The Washington times., 1934-03-05
Behind
The
Record
BY KARL NJ. KAHN
HCopyriEht. 1894. by International
News SerVice)

NCopyriEht. 1894. by International
News Service)
This Is a new column. Let
first things be first.
For year and day Franklin
D. Roosevelt has been first. The
spirit and the temper Of the
times have changed since March
4, 1888, but not the spirit nor
the temper of the New Dealer.
His spirit is probably more
Joyful than it was year ago,
his temper still unruffled.
Maybe it's because of the kick
he gets out of Mickey Mouse.
That is his favorite movie.
Long before new deaP' and
forgotten man" became phrases
as common as this mornings
breakfast eggs, the President
learned the therapeutics of good
cheer, good jokes, good food,
good sleep. Being first, he has
not ceased indulging himself
abundantly in all of them.
Has Gained Six Pounds
In a year and a day he has
gained six pounds in the office
that broke Wilson, took Hard
1ng's life, sapped Coolidge's vi
tality, and furrowed lines of
care in Hoover's face. He tips
the scale at 1874.
Maybe that is because he gets
all his calories and vitamins, his
proteinS and carbohydrates. He
likes his food, say those who see
him eat three big meals q day.
Scrambled eggs in his favorite
table pastime. That's his
dish" exclaimed one who is
more concerned with the Presi-
dents physical well being than
with his political policies and
Government goals.
It is not a sandwich and q
cup Of coffee when the Presi-
dent is too busy to leave the
executive office for lunch. The
tray that is set down on his
desk is heavy laden with Some-
thing like this:
A shrimp cocktail. soup. >.
scrambled eggs or fried chicken
toast. "a desert, sometimes
q piece of pie, occasionally q
pudding. coffee.
No Evidence of Worry
There is no evidence that the
President worries. He has a
few more gray hairs than he
had a year and a day ago, but
his face has not acquired
more lines or says.
Says one who is close:
eff he worries it is seldom
anyone can see it, no matter
how close they are to the
President. He certainly doesn't
worry his friends with his wOr-
rieS."
When he goes to bed it is
to sleep-soundly. That usually
is from II or 1880 to 8.
The white Honse break.
fasts" are no more. Mr.. Roose-
welt breakfasts in bed, and
1eads the newspapers.
But he gets no breakfast,
sees no news until he has had
three viSitors-Sistie and Buzz
Ne and Winks. A bank crisis,
. Cuban crisis, a gold crisis
may await the President in the
executive office, but first there
are Sistie and Buzzie and
Winks.
Sistie and Buzzie, the chill
dren Of Mrs. Anna Roosevelt
Dali, sleep in the room above
the Presidents. The patter of
their feet on the stairs her
aids the onslaught. A moment
later the door is flung open
and the children leap into
bed with their grandfather.
Winks, an English setter of
six months, joins them. Soon
the bed is a tangle of grand
father, grandchildren and dog.
Winks jumps to the floor,
back to the bed.
Presidential dignity Is moth
ing to him as he licks Mr..
Roosevelt's, face.
Maybe this is why the Presi-
dent comes into his office
smiling about 1920, and
smiles a great deal until he
leaves it for a swim in the
White House pool about 6.
Sometimes he smiles frank
ly, sometimes inscrutably, but
always charmingly. AS for
laughter, none so hearty has
been heard so often in the
White House since it last was
occupied by a Roosevelt.