Evening star., 1940-02-13
Mrs. Roosevelt Tells
Congress Wives Of
Awful Blue Plains
Gives Vivid Description
OF Her Unattended
Wonderinqs at Home

Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt yesterday
uncovered the fact that 215 congress
sional wives had never been to Blue
Plains and 214 congressional wives
had never stepped inside the Chill
dren's Receiving Home.
At the same time she disclosed
that her own visit to the Home for
the Aged and Infirm at Blue Plains
was made through the back door
and that she wandered unattended
through the institution until she
finally reached the administration
building.
The sightseeing activities Of
members Of the Congressional Club
were brought to light when Mrs.
Rooseveslt, guest of honor at their
annual breakfast in the Raleigh Ho-
tel. asked for a show of hands to
see how many had visited the insti-
tNtjQnS. .s.ass, ,.s,.,..s.ss,.s...,...s.
n he explained she had Alked
|t6 talk about her own Visits but
hesitated to bore tl1enf WITH sdescrip-
tions of things they had already
seen. pa s4s x.s.s
In .her statements 10 the press
and during her testimony, however,
she had never explained why she
went or the reception she received
when she made her surprise visit.
Il happened to go to Blue Plains"
she said. because some one wrote
me a letter who had been there
with a friend who had a relative in
the institution.
Il think I chose my day badly.
We-Mrs. Morgenthau was with me
got stuck in the snow. We got
out and started to walk, and an
automobile came along and picked
us up. We went about 10 feet and
got stuck again. This time we de-
cided to walk all the way.
Il had taken some flowers and
cigarettes along, thinking it would
give me an excuse for coming.
I'VE came to door and walked
into hallway. I guess it was the
back door. Anyway, as I opened
the door the closeness and the smell
were very disagreeable.
Wandered Down Hall.
mo one paid any attention to
me. I wandered down hall, and
as I wandered I looked. I came to
a small room that was apparently
kitchen,I but everything in it
looked extremely dirty and unap-
petizing.
II went into one of the wards
and saw very old woman who had
been there for some time. The
superintendent, whom had located
by now, said to me: Now she is
really happy I found out why she
was happy. She was senile. Her
cackling was one Of the most. horri-
bic things you can imagine"
Points to Dangers.
OF the Children's Receiving Home
she said:
tits really rather terrible. I
think it's the surest way to the re-
form school and from there to
prison that know Of"
She also pointed out that two
menus were in use-one for the staff,
the other for the children.
"And the staff menu is so much
better than the other one," she
sighed. II felt that the children
should have more than the grown
ups"
She said she would like the women
to visit the Receiving Home, look
the children over and think how
you'd feel If they were yours"
Fire Trap, She Says.
Mrs. Roosevelt warned that the
Industrial Home School was fire
trap and might have a real tragedy
sometime" She advocated again
the cottage plan to replace the old
building.
Summarizing, she said: I'm not
putting any blame anywhere. I
imagine it's we who are to blame.
It's a complicated question. It
comes back to money and how you're
going to get it."