Evening star., 1940-12-09
President 10 Attend
Women's Press Club
Luncheon in January
Mrs. Roosevelt Says
Few Grandchildren Will
Be Here for Christmas

President Roosevelt, who will be
out of town" for the newsparermens
Gridiron Club dinner Saturday
night will attend the luncheon of
the Women's National Press Club
January 6, Mrs. Roosevelt announced
at her press conference today.
This will be the first time that
President Roosevelt has missed a
Gridiron Club dinner since he has
been in office and also the first time
any President has attended lunch
con of the newspaper women.
Helen Essary, president of the
newspaper women's organization,
said negotiations had been going on
since September to find a date on
which both the President and Mrs
Roosevelt would be in the city and
able to attend the luncheon.
The Wendell WILKES will be in
evidence at both the Gridiron Club
dinner and the Gridiron Club
widows dinner at the White House
that night. The defeated candidate
will be principal speaker at the
Gridion Club and Mrs. Willkie will
speak at the White House affair,
Mrs. Roosevelt announced.
Christmas Plans.
Asked at her press conference
whether she was worried about the
Presidents proximity to the Anglo
German naval engagements in the
South Atlantic, Mrs. Roosevelt re-
sponded: Everybody has to take
risks in this world and we are very
lucky to have so few to take
She added in answer to another
question that she would be agreeable
to the Presidents flying back to
Washington if necessary. National
defense and job will limit the
number of Roosevelt children at the
White House for Christmas.
Mrs. Roosevelt said son James was
At San Diego under orders with the
Marines and would be unable to
come East. Mrs. Anna Boettiger.
the only Roosevelt daughter, came
last year at Christmas time and
would be able to come this year
Young John Roosevelt has only one
day off from his job and will not
be able to make the trip. Elliott
IS on draft call. and so Franklin. jr,
and his child will be the only
younger RooseveltS eating Christ
mas dinner at the White House.
Mrs. Roosevelt has said she ex-
pected Harry Hopkins and his little
daughter, Diana. to be Christmas
guests as we'll as the Presidents
mother and sister-in-law and Mrs.
Roosevelt's brother.
Mrs. Roosevelt said she planned
TO testify at the migrant workers
hearing before the Congressional
Committee tomorrow, but that she
would limit her testimony to what
she had seen herself.in Florida and
California and would make no
recommendations.
Party for Jean Morgenthau.
Mrs. Roosevelt will give a coming
out party for Jean Morgenthau, l8-
year-old debutant daughter of the
Secretary f the Treasury, and said
she hoped there would be three
men to every girl at the dance
She added that that should always
be the proportion at dances but
that it was not always the case.
The party, she explained, will be
limited only to Miss Morgenthau's
friends among the younger set, and
would not include guests asked un-
der protocol to White House func-
tions.
The Presidents wife disclosed she
had made inquiries into social Sc
curity benefits to be given survivors
in the Cadlz (Ohio) mine disaster
and had found that claims had been
filed by five dependent parents and
q widows with a total of 55 chill
dren.
She said that she did not know
how large monthly payments would
he but that in a previous mine
I 7Ster an average Of S45 monthly
mt to each family She added
that she always made inquiries
into disasters because it gave her a
sense of comfort to know the sur
vivors could count on something in
their hour of grief.