Eleanor Roosevelt – My Day (Jan. 1941)

21

January 24, 1941

Washington, Thursday –
We saw the newsreels of the Inauguration the night before last, and they certainly were well done. I was particularly struck by the inaugural parade, especially the NYA, CCC, and WPA units. I wish we might have had more clearly demonstrated the various activities carried on by these organizations, for I feel sure others were as interested as I was. The pageantry of a military parade is always exciting and that part of it cannot help but be impressive.

However, as the different units marched past us and ended up with the rapid rolling by of the tanks and other military equipment, I thought of a poem which Nanette W. Barnard sent me a few days ago.

I quote it here for your consideration.

PEACE

When the madness of war is over
And the siren’s shriek shall cease
Like the calm of benediction
Will descend on the world a peace. And men with holy effort
In tribute to those who have gone,
Will seek to establish justice
And conquer evil and wrong. They will live with loftier purpose,
True kindness toward neighbor and friend
But with unfailing resolution
That forever war must end.

I hope that what she predicts will come true and that we shall translate our “loftier purpose” into such practical ways as the consideration of the world economic situation. We must work to make it possible for people all over the world to live better and, therefore, have less reason to attack their neighbors.

We might as well face the fact that it is fundamental of human nature to want to feel secure and to be comfortable. Nobody likes being cold and hungry. If we want peace we must keep this fact constantly before us.

Yesterday afternoon, the ladies of the Fifth General Assembly of the Council of State Governments, came to tea with me. There were a few familiar faces and I was especially glad to see Miss Grace Reavu, an old friend from Albany, NY.

In the evening, Mr. Tom Campbell, an old friend from Montana and New Mexico, dined with us. I have rarely known anyone with a more vivid personality. He radiates enthusiasm and energy.

Mrs. Morgenthau, Anna and I are just going out to lunch with Mrs. Harold Ickes, wife of the Secretary of the Interior. This gives us a pleasant drive into the country.

22

January 25, 1941

Washington, Friday –
Yesterday afternoon I was glad to have an opportunity to talk with Mr. Elmer Harber from Oklahoma. Some time ago, on a lecture trip, I had the pleasure of spending the night with Mr. and Mrs. Harber, and I am always anxious to renew old acquaintanceships. He told me a number of interesting things, among them he mentioned the generous gift of scrap iron which is being shipped from the town of Seminole, Oklahoma, to the British. Such generosity would indicate a real understanding of the fact that Great Britain’s victory is important to the world.

I went in to tea for a few minutes at the Dumbarton House, where the New York Colonial Dames were acting as hostesses. The house is very lovely and they are holding teas there every Thursday afternoon to welcome visitors. The charming furnishings and the proportions of the rooms make this house well worth a sightseeing visit.

Later, I spent a half hour or more with a young group of Colgate College students who have been in Washington since mid-September studying their government. They now go back to finish the year in academic halls, but I think they all feel that their practical experience has been more valuable than any amount of textbook study of the subject could be.

Mr. Gilmore D. Clarke, Chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts, dropped in at tea time to talk over some of the White House furnishings. Through the kindness of a committee, which was established in President Coolidge’s day, we are gradually acquiring some very lovely furnishings in the Red Room, as well as adding to those already in the Green Room. We are delighted with each new addition and I hope that future occupants of the White House will enjoy them as much as we do.

In the evening we attended the annual dinner given to us by the members of the Cabinet. My mother-in-law, our daughter and her husband were able to be here also. It was, as always, a charming dinner and Mr. Lawrence Tibbett sang afterwards and gave us a very happy evening.

I am flying to New York City this morning, and tonight am attending a dinner given by the New York Women’s Trade Union League in my honor. I always feel a little guilty when dinners are given for me, but I realize that these attentions come to me largely as the wife of the President. I am happy, however, to have this group feel that something has been accomplished during the past few years, for we have long worked together in the hope of improving the lot of the working woman.

23

January 27, 1941

Washington, Sunday –
Yesterday morning, in New York City, I certainly did as many things as one could well put into the hours of one morning.

Miss Esther Lape went with me to my first appointment at 10:00 at the Museum of Modern Art. There we began on the top floor and progressed downwards through the Indian exhibit. I think it is one of the most exciting and thrilling exhibitions I have been to in a long while. What beautiful work the Indians did, even in the days when stone tools were all they had. I am thrilled by the fact that their skill has not died out and that many of the things which they make today are easily adapted to our modern life.

Some woven Indian material makes a delightful cover for a modern chair, and an Indian drum makes a very convenient little table for use beside that chair. Much of the silver work is really beautiful and one of the best silversmiths was there himself to explain his art, which he is now teaching in one of the Indian schools. An Indian painter and some Indian weavers are also on hand ready to answer your questions.

Never before have I had the sense of centuries of development which lie back of the arts of our Indian people. This Indian exhibition should certainly stimulate production and bring us, as consumers, a realization of what we can do to keep the Indian arts and skills alive for future generations.

