Evening star., 1938-10-15
ROOSEVELT ASKS
NAT|0NTOCVET0
PRIVATE: CHARITY
Federal Aid Program Must
Have Help of Local
Agencies, He Says.
INHERENT GENEROSITY
OF NATION is PRAISED
Cooperation of All Units in New
England Disaster Cited as
Example by President.

President Roosevelt last night called
on all Americans to participate
in the private charity drive conducted
each year under the general supervi-
sion of the Mobilization for Human
Needs in the form of Community
Chest campaigns.
The President, speaking over the
radio from the White House. said that
although the Governments opera
tions for the needy are widespread
the private agencies still have much
to do before any of us can rest on our
oars or on our laurels."
Mr.. Roosevelt said:
In troubled days when the nerves
of men and women have been strained
almost to the breaking point We have
been in danger of losing sight of one
very important fact-the all-pervading
human kindness of men and women.
This human kindness cannot be Gre
ated artificially out of speeches and
appeals-it is part of life itself.
In accordance with this thought,
am not this year making a speech or
an appeal in behalf of the 1888 Mo-
bilization for Human Needs, but am
calling your attention to the past and
present generosity of the people of
America That generosity never has
failed and please God it never will
fail In full faith and confidence,
therefore, I present to you the news
that local Community Chest drives will
shortly be undertaken in all parts of
the country.
Private Needs Great.
There are some persons who say
that the need for voluntary private
agencies has decreased. They say that
the vernment-Federal, State and
local-has moved in and taken over
part of the jurisdiction of the private
agencies. Such persons talk as if the
scope of voluntary action and of mu-
tual aid had been limited or even
eliminated.
Private community effort is not
contradictory in principle to Govern
ment effort. whether local, State or
national All of these are needed to
make up the partnership upon which
our Nation is founded. The scope of
voluntary action cannot be limited
because the very desire to help the less
fortunate is basic and spontaneous
human urge that knows no boundary
lines. 1t is an urge that advances CIV
ilization. like to think it is a ma
tional characteristic.
Let me give you an example of the
successful working together. One Sec
ton of our country, New England, has
recently been devastated by hurricane
and tidal wave. Hundreds of lives were
.ost and millions of dollars worth OF
property were destroyed. This was
indeed tragedy. But there was one
consolation in this New England
tragedy. Hardly had the hurricane
subsided when all the forces of Gov
eminent, assisting and cooperating
with private agencies, were rushed to
the aid Of the injured, the sick and the
homeless. How many lives were saved
because of these efforts no one can
say. The extent to which human suf-
fering was alleviated is beyond all
estimate. And we can say that no
effort was spared to aid the victims
Of this disaster.
Rehabilitating Storm Area.
"The rehabilitation work is still 60
ing on. The Red Cross, the w. P. A.,
the c. c. c., the NJ Y. A., the Army
Engineers and other Federal agencies
are working with the local agencies,
both private and public, to rehabili-
tate those stricken areas and to assist
those who are in need Certainly, there
has been no conflict between Govern
ment and private agencies-there has
been more than enough work for both.
And there is more than enough work
for both in our national effort to lift up
the lower one-third of our Nation to a
standard Of living which will conform
with decency and comfort and self
respect
1T is true that our Government has
assumed increased responsibilities for
social welfare. We are giving work
to more than 100000 men and women,
unemployed through no fault of their
own, on our w. P. A. program.
Through our Social Security program
we are aiding the States in caring for
the aged, for widows and children and
Tor the blind. We are providing new
opportunities for more than a half
million boys and girls through our
c. c. c. and N. Y. A. programs; and in
many other ways the Federal Govern
ment, IN cooperation with the State
and local governments, is aiding our
under-privileged citizens.
Pioneer Agencies" Cited.
But you may well ask If the need
FOR community action is as great as
before, now that your Government has
provided a national program for social
security. I would answer that the
need is just as great as before, because
Government help was intended and is
intended to improve the old conditions
and If local help and private help de-
crease today, we will nullify the i'm
proVement and return to just where
we were before. Very definitely we
need the effort of the pioneer agencies.
the local voluntary agencies, because it
Is expended on concrete problems
which must be met if our whole pro-
gram is to go forward with the co-ordi-
nation that is its basic aim.
Community leaders have met the
challenge of changing conditions. Thev
are not looking backward with resent
ment against the Government. They
have welcomed the acts of their Gov
eminent as liberation of their efforts,
as an opportunity to move forward on
the front Of social progress.
1T is these men and women whom I
salute. They are the shock troops of
the social conscience. call upon
the American people to fall in behind
such leadership and to widen the social
horizon. am thoroughly convinced
that no matter how much the Govern
ment does, the private agencies of
America still have much to do before
any OF us can rest on our oars or on
our laurels. I am thoroughly con-
vinced that the American people want
to participate on voluntary and in
dividual basis in the endeavor to make
This ,f,x, Loe