The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-10

problems along two lines
 l. Youth.
 2. old-age pensions.
 Roosevelt told his callers that he considered these the most pressing problems facing the country and that he was deter mined to do something "funda- mentap about both.
 It was essential to deal with the youth problem, Roosevelt held, if the nations democratic system is to be preserved. If youth is allowed to lose hope in the future, to be, cut of from a sense of belonging" it is certain to be- come an easy prey to destructive isns.
 Democracy can resist these sub- versive ideologies, the President held, only by convincing youth that it does have stake and future in the existing system. The history of Germany and other countries which have fallen under the heel of totalitarianism proves this, and the United States has no time to lose in coping with the problem.
 The President indicated that
 he had no particular program in
 mind. In fact, he asked for Sug-
 gestiOns and ideas. But he em-
 phasized that he was thinking in
 terms both of training and of
 jobs, and that the plan he would
 send to Congress would be based
 on these two Objectives.
 He also indicated that he ex- pected the program would run into big money in order to be really effective, but that he considered such an expenditure infinitely more productive than spending money for relief.
 OLD-AGE PENSIONS
 On old-age pensions, Roosevelt disclosed that he has made up his mind as to what he wants. His idea is to change the existing Sys- tenn of widely divergent state con- tributionS to one of uniform fed- eral pensions, beginning at a lower age than the present 65.
 The President mentioned no pension figure, but made it clear that he was ready to go as far as Congress was willing and ex- pressed the hope that it would not be "niggardly." He declared that federal old-age pension system was the Soundest investment the country could make to ensure do- mestic stability.
 Roosevelt also voiced sharp criticism of the moguls of the
 Social Security Board who have so vigorously opposed iberaliza- tion of the law. He declared that sthey have been a big Obstruc- lion to reform and that the time had come to OverTule them. It was significant that the Presi- dent had not discussed his plans with them and was proceeding independently.
 NOTE-Since January 1, when the amended law became opera tive, 190,O00 applications for old age pensions have been approved by the Social Security Board for a total outlay of $4.109OO0 a month. With the $7,O48,000 paid out in lump sum claims to sur vivors, the total old-age pension outlay so far is around $28, 900. The average pension is $22 a Tn his conferences, Roose- welt talked of placing 5,000,000 oldsters on federal pensions with in a year.
 CORDEL HULL'S CROQUET
 Cordell Hull has become mas- ter of recreation. He has found that the perfect formula for get- ting his mind of Martinique or the Burma Road is to play croquet every fair afternoon, stopping only when the sun goes down and one wicket cannot be seen from another.
 His regular croquet mates are Norman Davis, head of the Red Gross; Harry Mcbride. his for- mer secretary; George Renchard, his present secretary; James Dunn and Stanley Hornbeck, State De- partment advisers. Occasionally, this stag party is joined by Mrs. Hull. Scene of operations is the Woodley Estate, property of Sec retary of War etiinson.
 They always play as foursorie, urn hls heart inslde-out to his lls-