Evening star., 1940-07-05

library museum, explaining the ust
contemplated for each room ane
displaying some Of the family pos
sessions already housed in the struc'
ture.
Three Sleighs in Exhibit.
Among these latter were three
sleighs, two iceboats and an ole
carriage. One of the sleighs, he
said, was bought by his father ir
Paris, and originally was given BY
Alexander II of Russia to Napoleon
III of France. When the French
Empire fell in 1871, the sleigh was
sold at auction and bid in by the
elder Roosevelt for about SIS.
The smaller of the two iceboats
was once used by the President, he
said, but the larger had won the
world championship on three occa-
sions when owned by his uncle.
The old carriage, Mr.. Roosevelt
said, was used by his grandmother
on her wedding trip to Hyde Park
in 1927.
The President told reporters that
80 cases of books, 10 or is cases of
ship models and several cases OF
prints already are prepared for
shipment to the new library, after
being treated by funigating gas at
the Archives Building in Wash
ington.
Political Plans Guarded.
The Chief Executive was still
guading closely his personal poll
tical intentions. Hopes that he
might choose to declare himself
yesterday in brief ceremony OF
transferring title to the new library
to the United States Government
fell to earth-as have other hopes
before them.
Speaking only briefly as he stood
on the stone terrace of the struc-
ture close by his family hcme, the
President described the builGing as
well and truly" made and remarked
that he must get busy soon at
sending the exhibit material. Per-
sonal and state papers of his &c
years of public life, plus his COL
lection of American Navy and Hud-
son River miscellany, are destined
for place in the institution.
The library is to ps opened, te
the public next spring.
Builder Initiates Ceremony.
Transfer of the institution tt
Government 4hands required only
two simple. steps yesterday. Jotr
McShane, builder, initiated the
ceremony by presenting keys tt
the building to Frank Walker, long.
time friend and associate of the
President, who served as treasurer
of the corporation handling the
publicly = contributed construction
funds; in turn, Mr.. Walker surren-
dered the keys to r. D. w. Connor
Federal archivist, under whose
direction the library will be operated
and maintained.
Remarking at the worlds agony
and suffering of today, Mr.. Walker
described the ceremony and it's sig.
nificance as an omen of good" Fol
his part Mr.. Roosevelt, speaking
after the others, carefully refrainec
from attaching any implication tt
the program and voiced no chal.
longing words. Among the small
group spending the holiday at the
Roosevelt home were Mrs. Sara
Roosevelt, the Presidents mother
James Roosevelt, eldest son, anc
Basil O'Connor, former law partner
of the Chief Executive.
Reads to Group Of 50.
Later, Mr.. Roosevelt marked thu
holiday by calling together some 81
friends, members Of the family anc
servants to read them the preamble
to the Constitution and the Decla.
ration of independence and to dis.
cuss informally with them the ad.
vantages of the democratic form o.
Government as contrasted with thu
totalitarian form.
This spontaneous observance O.
the Fourth took place at Mrs. Roose.
velt's cottage at Val Kill and wa.
climaxed by flag-raising and sing
ing of America" In the evening
the President and Mrs. Roosevelt
served a picnic supper for the fam
lily group and the press at Val Kill