Evening star., 1939-11-20

II LIE FAhh, ~. r., MOO. SU.-
Here is the tert OF President Roose-
uelt's address at the laying OF the
corner stone OF the Franklin D.
Roosevelt Library yesterday:
Half q century ago a small boy
took especial delight in climbing an
old tree. now unhappily gone, to
pick and eat ripe sickle pears. That
was 100 feet to the west of where
We stand. Just to the north he
used to lie fiat between the straw
berry rows and eat sun-warmed
strawberries. In the spring of the
year, in hip rubber boots, he sailed
his first toy boats in the surface
water formed by the melting SHOWS.
In the summer with his dogs he dug
into the woodchuck holes of this
same field. The descendants of
those same woodchucks still in
habit the field and I hope they will
continue to do so for all time.
It has, therefore, been my personal
hope that this library, and the use
of it by scholars and visitors, will
come to be an integral part of a
country scene which the hand of
man has not greatly changed since
the days of the Indians who dwelt
here 300 years ago.
Peaceful Countryside.
We know from simple deduction
that these fields were cultivated by
the first inhabitants of America
for the oak trees in these fields were
striplings three centuries ago and
grew up in open fields as is proved
to us by their wide spreading lower
branches. Therefore, they grew in
open spaces and the only open
spaces we're the corn fields of the
Indians.
This is peaceful countryside and
it seems appropriate that in this
time of strife we should dedicate
the library to the spirit of peace
peace for the United States and
soon, we hope. peace for the world.
At the same time we can express
the thought that those in the days
to come who seek to learn from
contemporaneous documents the
history of our time will gain a less
superficial and more intimate and
accurate view of the aspirations and
purposes OF all kinds of Americans
who have been living in these times.
Letters of Importance.
OF the papers which will come to
rest here I personally attach less
importance to the documents of
those who have occupied high public
or private office than I do to the
spontaneous letters which have come
to me and my family and my as
sociates from men, from women and
from children in every part of the
United States. telling me Of their
conditions and problems, and CIV
ing me their own opinions.
To you who have come here today
to take part in the laying of the
cornerstone, you who have contrib
uted so greatly to the building of
this library, and to you who have
also helped who could not be present,
I give my appreciation and thanks.
This wholly adequate building
will be turned over to the Govern
ment Of the United States next
summer without any cost whatsoever
to the taxpayers of the country.
During the following year the manu-
scripts, letters, books, pictures and
models will be placed in their ap-
settings and the collec-
tions will be ready for public inspec-
tion and use, we hope, by the spring
of 194l.
Hopes for Fine Day.
And may I add, in order that my
good friends of the press will have
something to write about tomorrow,
that I hope they will give due inter-
probation to the expression of my
hope that when we open the build
ing to the public it will be a fine
day.
All of you who have been so gen.
erous In making this library DOS.