Evening star., 1934-09-03
PRESIDENT ENJOYS
LABOR DAY PICNIC.
Observes Holiday After Peek
Conference-Watches
Strike News.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG,
staf Correspondent OF The Star.

- 49, u AaASAAs ~. a - oCPbChlDCL
Like many thousands of others
throughout the land today, President
Roosevelt is observing Labor day by
seeking relaxation from his labors
picnicing beside the small pond in
front of the cottage on the Waikiki
part of the large Roosevelt estate.
But unlike most other workers he
was not fortunate enough to declare
himself full holiday and enjoy a
day Of complete freedom and fun,
forgetting all business.
During the forenoon he remained
In his office. For more than an hour
he conferred with George N. Peek, his
special assistant in charge of foreign
exports. and Immediately afterward
had brief talk with Walter A. Cronk,
prominent Poughkeepsie, N. Y,
lawyer.
Although the Summer White House
gave no enlightenment to the press,
the belief is that Peek, who has been
studying the export trade possibilities
for many months, brought to Mr..
Roosevelt on this occasion a report
that makes it possible for him to
look forward hopefully to new op-
portunities for American trade in
various parts of the world
Concerned Over Strike.
Naturally, the President is deeply
concerned about the textile strike, and
is watching developments with eager
ness and anxiety. The first thing he
did when he went to his "cubby hole
study on the first floor of his home
which is serving as his temporary
Office, was to pore over the overnight
and early morning messages dealing
with this labor difficulty.
No comment was forthcoming re-
garding the textile tie-up, nor was
there any indication the President Is
contemplating Federal Intervention
His present attitude seems to be one OF
watchful waiting.
Today's picnic has been entirely ar
ranged by Mrs Roosevelt, who from
years of experience is a postmaster In
the art. Tables and long wooden
benches have been arranged in semi
circle in front of the huge stone out
door fireplace and oven. With the
mirror-like pond close by, and the
artistic. rambling cottage of stone at
the far end of the smooth lawn, the
setting is a peaceful and attractive
one. The family swimming pool. the
water for which flows in over drain
at the end of the pond, ADDS to the
picture.
The picnic is what the Roosevelts
@call a family affair" In the happy
party besides the President and Mrs.
Roosevelt. are Mrs. Sara Delano Roose-
welt, the Presidents 80-year- -old
mother; members of the executive
staff assigned to the Summer White
House, newspaper correspondents and
their wives. news photographers and
their wives and the half a dozen secret
service men on duty here.
President Roosevelt yesterday at
tended services at the Hyde Park Epis-
copal Church where he is one of the
senior wardens, and in the afternoon
had the pleasure of seeing the "RooSe-
velt Ball Club" win d base ball game
from the Saints and the Sinners Club
Of Pawling, N. Y.
The score was 26 to Is in favor of
the Washington athletes. but the story
of the game is not told in the final
score, but In just how the scores were
made. The President personally
coached his team from the seat of his
automobile. with Mrs. Roosevelt cheer
ing in the seat beside him. The
Presidents team was made up OF cor
respondents, photographers, secret
service men and Harry L. Hopkins.
Federal relief administrator, and Dr.
Rexford Tugwell, Undersecretary of
Agriculture and member of the So
called brain trust.
Roosevelt Gets Credit.
Mr. Roosevelt is given full credit for
the victory by his display of strategy
in directing the play of his team.
There is no doubt that he saved the
day when he yanked DR.. Tugwell out
of the box when the Pawling team had
batted him for nine runs in the sixth
inning. The great and youthful econ
omist and brain trust member had a
crestfallen look on his face as he left
the box and walked to the bench, but
the President showed no heart in his
desire to have his team win.
During Administrator Hopkins two
innings as center fielder he muffed his
only two chances to catch a fly and
during his one time at the bat went
out on a little pop fly.
After using up long string of pitch
ers, the President finally sent Edward
L. Roddan. Universal correspondent,
to the mound and he succeeded in
halting the sluggers from Pawling.
The team from Pawling was man
aged and captained by Lowell Thomas,
writer and radio broadcaSter, but the
outstanding star of that defeated
team was K. c. Casey Hogate, presi-
dent and publisher of the Wall Street
Journal, whose several two and three
baggerS succeeded in making him run
of lot of his more than $50 pounds
of flesh. At the end of the game the
President consented to give the Pawl-
ing team a chance for revenge on
their home grounds at Pawling, about
40 miles from here, next Sunday.
An interesting incident of yester-
days game was the fact that it was
played on the grounds of the Stats
burg Country Club, which was at
one time part of the large Hudson
River estate Of Ogden L. Mills.