Evening star., 1940-01-21

a HOUND Town tney call MIN the Cher,
the Boss Mister Big, F. D., the PREF,
Frankly That Man, or Mister r.
All day people sit in Offices writing
memoranda, nominations, acquisitions,
applications, briefs, orders and letters in
his name.
At night they sit around night clubs,
Offices, bars, rooming houses and apart
ments wondering what he is going to do
on the morrow. They kid each other,
talking as though he worked at the next
desk, saying. "Wait1l F. D. r. gets that
report" or "Whodoyathink Mister Big
will pick for that job?" They laugh at
the current Jokes about him.
And they talk seriously about what he
is going to do-to their jobs. or their pet
projects, or the American farmer.
Because he is the President.
IssFo[ se2en years now, this man has
Been vie center of conversation in
Washington. Before that 1t was some
body else. Next year-who knows?
He is symbol. But he Is also man
with his family, his friendships, his
private little pleasures and his secret
likes and dislikes.
For days, he may live out the cycle
OF getting up, eating breakfast getting
down to the Office and grinding out the
days work, heading home for a quick
swim, dinner and a good book or
movie-without leaving the block long
structure that Is the White House.
A covered hallway leads from his off,
cial home to the executive Offices where
he works.
Watches Family Life Drama.
From the confines of official position,
he has watched the drama of family life
seen his youngest boys through the
growing pains of college days into mar
ried mans estate; seen twice the ten
sions Of divorce among his children; seen
the fourth generation Of Hposevelts grow
from four to eight asS his children
married.
More drama than the average father
sees in twice the time-and mixed with
the bitter knowledge that young Johns
encounter with French mayor, or
Anna's divorce, will become public prop
erty. because their father is President.
He has seen his wife become a ma
tional figure in her own right-serving
On committees; prying into coal mines,
slums and factories; lecturing across the
country and "columning" for press and
radio.
He has been through personal tragedy
with intimates in the administration.
Death took from him crusading Tom
Walsh, his first choice for Attorney
General; Will Woodin, his CHEEKY, violin
playing Secretary of the Treasury; thin
faced George Dern, his Secretary of
War; shrewd and gnarled Louie Howe,
who had been his conf1dant through
years Of political high adventure; that
old-fashioned Southern Democrat,
Claude Swanson, who had been ailing
through many months of his administra-
ton as Secretary Of the Navy.
Two Of the brightest women in his
official group decidedly. party loving
Mrs. Homer Cummings and beautiful,
sports-loving Mrs. Harry Hopkins.
The Hopkins tragedy, struck deeply.
Mr.. Roosevelt had grown fond of the
family-lean Harry, the first w. p. A.
administrator; Mrs. Hopkins and the
child Diana. The strain of the big re-.
lief task took its toll soon after Mrs.
Hopkins died. Mr.. Hopkins stomach
broke down, and he was shipped OIL to
Mayo's clinic, seriously i'll. That Christ
mas, forlorn little Diana became mem
Der Of the Roosevelt family, romping
with the grandchildren.
Illness struck other hard-pressed ad-
ministrators In the hectic earlier days
Of the New Deal.
Corcoran Learns to Play Hard.
Some, like Tommy Corcoran, learned
to play hard, as they worked, and thus
kept going. When Mr.. Corcoran stole
free hour at night, he carried his ac-
Gordon over to the White House and
sang sailor chanteys for the sea-loving
Chief Executive.
Men like Mr.. Corcoran, William o.
Douglas and Robert H. jackson replaced
those New Deal aides who turned aside
because Of dislike for some Roosevelt
policies.
The beaming frankness of Friend AL"
Smith passed from the Roosevelt circle
before the President took ONCE in 1882.
That Columbia professor who led the
original brain trust" Ray Moley, quit
and Attacked fren editorial col,f1nns