Evening star., 1940-09-27
Mrs, Roosevelt Scouts
Fears Of Military
Clique Ruling u. ).
Tells Democratic Women
She Anticipates No
Involvement in War

Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt said
last night that any one who doesn't
think now the United States Is
worth fighting for, probably never
will think so.
Addressing the Woman's National
Democratic Club on the subject she
has found uppermost in peoples
minds, the selective draft, the Presi-
, dents wife made it clear that she
does not anticipate any involve
ment in war.
But I'm perfectly sure" she said,
"that the next few years Will be
years in which the best that Is In
us must be given to our country, II
the world is to be saved.
; IT get a little weary of being told
that If we talk about preparedness
we are war mongers," she con-
tinued. She believes in facing the
, worst" however, she said, and IF
we survive. something we never
dreamed OF giving is going to have
to be given"
Citizens of this country have taken
their privileges for granted too long,
she said You pay for everything
you get in this world. one way or
another" she continued. I'VE are
) beginning to pay for what we believe
f; in-and pay not just in money but
in ways in which we can give and
J serve as citizens"
Sees Realistic View Needed.
She has found, Mrs. Roosevelt
said, that people are deeply troubled
over the draft and are afraid we
will become a military nation or
q nation dominated by military
group. This bewilderment is un-
! justified, however, in her opinion.
| but stems from a failure to face
! facts and a lack of confidence. Many
are still facing the world as they
wish 1t to be and not as it is, she
said.
The selective draft and other
mechanisms are not all there Is
to defense, Mrs. Roosevelt said.
There is the confidence people have
in the preservation of liberties and
'most important, feeling we are
moving forward all the time to
something better"
OF accusations that youth today
is cynical, Mrs. Roosevelt declared
, they have right to be. I'VE haven't
: required much of them" she ex-
planned, land we've tried to give
! too much. But we haven't given a
sense that what they do is i'm
portant in the community"
Mrs. Roosevelt had announced in
advance that her talk before the
Democratic women would not be
! political. Her custom during a cam
paign, she said, is to tell the re-
porters she meets that Il don't
know politics" and I'm not doing
anything" At the latter remark,
veteran news writer's are apt to
look "very incredulous, she ad-
mitted with a laugh.
Thankful for Candidacy.
The club officials were not obh-
gated to refrain from politics, how
ever, and Mrs. Roosevelt carried back
to the White House a message to
the President that the Woman's Ma
tional Democratic Club wishes to
thank him for being our candidate
again"
Mrs. David Tucker Brown, the
club president, gave the message to
Mrs. Roosevelt, who, she pointed
out, is honorary president OF the
organization. Mrs. Brown also OBJ
served that talk of the Democrats
having a dictator Is just plain
bunk"
The dinner was held at the Carl
ton Hotel, instead of at the club
house as formerly. in order that
members might attend with their
husbands and friends.
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson sat at Mrs.
Browns left, while many women
prominent in Democratic official life
also were present, among them
Secretary of Labor Perkins and Mrs.
Cordell Hull, wife Of the Secretary
of State,