After leaving this exhibition, I met Mr. and Mrs. Edward D. Andrews, who are concerned about the disposition of their wonderful Shaker collection. They have examples of all types of Shaker work and they have collected information on Shaker life and customs for many years. This collection should undoubtedly be preserved for the future because the Shaker colonies are rapidly dying out.

I went to the Hammond Organ Company to receive an organ which they are presenting to the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation. From there I proceeded to the Vanderbilt Hotel to see an exhibition of furniture made by the Arthurdale, West Virginia, furniture factory. I was much pleased with the work which they are now doing on a commercial basis.

At 1:00, I attended the National Public Housing Conference luncheon and was much interested in Mr. Swope’s speech on the accomplishments in New York City.

By 4:00, Miss Lape and I were on the train for Philadelphia, Pa., where I spoke at the commencement exercises of the South Philadelphia High School for Girls. The class sang a part of Plain-Chant For America by Mrs. Francis Biddle, and later part of the “Ballad For Americans.” I enjoyed seeing this fine group of girls. After a call on Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Bok, I took a plane at 11:35 p.m. for Washington and was very glad to reach home. This is a quiet day of rest!

24

January 28, 1941

New York, Monday –
It was sad indeed to see my daughter and her husband leave yesterday afternoon, but we had had a delightful time together. I can look forward to a real visit with them again in the spring in Seattle, when I shall see the children as well. Perhaps the nicest things come to us only occasionally to keep us from becoming spoiled!

I returned to a very pleasant few minutes at tea with Mrs. Leigh-White. She is on her way to South America to further the organization of Girl Scouts. I think this is a very important tour and Mrs. Leigh-White, who is an Englishwoman and has been interested for many years in the international aspects of the Girl Scout movement, is doing the whole organization a great service by undertaking it.

Mrs. William Brown Meloney also arrived at tea time to stay a few days and it is wonderful to have her well enough for a visit. In the evening, the President and I, with quite a large party, attended the benefit performance for the Infantile Paralysis Fund given by Miss Jane Cowl and her company in their play Old Acquaintance.

We all enjoyed the play. It is well cast, both Miss Cowl and Miss Wood play their parts so that you almost forget you are not actually living through the scenes. The lines are delightful and it is gay in spite of the acceptance of the fact that one can’t get away from suffering. I have never been much of a believer in dramatic self-sacrifice, so I could not help enjoying Kit’s remark to Deidre:

And what good will it do?

They all came back to supper and we had a very pleasant time together.

Because the weather looked threatening and I had to start for New Haven, Conn., at 2:00, I decided to take the train up to New York City last night. Here I spent a quiet morning and am now off on a busy afternoon and evening and another night train back to Washington.

I wonder if any of my readers are familiar with the research program which has been carried on during the past six years by Mr. Charles F. Reid of the College of the City of New York. He has been building up a bibliography of the territories and outlying possessions of the United States of America. This project has a bearing on national defense for it secures information which is of strategic and military value to the national program.

These bibliographies should really be in every public library, school and college in the country. A greater knowledge of the Panama Canal and our outlying possessions will enable our citizens to understand better the problems of national defense. The editor has done this monumental work as a labor of love, and I hope that librarians and teachers are going to be interested in the project because of its educational value.

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January 29, 1941

Washington, Tuesday –
It was a busy afternoon in New Haven, Conn., yesterday, but a very pleasant one. On arrival, I was met by Mrs. Wolfers, whose husband is head of Pierson College, and a committee from the freshman forum. Mrs. Wolfers was a most solicitous hostess and gave me a cup of tea and a chance to dress before we received some guests between 5:00 and 6:00.

One of the guests, Miss Marian Whitney, was one of Mlle. Souvestre’s pupils, just as I was. We have always had a mutual interest in the past, though she attended the school in France and I attended it later in England. I was particularly touched by the fact that Miss Whitney wore a pin, which Mlle. Souvestre left her in her will, in order that I might see it and be carried back to the days when Mlle. Souvestre wore it.

I think mutual devotion draws people closely together, even when they know each other rather slightly. I always feel as though Miss Whitney were really a friend, simply because we share a devotion to Mlle. Souvestre and cherish her memory.

I had dinner with the committee in charge of the freshman forum and the professor at the head of Jonathan Edwards College, Mr. Robert D. French. Then we proceeded to the forum meeting where I spoke for half an hour and answered questions for nearly an hour. Later, some of the boys came back to Mr. and Mrs. Wolfers’ house and we talked and were fed and warmed. I, at least, was much encouraged and reassured by this contact with youth in a serious mood.

The young people in charge of the forum did everything possible to plan the meeting well and make it a pleasant and easy occasion for me. Never have I known more thoughtful, kindly hospitality than that which surrounded me in Professor and Mrs. Wolfers’ charming home.

On the way up in the train I read a little book called My Sister and I, by Dirk van der Heide. It is a diary of a Dutch boy refugee, a very simply told story of the days when Holland was taken over by the Germans; of the effect of constant bombing, of the sights on the road as they made their impression on the consciousness of a young boy, who tried very hard to be manly and strong and to record his little sister’s weaknesses with sympathetic understanding.

