The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-15
MRS. F. R. SETS
new MARKS TOO
She Believes white House
Belongs To The People And
Runs It That Way
BY RUTH COWAN

WASHINGTON, Sept. IA CR -
Staid society matrons shuddereo
under their layers of tradition il
1888 when Mrs. Franklin D. Roose-
velt announced her program as tbs
mistress of the White House. Il
seemed daring even to her.
But measured by what she has
done, it now seems as mild as a
plate of cold soup. A backward
glance shows some of the mnova-
tons which she has woven into the
pattern for a presidents wife.
Even before she unpacked her
trunks that first day in her new
home, Mrs. Roosevelt began break
ing precedent. She gave a reporter
an interview-the first time the
wife of a president in office had
talked for publication.
A country used to her frequent
press conferences and to reporters
interviewing her on her trips from
Maine to California would see moth
ing strange in that now. But seven
and a half years ago it was def
nitely an innovation.
In that Inauguration Day inter
view, obtained by the Associated
Press, Mrs. Roosevelt discussed
what she hoped to do while in the
White House-conscious that her
plan to continue her active life
was counter to tradition.
Some people probably won't like
some of the things I'm going to
do" she said then.
Mrs. Roosevelt, always so out
wardly well-poised and calm, was
frightened as she assumed her new
responsibilities. She e r d the
White House would be a prison Of
Formally.
But she expressed determination
to be herself, to cling to the friends
and interests that give life mean
ing to her.
81 hate the idea that I might
ever lose touch with people," she
said. 81 don't want to bea 'shut-in."
Since then she has out-traveled
Mr.. Roosevelt, although he set a
new mileage record for presidents.
Her record is nearly 280, 900 miles
more than II times around the
worldly auto, plane, train, boat
and pack-horse. She has visited
every state and several of the JOS
sessions.
Generally her secretary, M i S S
Malvina Thompson, whom she af-
fectionately calls 'T o m m "" is
with her. But she has made several
airplane trips alone-has crossed
the continent to visit her daughter.
Mrs. John Boettiger in Seattle.
The new 'First Lady, dispensed
with a secret service escort. She
drives her own car-and has been
stopped for traffic violations to the
enjoyment of her sons. She drives
out to visit her friends informally.
Recently a Washington taxi driv-
er related he saw a car trying 20
get out of a traffic snarl.
Il saw it was a woman so !
oSSiNSo ~ give lIC1 l1SllI VI way
you know, women drivers" he said
She looked around to thank me and
l saw it was-sure, you guessed it
Mrs. Roosevelt"
The nation, at first startled at
the novelty of a presidents wife
driving her car alone along the
highway, turning up at a distant
county fair, lecturing, hurrying in
to a radio studio, visiting WPA pro-
jects across the land, gradually be-
came accustomed to it.
1t was at a large country picnic
in Southern Illinois one hot June
afternoon that a farm wife asked
Mrs. Roosevelt: How come you
are interested in SO many things?"
This prompted Mrs. Roosevelt to
tell that when her husband was
Governor of New York and made
inspection trips of various state IN
stltutions she accompanied h m.
This gave her a lot of trainin<
stimulated her own social interests.
In addition to the reading she
manages to squeeze in she is the
first presidents wife to become a
magazine writer and columnist on