Evening star., 1940-01-21

work hang loosely On his big frame. He
rarely wears q vest.
He hates the coufining formal dress Of
otncialdom. Years ago, as young man,
he converted the annual dinner of New
York's Harvard Club from white-tie-
and-tails to black-tie-and-tuxedo to take
some Of the starch out of it.
AS President. he started receiving new
Ambassadors Informally in his otice, in
stead Of greeting them IN formal attire
at the White House proper.
When he gets away for a rest, he puts
on the sloppiest old clothes he can find.
Thus he sails. Thus he often rests at
Warm Springs or Hyde Park.
Like most men, he defends his clothes
valiantly. He hung onto one moth-eaten
old smoking jacket until the family final
ly spirited 1t away and destroyed it In
desperation.
(The only time the President ever
startled anybody with his clothes was the
st. Patrick's Day when he turned up for
work In green suit. Nobody has seen
it since-but the White House stan will
be watching for it next st. Patricks
Day)
Perhaps his liking for room is inter-
twined with his love OF the sea.
One-fourth of the mileage he Travelled
IN setting new all-time record for pres
idential peregrination was Travelled by
boat. He has gone 1898 miles by sea.
132 1884 miles by land
Collecting ship models and naval
prints Is one of the hobbies he has kept
after throughout the White House years.
Latest addition to the II ship models
scattered around the Executive residence
is a miniature Greek sailing ship which
had been on display at the New York
Worlds Fair. The Greek government
gave 1t to him.
Twelve ship models brighten the
rounded walls Of his oblong ofice, and
"a time-stained prints of Hudson River
scenes hang around them.
Ardent Stamp Collector.
His other great hobby, Of course, Is
stamp collecting. ...-.
Sometimes an intimate visiting the
White House slips quietly into the Presi-
dents study at midnight to say good
night" and finds the Chief Executive
fussing over one Of his many albums.
When he travels, the President ALWAYS
takes couple Of stamp albums along for
diversion.
On the human side. it might be said
President Roosevelt turns q sense of
humor that is tickled by cartoon COM
edies of the Mickey Mouse" variety to
occasional official uses.
Friends say he has heard - and
laughed almost of the Roosevelt
jokes" that have been told across the
country. Some White House callers de-
light in hearing a new one before going
to see him.
He likes to razz people. In q group he
Will recall some incident that happened
to one Of them years ago, embellishing
the story and dragging it out in great
detail at the victims expense. A blush
spurs him on.
In this prodigious memory is his tool.
From the books thatSare always handy
at his bedside for that sleepless hour Of
night he plucks quotations and anecdotes
that will serve him later.
The President seems to take his difi-
cult task in stride.
To friend, he once said: Wouldn't
you be President If you could? Wouldn't
anybody?"
He once told an old friend that he
thought his greatest handicap-the
weakened legs that infantile paralysis
left him-was an asset on the Job.
He explained that, while another man
would be tempted to get up once in
. while and mosey around the room
staring at the glittering snow outside,
or fiddling with things he WAS riveted
to his desk and thus was able to est
through pile Of work IN record time.