Evening star., 1938-01-30
Letters by Thousands in
the Presidents Mail
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

almost everybody in every part Of the
country writes to the President. Letters
not only come from every nook and cor
ner Of the United States, but from all
parts OF the world. The President could.
II he did nothing else, read only a small
fraction Of the mail addressed to him.
even if he read continuously from early
morning till late at night.
The number of letters received by the
President each day varies from 1000 to
1000, depending upon business condi-
tlons and most particularly the weather.
When people are driven indoors on ac-
count OF bad weather, correspondence
increases and the White House shares a
portion OF this increased volume of let
ter writing. In such periods personal
needs increase, and people have more
time to reflect upon their woes So of
goes letter to Mr.. Roosevelt-in hope.
~
Content matter of the Presidents mail.
also, is varied, for it covers almost every
conceivable subject from toothache to a
world war. Letters that threaten or ad-
versely criticize the President and letters
that offer the most kindly and generous
help IN his arduous tasks represents the
two extremes OF the correspondence re-
celved. But the bulk of the Presidents
mail consists Of pleas for help. These
pleadings, while probably not always reg
lsterlng true state of affairs. measure
an outpouring Of human hearts in times
OF distress. Appeals directed to the
President family imply that others can
not be trusted, or that someone other
than the President will not give the ap-
peal proper attention. This is probably
the answer to why so many letters relat.
Ing to affairs of Government depart.
ments are addressed for the Presidents
attention. There is hope that the letters
Will go unopened to the Presidents desk.
since no President can go personally
INTO all matters referred to his office. he
must depend upon his advisers. and per.
NIT his secretarial staff to refer to the
respective departments and bureaus the
majority OF letters received Relatively few
letters addressed to the President 90 with
out acknowledgment, but only fraction
OF the replies are signed by the President,
propaganda and crank letters come in
no small numbers. AS a rule these COM
munlcatlons are not answered, for to do
so would be to invite volume of worth
less correspondence.
war cloud in the skies, a possible
1orty-olillon deficit, fight with Con-
gresS. supreme Court appointments, con-
1erences with business heads. steering 2
course in the hope of preventing thou
SANDS from starving. and being bedeyiled
with hundred other complex matters,
all make up the Presidents day. But the
tnought OF these matters does not deter
Wel-meaning woman who writes Mr.,
Roosevelt that certain relief worker
must be fired and immediate action Is
expected. The woman visualizeS the
President reading her letter, pausing
over the gravity of the situation, and
calling Tor the workers resignation. No
less concerned and serious Is the father
VINO writes OF his long struggles against
sickness. OF his business nisfortunes, his
inability to procure work and finally that
a new arrival is expected in the family.
Hope springs eternal and plea goes to
the Chief Executive for assistance of
some kind.
Letters written to the President are
not all from adults. Thousands come
from children, some asking for TOYS or
some trivial thing. but always a reality
with the child. Many of the letters re-
ceived from children tell of home condi-
uons-one such letter saying that the
Iather mad no shoes. Expressions of hu-
manity in its simplest and most sincere
form are recorded in the letters sent bv
children to the President.
*+
The depression years have added to
the variety of the Presidents mail. Thou
sands having lost all have grown bitter
and cynical and reflect it in their mis-
sives Others write in a more kindly
manner, while advice on how to end the
depression has been in great abundance
The widespread work-relief program of
the Government has added greatly to the
amount and variety of the Presidents
mail, for many workers are prompted to
take their grievance and wants to the
head OF the Government for which they
are working.
The radio has been the means OF Gre
atlng the greatest incentive to write the
President. After each broadcast by Mr.,
Roosevelt the White House mail greatly
increases in volume. People hear the
PRESIDENTS voice, and as he is a good
radio speaker, hope and confidence are
renewed and poured out from all Sec
tions OF the land. One mans children
are starving. another's rent is in arrears
and the landlord threatening, while an
other makes plea for better house.
Tor bathtub, or false teeth, and no few
ask for loan Of some amount. The
extreme OF these requests was recently
received when a well-meaning CORE
spondnt made request that he be SUD-
piled with United States check book.
X X
private personal and private
personal and confidential" secret"
private business and ''private-hands
OH, are some OF the notalions on thou
SANDS OF petitions sent to the Chief
Executive. Many correspondents seem
TO know that secretaries open the Presi-
dents mail. for many letters carry nota-
tlons that the letters must not be opened
Dy a secretary or clerk. One correspond
ent warned office boys, by notation on
the envelope, not to open his letter. Not
lew letters intended for the President
are addressed to Theodore Roosevelt. and
occasionally some communication comes
addressed to Woodrow Wilson,
Ihe story has gone the rounds in
washington for several years that Presi-
oent Hoover received letter from a
man much In distress and asking for
SloO The circumstances involved
seemed to be so worthy and the plea 81
urgent that Mr.. Hoover mailed his per
sonal check for $50. Later the man wrote
the White House again. asking for on
oIler hundred, but cautioned in his let
ter not to let Mr.. Hoover handle the
transaction, since he reduced his last
application to $50