Evening star., 1937-05-30
PRESIDENT WELL
DESPITE TERUMORS
Revived Whispering Cam
paign Source Of Annoyance
at White House.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG

BY ]. RUSSELL YOUNG.
Within the last few weeks there ha:
been a revival of rumors. of the whis.
pering kind, to the effect that Presi.
dent Roosevelt is not a well man phys.
ically.
Campaigns OF this sort, which have
been directed against practically al
occupants Of the White House, usually
are conducted in advance Of presiden.
tial elections, and their malicious in
tent usually is for political gain. The
present revival of whispering concern
ing Mr.. Roosevelt. therefore, is out o1
season and unexpected
President Roosevelt, however, is in
excellent physical condition. 1t is
true he is susceptible to head colds
and is just recovering from one which
mas been bothering him for three or
four days; but, aside from that, he is
in excellent health.
His personal physician, Dr. Ross T
McIntire, who sees the President sew
eral times each day, is authority for
the statement yesterday that Mr.
Roosevelt is actually in better condi-
ton physically than whep he en-
tered the White House more than
four years ago This is significant
when it is considered that Mr.. Roose-
velt has been under a strain due to
the problems OF his Office virtually
every day he has occupied the White
House.
Weight About Normal.
Mr.. Roosevelt is not pound over
weight. A few days ago he tipped
the scales at 1873 pounds. which is
Just about right for his height of 6
feet 2 inches. He has good ap-
petite, sleeps WELL can always laugh
and joke and is rarely, If ever, out OF
humor.
Quite naturally these rumors about
the Presidents health annoy him and
are irritating to those close to him.
But Mr.. Roosevelt looks on this form
of attack in a philosophical manner
and is inclined to laugh it off with the
casual remark Of We'll, just consider
the source"
Mr.. Roosevelt's shoulders are wide
and powerful. His chest is Deep His
arms are like iron and his hands are
slneWy. His eyes are clear and his
complexion good He follows a rigid
rule for keeping in trim by being care
full what he eats, worrying as little as
possible and taking a daily swim in
the White House pool His swimming
gives him the exercise he needs after
hard days work and keeps his
waistline down.
On Fishing Trip.
Peculiarly enough. just about the
time the present whispering campaign
was being revived, Mr.. Roosevelt was
out on the Gulf of Mexico in q little
boat fishing for tarpon. Any one IA
miliar with this sport knows it would
be a dif1cult thing for q sick man to
haul in a l00-pound tarpon after
playing it on the line about an hour
and half
The newspaper men who "cover''
the President daily do not have to
take any ones word for the state OF
his health. They are in a position
to see for themselves. They accom-
pany him on his trips. They see him
at work and at play, and If there was
any perceptable decline in his physical
condition they would be quick to
detect it.
There is no reason for any concern
about Mr.. Roosevelt having a cold
in the head or OF having a touch of
the grippe. Like many strong men
he is susceptible to these things
But seldom do these attacks, which
rarely last for more than two or three
days. confine him to his bed. He
merely stays away from his ONCE and
does his work In his study, which
adjoins his bed room in the second
story Of the White House.