Evening star., 1932-10-13
MRS. ROOSEVELT
T|RELESS WORKER
Wife of Presidential Nom-
inee Helps to Run
School.
BY JUNE HAMILTON RHODES.

SCllOUl.
BY JUNE HAMILTON RHODES.
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, wife of
the Democratic nominee for President,
is woman you work with, rot for.
This 7 know, because she was my I'M
mediate superior when I was director
of publicity for the women'S activities
In the Smith presidential campaign.
The final o. K. on my appointment
to this position was to be given by
Mrs. Roosevelt. I saw htr then Tor
the first time. She was sitting be-
hind a golden oak rolled-top. desk.
creating an oasis Cf order and quiet
in room in which excited clerks,
furniture movers and professional order
givers were shifting Democratic head
quarters from temporary to permanent
Offices She was asserting mail. She
was debating. She was answering a
telephoned query. She was giving final
instructions for her new office.
Kindly Eyes.
My card lay before Mrs. Roosevelt.
I was about to explain who was and
why I had come. As she looked at
me steadily ! became aware that I
was looking into the kindest eyes ]
had ever seen. She interrupted my
first words with, "Well, MY dear, when
do. do you begina egiIaa Why Why no~' II you
Compared to the elaborate question
naires which usually confront appli-
cants for jobs this method was at
least unique. I discovered later that,
meticulous as she is in regard for de-
tail, she trusts her experience and
Judgment of people. Her genius for
organization makes possible the va
riety of activities in which she Is en-
gagged and the volume of work she ac-
complishes every day of her life.
These qualities react on her col
phere Of quiet and poise that even in
the most hectic hours of the campaign
no one ever lost her temper.
The people who work with Mrs.
Roosevelt are all colleagues. Working
together IS her idea of working. No
one ever works for her, and when Mrs.
Roosevelt's name appears on the score
OF committee boards Of which she Is
member she is not a name on letter.
head, but an actual working part Of
the activities of the institution.
When We worked for Eleanor Roose-
welt, she felt confidence in our ability
close association, there was never one
moment of interference or dic:ation.
There were certain hours Of confer
enceS and suggestions, always ending
with II am certain you can do this
better in your own way, than could
suggest"
Her unfailing courtesy, and her ready
sympathy, her ability to give definite,
clean-cut answer to any question, or to
give definite, explicit order, make her
a JOY to work with. Tolerance, forth
tude, courage, quiet, strength are the
forces that make her so outstanding,
not the force of hard, driving, unyield-
ing energy.
Worked I2-Hour Day.
Even the herculean Job Of organizing
the women Of 48 States and 4 Terri
tories failed to obliterate her mother
ing instinct. Imagine if you can, the
pressure of preparing Gov. Smiths first
touring campaign. Special literature,
news photographs, newspaper stories
written in advance. Communications
established between key women along
the way and Mrs. Roosevelt's head
quarters. And always always short
handed. Eleanor Roosevelt was usually
at her desk from 8 in the morning
until at night.
At last we were off. When I walked
into my compartment, just as the train
was pulling out from Albany, I found
a packet addressed to me, in Mrs.
Roosevelt's handwriting. It contained
a small pneumatic pillow. Because"
wrote Mrs. Roosevelt, II remember the
year I campaigned my back was always
so tired and know you are going to
need this every day you are out
There has grown up through the
mediums and channels that any one
who has had experience in national
politics understands so easily, tradt-
ton that Eleanor Roosevelt Is an in
tellectual-a brilliant, cold, extremely
clever, managing woman.
Like all great myths, this Is about as
far from the truth as San Francisco Is
from New York.
Keeps Opinions to Self.
Certainly she has opinions-but with
1t, the rare good sense to keep them to
herself. In her own words, 1T Is i'm
possible for husband and wife both to
have political careers. 1t requires all
the energy and united effort OF an
entire household to support one" The
wife of any politician must never make
any allusion to her own political opln-
bands. She must never agree to try
to convince him on any point, whether
regarding some stand already taken or
upon some matter on which he has not
yet passed judgment"
Like all extremely sensitive people,
she is shy; growing up in family OF
cousins who were exceptionally good
looking, she became at an early age
conscious of the fact that she was not
a beauty and began to devote her time
and energy to her studies and to out
of-door sports Tall, graceful, with
extraordinarily fine eyes and unusually
fine hands, she retains even now Ger
tain simplicity and naturalness unusual
in our generation. -,
Mrs. Roosevelt is that rapidly dis
appearing type-an American lady by
birth, by instinct and by training. She
also possesses more energy, vitality ana
love Of life than any woman have ever
known Her children all reflect 1t. She
is generous, sympathetic, sensitive TO
the conditions under which her fellow
beings live and work. Her entire
thought and life expression is directed
toward humanitarian activities. Her
friends up and down the social scale
turn to her for help when in trouble.
Solicitous for Friends.
It is Eleanor oRsoevelt who writes
the personal notes and remembers to
send that certain book on sailing date.
II is Eleanor Roosevelt who calls up on
yn