Evening star., 1940-11-06
Roosevelt Enters
Term Fully Aware
OF Critical Period
We Face Difficult
Doys,' President Tells
Hyde Park Throng
By JOHN c. HENRY,
Star stan Correspondent.

star Stan correspondent.
HYDE PARK. N. Y. Nov. g.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt today was
leading the American people ito the
very threshold of the future" a fu-
ture which he promised them during
his precedent-shattering campaign
holds the fulfllment of our hopes
for real freedom, real prosperity,
real peace"
1t may take four years. possibly
less, to determine the measure of
success which Mr.. Roosevelt will
have in matching these words
four years which are likely to be the
most momentous in the history Of
the world and the democratic fash
ion of life.
This opportunity, shattering con-
vincingly tradition Of $50 years,
became Mr. Roosevelt's last night as
a climax of a campaign as unusual
eas was its very objective. For
months after his nomination by
draft" at the Chicago conven-
ton, the Democratic candidate
scorned the customary campaign
practices, scarcely even acknowl-
edging that he was participating in
contest for the Office of Chief
Executive.
Then in burst of activity he de-
livered a series of carefully drafted
and skillfully delivered campaign
addresses.
Reminder Of Crisis.
Perhaps the best summation of
them all came last Saturday night
at Cleveland when the President re-
minded the American people that
they are living in a tremendous
moment of history"
Last night, acknowledging the ac-
colades of an enthusiastic torchlight
procession of his Dutchess County
neighbors, he told them, and the
American people, that I'VE face
difficult days in this country, but I
think you will find me in the future
just exactly the same Franklin
Roosevelt that you have known for
great many years.
AS was expected there was an
element of the spectacular and the
dramatic in the acceptance of this
historic event of yesterday by Mr.
Roosevelt and his family.
With his wife and Mrs. James
Roosevelt, his 86-year-old mother,
the President had voted yesterday in
the little frame building which serves
Hyde Park as a town hall. In the
best of spirits, he had joked with
photographers and with neighbors
gathered to see him enter the polling
place
In the afternoon he amused him.
self by making 10 guesses on the
election results in individual States
or by combinations of States-pass-
ing by an 18th pool in which the
total electoral vote of the Nation
was the issue. His prediction on
this, he had informed a press con-
ference several weeks ago, was con-
tanned in an envelope in his desk
at the White House.
Receives Returns in Home.
Last night he devoted his home
and his attention to receiving and
analyzing the election returns
Turning the dining room of Hyde
Park house into a workroom with
extra telephones, a radio, electoral
charts and battery of press service
printers, Mr.. Roosevelt spent the
early part of the evening with his
closest aides and advisers.
Members of the family and host
of friends, afte, a buffet supper at
Mrs. Roosevelt's cottage, returned
to the family home in time to find
voting trends already well defined.
BY that time, among those present
were Postmaster General Walker,
former Secretary of Commerce Hop
kins, New York Supreme Court
Justice Samuel Rosenman-among
the closest political advisers of the
President for the last several years.
And before IL pm, the eventual
result was so clearly foreseen that
the expected tension and long vigil
of the evening was eliminated.
Enthusiastic Hyde Park villagers.
, according Mr.. Roosevelt 376 to
302 plurality in his voting district.
had gathered for a triumphal pro-
cession to the house.
Forewarned, reporters, newsreel
cameramen and newspaper pho
tographers were waiting as the noisy
crowd reached the grounds of the
estate. And before they had made
their way to the main entrance of
the nome, the Roosevelt family also