His mother’s death, the flight to England, and, finally, his trip to America, are all spoken of with restraint. But the final revelation of their effect on him comes when the doctor over here thinks he is a little nervous. The significance of this little book lies largely in what it reveals to us on the condition of children all over Europe. Can we never do away with such strains for our children?

This afternoon, Mr. Jerome Davis is coming to us to talk about how the YMCA helps to build bridges for friendship between nations even in war time through its contact with prisoners in camps in Canada and abroad. It may seem a little thing, but I feel sure that we should not neglect even the smallest thing which can make for kindlier feeling.

26

January 30, 1941

Washington, Tuesday –
Yesterday, Mrs. Henry Wallace, the wife of the Vice President, gave a delightful lunch for the wives of the members of the Senate. Old acquaintances seemed very happy to meet again, and the wives of new members were welcomed with open arms.

Last night we gave one of the most interesting dinners that I have attended for a long time. I think one of the things vital to all of us today, is a knowledge of our own country. Therefore, I am deeply interested in any method by which this knowledge may be acquired. The “Open Road,” in whose interest our dinner was given last night, is one of the organizations which I think is doing an extremely good piece work along the lines of a better understanding of our own United States and its people.

They organize groups to study different sections of the country. Many of the people who take these 6-to-8-week trips are teachers, social workers and undergraduates. All of them reach out to certain definite groups in their own communities and will share the knowledge which they obtain.

These trips are not just sightseeing trips but trips in which a real study is made of the life in a whole community; its industrial and agricultural opportunities, its education, recreational and social life. It is hoped that this summer there will be ten such trips offered. I cannot help feeling that everyone taking advantage of this type of travel will gain immeasurably in the knowledge of the country.

The speeches last night were so good that I found people did not even look tired when we broke up at midnight, and that is saying a good deal for after-dinner speeches! Dr. Neilson presided and, though he began by saying that he was told his remarks need have no human interest, I am quite sure that everyone present found much in what he said which was of interest from the standpoint of humanity and its future.

We are drawing to the climax of the infantile paralysis campaign. many people have sent me their contributions to the March of Dimes, and our mail is somewhat delayed by the flow of letters to the President. I am sure that the whole country is more conscious of the work for crippled people because of this yearly event. It always brings me a knowledge of something new.

This year I discovered the work of a convalescent home in Rockaway Park, NY, which is extremely interesting. The patients there have developed a printing shop, partly as a rehabilitation measure, and partly for support. You may order from them, writing paper, calling cards, place cards, playing cards and bridge scores. In fact, I imagine they would execute any printing order that you chose to give them.

The pictures in the booklet sent me, show the teacher laboriously training crippled hands and arms, showing boys on crutches how to operate certain machines, and yet the faces of the youngsters show complete forgetfulness of infirmities in the interest if their job and they look like happy young people.

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January 31, 1941

Washington, Thursday –
I drove out yesterday noon to the lovely old house called “Woodley,” which the Secretary of War and Mrs. Stimson occupy. When we were in Washington many years ago, our children used to romp around these lawns with the William Phillips’ children. As I looked out the window at the snowy scene, I could almost see the little figures in snowsuits of years gone by. We had a delightful lunch at Woodley with some of our New York friends there, as well as those living in Washington.

In the afternoon, there was a musicale at which Mr. William Masselos played the piano. Miss Marlyn Crittendon played the violin with Mr. Prescott Barrows as her accompanist. They all looked so young and attractive and the program was so well chosen that I enjoyed myself greatly and I hope all my guests had as pleasant a time.

While tea was still going on, I slipped upstairs with a few people who wanted a to have a quiet talk with me. One of them, Mrs. William Denman of California, is working on the continuation of the development of cultural relations in the Pacific. I am always interested to hear what they are doing in San Francisco, which is the center where these relations can best be developed.

In the evening, we all went to see Rose Franken’s play Claudia. I think I have told you before that this city is an extremely difficult testing place for new plays. The theatre is large and the audience is not, as a rule, very responsive. Last night there was spontaneous laughter all over the house and at times an audible tear. For myself, I can record a lump in my throat. I liked the “Claudia” of the book and I like her in the play. The acting in this play is good, the cast is well chosen and does a fine piece of work.

The second act still drags a little, but I am sure that will soon be changed. The lines are so good that you do not want to miss any of them and I am glad that Miss Franken has kept some of the actual words and sentences which have always stayed in my mind since I read the book.

You cannot run away from pain, so you must make friends with it, whether it is pain in the body or pain in the heart. You must learn to let go of the things you love, not only giving them up for the next world, but giving them up here. Things that we cling to and which should be free, are torn from us with bitterness and never return. Things we willingly let go are saved and return to us with greater value than before.

We have just had lunch for all the kind artists who come here every year to entertain for the President’s birthday. My two neighbors at lunch, Mr. Lauritz Melchior and Mr. Wallace Beery, were delightful companions. In fact, I like my guests better and better each year. Perhaps I feel I know them a little better and, as we go around the house and I deliver my little lectures on the various rooms, I get a little glimpse of their interests and enthusiasms as well.