Evening star., 1940-01-22
President S Remarks
On Youth Clarified
By Mrs. Roosevelt
Teaching Of Religion
In Schools Without
Controversy Defended

An Interpretation Of the Presi-
dents recent comment on youth
and migratory workers and a review
Of opinions arrived at during busy
week occupied Mrs. Franklin D.
Roosevelt at her press conference
today.
She told the newspaper women
her speech last Saturday before the
Conference on Children in a De-
mocracy was intended to clarity the
remarks made by the President at
the White Hous meeting Of the con-
ference the night before.
She said she thought the presi-
dents speech, which drew criticism
from DR.. Floyd w. Reeves. former
chairman of the Presidents Ad-
visory Committee on Education, was
meant to emphasize that though no
part of the country should be too
poor to care for its own needs, it
was to the interest Of the entire ma
ton to raise the economic status
Of each community until 1t could
take care Of itself.
Religion in Schools Defended.
Explaining the Presidents COM
ments on settling the families Of
migratory workers in the Columbia
River basin, she said he referred
to those migratory workers who were
once settled on the land, rather
than those who regularly follow the
crops.
On the question Of teaching re-
ligion in the public schools, which
was raised at the Conference on
Children in a Democracy, she said
she could see no objection to schools
opening with the Lords Prayer and
a hymn, in recognition that there
was such thing as religion. Though
there was no need to force a child
to join in the religious observance
if he or she had other principles,
she said she was sure the schools
could find something to which no
religious group would object.
Her own reaction to the confer
ence. she said, was that it brought
out that the same problems which
face youth also face the country
at large. In the next 10 years,
she said, things to be focused on
are how to obtain better medical
care. education. recreation and
work-training for youth.
Peace Difficulties Cited.
Told that peace groups have re-
quested the President to call peace
conference among the warning ma
tions of Europe, she said the only
answer to that was that it was diff
cult to enter into negotiations If no
body wants to negotiate.
Reporting on the consumer con-
ference at the White House last
Saturday, she said stress was laid
upon the need for consumers to be
represented wherever producers met
or at any conference where prices
and amounts to be produced are to
be discussed.
She said she agreed with one re-
quest made at the conference that
material supplied by the Govern
ment for public information should
be simplified to be readily under
standable to the layman.
Asked about reports on the job
hunting activities of Franklin D.
Roosevelt, jr., she said there was a
difference of opinion in the family
about what the Roosevelt son, who
graduates from law school in June,
should do next. The question is still
at the discussion stage. she said,
with the usual differences between
the older people who feel one job
will give him more experience and
the younger folks maintaining that
the job would hold him back.
Asks Rooms for Delegates.
Mrs. Roosevelt also made an in
formal appeal for beds. She said
the National Youth Congress would
bring 5000 young people here from
all over the country, most of them
without money. This housing prob
lem, she said, is in the hands OF the
Washington Youth Council.
Mrs. Roosevelt asked a represen-
tative from Goodwill Industries, who
spoke briefly at the conference
about badly crippled youth she
had seen there. She was told the
young man, 26-year-old Gordon
Walker, now has a job at the Navy
Department.
Mrs. Roosevelt was instrumental
in getting the young man a license
to drive his electrified wheelchair
on the streets. She pointed out
that permanent deformity such as
he suffered as a result of infantile
paralysis was prevented now by
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