Evening star., 1933-09-08
ROOSEVELT PLACES
A|DRESPONS|B|L|TY
ON EVERY CITIZEN
Human Needs Conference
Leaders Told U. S. Help
Is Last Resort.
PRESIDENT SAYS SOME
AREAS NOT DOING SHARE
Sees Greater Success in Drive for
Funds Due to Hopeful
Attitude.

The fundamental responsibility TOR
relieving the distress of millions this
Winter rests upon the individual citizen
and local organizations, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt told q group Of
800 social welfare leaders gathered on
the White House lawn this morning for
the opening Of the 1888 mobilization for
human needs conference.
At the same time, President Roosevelt
said, Community Chest and similar
campaigns should be more successful
than last year because "by and large,
the country is in a more hopeful frame
OF mind. The people have more money
to spend and don't let them tell you
otherwise. More wage earners are back
at work and people with property are
getting better returns"
Deploring the tendency to throw re-
sponsibility on the Government, he
spoke of some areas which lately have
not done their share and have been
coming hat in hand to the Federal
Government"
President Roosevelt spoke extempo-
raneously, explaining that he had been
somewhat occupied in the last 48 hours
with human needs outside our own
country in the hope that the United
States would not have to act and that
another republic would be able to solve
its own difficulties."
Many Doing Best.
"The many governments in the
United States-Federal. State and the
tens of thousands of local govern
ments-are doing their best" he said,
ito meet what in some ways Is the
most serious crisis In our history. The
Government cannot accomplish the
task alone. During the past months,
It has entered many new fields of hu-
man endeavor. We Americans do not
wish to see the permanent extension
Of Government to the extent Of reliev-
ina our responsibilities as citizens.
"You face individual needs. Citizens
In their private capacity, churches,
community chests and charitable Or
carnations are expected to do their ut
most. If that is not enough the second
step Is that Of the local government.
II this Is NOT enough, the next unit Is
the state. II this iss not enough, tne
Federal Government must step IN pe.
cause Of an inherent duty-although It
Is not written In the Constitution, TO
keep American citizens from stravtng.
Politics Hinder A1o.
"There are many examples Of areas
not doing their share. coming hat N
hand to the Federal Government, and
saying we want relief There are
States where the problem Of relief u
mixed with politics There are cases OF
municipalities going ahead with the
spending of taxes for political purposes
and saying there is no money left Tor
relief. These are diminishing In num-
ber. The people are telling the gov
ernmental bodies that they must play
fair"
There are cases close to the border
line of emergency, the President said.
Yesterday, he explained, the Governor
Of South Dakota had given him pic
ture Of grasshopper ravages over one
third the counties Of the State. with
everything devoured down to the roots
and nothing left for man or domes-
tic animals to eat.
"Thousands Of farm families" he
said. "are faced by the simple fact that
they and their stock have no possible
way of getting anything to live on until
some time next Summer. That's an
emergency, close to the Red Cross Dor
derline"
quite a different case, he said. was
that of hunger in the coal mining as
tricts which has continued over q long
neriod and where the other elements
in the community or State have failed
to do their share"
you will find tendency this year,
he said. "for people to say. I can't. !
believe you can do it more largely ana
efficientiy than last year. BY ana large,
the country is in a more hopeful frame
of mind, You have right to expect
a Larger success and you must go lnto
the campaign with that idea IN mino.
MANY will say, I've alreaoy gwen.
Leave me out There can pc no s4cn