent, and his aide, Sir Louis Greig, returned from their day’s trip. Our dinner and the evening were pleasant and I said goodbye with regret to our guests.

Miss Thompson and I took the night train for New York City. The day here is going to be spent largely in going over things stored in the warehouse.


August 28, 1941

New York, Wednesday –
I went this morning to Astoria, Long Island, to go through the National Youth Administration workshops. It was over a year since I had seen them. They have expanded greatly, and the equipment is far better than it was a year ago. Now they are on a really excellent production basis. At the present time, when the shortage of skilled labor is what we are trying to meet, it is most important to give every young person who is learning a trade the number of hours of work required by employers on the particular machine he intends to use. The worker may, of course, acquire a number of hours on a number of machines, but whatever the employer’s requirements are, they should be met in training these boys and girls.

Of course, they must also have some related training, given by the Departments of Education to supplement their skills. In many cases this related training has to be condensed, and the number of hours required by the Departments of Education should be lowered in order to make it possible to meet the requirements for actual work. This is not purely an educational job. It is designed to give us skilled workers.

I think we should realize also that there are comparatively few trade and technical schools throughout the nation with modern enough equipment to do the job required by employers. This is something which of course, should be remedied in the future, but it is impossible to do so at present because the emergency makes it impossible to buy this equipment now.

I was very glad to see a number of business executives and educators also visiting the shops this morning, and particularly glad to have a few words with Mr. James G. MacDonald.

There is one other thing about Pensacola, Florida, which I forgot to mention yesterday, and yet it made a great impression on me. The government, through its division of defense housing coordination, is establishing defense homes registration offices in cities where industries and camps are located. People are asked to register their houses, if they have rooms to rent, and workers coming in may go to the office where this registration is done and find out where they can get accommodations.

It is asking a great deal of people to register their homes if they are going away for a short time but, if they are willing to have them used, it is very helpful. This is one way of cooperating in the national defense effort which is very valuable, and I would like to congratulate Pensacola and its citizens on having made a very good beginning on this program.


August 29, 1941

Hyde Park, Thursday –
I told you yesterday of the defense housing registration which is being done in Pensacola, Florida. I want to mention also a housing development for colored people which pleased me very much.

I was not able to go out and look at it very carefully, but it seemed to be well planned, and considerable, attractive landscaping had been done. One of the ministers had written to me about it, and told me that the people living there were making every effort to provide opportunities for civic education and recreation.

The only trouble is that with the influx of people who have come to Pensacola, there must be thousands of people who are forced to live in substandard dwellings. We are going to face a similar situation right here in this area before long, because our housing situation has been none too good.

With any influx of people, it will become a great deal worse. It would be one thing if it was just a question of living temporarily in poor surroundings and paying a low rental, but the rents skyrocket and people pay, for rooms which should be condemned, a price that should cover a decent apartment. This situation will be familiar to people all over the country and it seems to me that we should take hold and do something to improve our housing situation.

I was told an amusing story the other day of a 16-year-old boy who had been given some land on the side of a mountain out West. He had spent the summer building his own cabin, cut down the trees himself and did all the work. His mother remarked that it was wonderful what children could do if just allowed to go ahead on their own.

I am not sure, however, that all children or their elders would have the initiative or ability of this youngster. Unfortunately, circumstances limit some of us. We may not live on the side of a mountain, even if the prospect has charm.

We are having a meeting of the youth members of the National Advisory Committee of the National Youth Administration here today, and have enjoyed holding it in the open air and eating our lunch out of doors. A more perfect day could not be imagined.

Have you, by any chance, seen a picture book for adults called Little Nog: Glamor Chick No. 1 by Imogene Wolcott? The illustrations are done by Walter Early. To glance through this book will take you perhaps five minutes, but I think you will get several laughs out of it, and that is something which all of us enjoy these days.


August 30, 1941

Hyde Park, Friday –
Yesterday afternoon, I went in swimming with my two Texas grandchildren and Bobby Baker. Bobby is 13 and was practicing his diving, and climbing on and off the floating mattress. Chandler, who seems quite a grown up young lady now, has learned to swim fairly well this summer, tried to copy Bobby, and climbed on and off the mattress, and had a grand time dog-paddling about.

Elliott Jr., however, told me firmly that while he would put on his bathing suit, he doubted if he would go into the pool until his mother came on Saturday. The lure of a toy boat was too much for him, and soon he was paddling around at the shallow and with water wings on. He felt just as proud of himself as if he had suddenly learned to swim without any help at all.

Six of us went down to dinner at the Silver Swan, which is on Route 9, below Poughkeepsie. Some friends had written me to be sure to stop there, but it is so near home I have never managed to do it before. We enjoyed it very much and returned just in time to welcome our guests from the immediate neighborhood, who came to christen a new little playhouse which used to be Arnold Berge’s Pewter Shop.

He has migrated now to his own barn and gave me the opportunity to turn this building into a playroom, which I hope will be useful to many people on the place through the winter months. The Valley Vagabond Players gave an excellent performance of Johnny Doodle, which everyone enjoyed. The singing at the end was also a great success.

For refreshments of cider and doughnuts, we moved over to my cottage and then the cast stayed to talk for a little while around my fire. It was 11:00 before we settled back to our usual country quiet. I am very much interested in what the young drama students have been doing. They look up Hudson River material and use it to produce plays in the neighborhood, which gives us much of our own history in very palatable fashion. There seems to me to be much material in Johnny Doodle, pertinent to the situations we meet today. Work, determination and firm rooted convictions, will carry you through many a seemingly hopeless struggle.

This is another beautiful “October” day. Perhaps we are reversing our months and enjoying autumn now. Nevertheless, I revel in these days and was glad to rise early this morning to see a young guest off and to take Bobby Baker over for an early morning ride.

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