Evening star., 1936-03-07
Grave M isunsder-
standing of Institu-
tions Is Shown.
By James Waldo Fa,ccetf.

r. VERYBODY writes to the Pres
r ident of the United States.
IL Franklin D. Roosevelt, it has
been announced, receives ap-
proximately 1000 letters a day. They
come from individuals who. at one
extreme. threaten him and, at the
other, freely offer to die for him.
The former are dealt with by the
authorities as a matter of routine;
the latter are politely ignored.
But the bulk of the incoming mail
is addressed to the President, rather
than to other officers of the Govern
ment, because it is commonly supposed
he has control of the entire machinery
of the Federal Union. The circum-
stance indicates that the people either
do not understand or do not trust
their democratic institutions.
A clue to the situation may be de-
tected in numerous communications
containing such expressions as: Il
appeal to you because our Congress-
man hasn't been home for eight
months" I'VE have given up hope
that the Resettlement Administration
ever will get around to doing any,
thing for us unless you crack down
on them" and II told this woman in
the Relief Agency that would have
her fred If I had to go to you to do
it and that's what am doing and you
must not let me down now that !
have done it."
Obviously, thousands Of citizens still
have what might be called "the king
complex" They think of Mr.. Roose-
welt as their ancestors thought of the
crowned monarchs of the Middle Ages.
So much is indicated by the terms
of address which they employ. "Your
Highness," your Excellency," Com
mander," president and Head Of
the Congress-" "Chief New Dealer" +"
Chairman of the Brain Trust" DEM
ocratic Party President" Director of
the Government and the Budget"
public Works Man." Controller OF
Government" and "Chief Judge" are
not lnfrequent forms Of address.
Adjectives, like Honorable" Honest" :"
Kind" "Charitable" and Generous"
also are used. A North Dakota farmer
writes: Dear Honorable Honorable
Roosevelt" and a New York garment
worker declares: "You can help me
more than God"
MINE out of ten communications
4 y are petitions for aid. They re-
fleet the depression psychology of the
masses. Some missives are poignantly
pitiful; some downright impertinent.
Thus, an Alabama woman says:
Don't bother about me, but please,
for Jesus sake, don't let my children
starve," while a New Jersey critic
storms: what the hell! am sick
of waiting and want action i'm
mediately. You have kidded me long
enough. Who dc you think you are,
anyway"
But Mr.. Roosevelt reads only q
small fraction of his mail. The task
is physically impossible. If he did
nothing else but plow through letters
at the rate of 100 an hour he could
perase not more than 2,400 a day!
And it would be a sheer waste Of
energy for him to make the effort.
Instead, Chief Mail Clerk Ira Smith,
nearly 40 years in charge Of White
House postal routine, classifies and re-
distributes the never-ceasing flood Of
correspondence. Twenty-Five assist
ants labor under his direction.
On occasion, however, it is dificult
for Mr.. Smith to decide what DISPOSE
ton to make Of q given epistle. For
instance, man in Wyoming takes
pen in hand to say: "Dear Franklyn:
Why don't they give seed free gratis
any more, and how do you 60 to get
patent? Also. have q family Bible
with date 1840 which wish you would
sell for me because I can use the
money. Let me hear from you real
soon and Il you take commission It