The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-08-29
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Eleanor Roosevelt
DISQUIETING LETTER

DISQUIETING LETTER
/ have just received letter
which, in itself, would not be so sig
nificant, but taken together with
various other reports reaching me,
is very disquieting. I am quoting
it here approximately as it is writ
ten, changing only such things as
might identify the writer.
Several years ago, like many
others, my family suffered finan-
cial reverses and we accepted
FERA work, but not relief. I have
supported my mother, who is
chronic invalid, and assisted my ia
Their through wages received through
WPA work. From December, 1888,
to May, 194l, / was fortunate to be
on the administrative staff, first as
stenographer and later as an oc-
cupational interviewer, receiving
when / left, $1,440 year.
''My record for this period had
been excellent, was dropped from
payrolls through no fault of my own,
and was thankful that I had been
permitted to hold the job as long as
had. I desired to try my luck in
private industry.
WPA WORK HISTORY
II started June l, making a tour
of every agency handling steno-
graphic, clerical and tipping posi-
tons. The interviewers show their
interest in my appearance, my abil-
ity to operate a typewriter, stenog-
raphy and my ambition to continue
college, even if it meant working
at night; yet they are sorry they
can do nothing for me because I
have worked for the Works Progress
administration, and will not lie
about my work history am rs
years of age, of good parentage,
have good training, good educational
background, am attending Columbia
with money saved over a period of
five years in order to learn steno-
tipping, and yet / can not get job
in New York city unless lie, be-
cause I worked on WPA."
A similar picture is fairly true in
other parts of the country. While
this is not universal experience,
there are still enough employers who
have this attitude to make it very
serious situation. Some eight and a
half million Americans Temporal
rily found work on WPA during the
last six years. Their abilities and
talents represent a pretty good
cross-section of the American pub
lie and it seems to me very sad
that any employer anywhere should
not recognize that misfortune has
come to people regardless Of their
own wishes or abilities.
FOREIGN POLICY
We all listened breathlessly when
the radio from England gave us
statement of the peace aims, drawn
up by the President and Mr.. Wins
ton Churchill. There was nothing
new, nothing which / had not heard
many times before in conversation
about our foreign policy. Yet, stat
ed this way to the people of the
world, one felt it was an important
moment in the history of world
progress. Chairman May of the
military affairs committee in the
house of representative expressed
very well in his short speech which
followed Senator Connally's, the
feeling which many of us shared.
The radio this morning brought
me the news that our two sons,
Elliott and Franklin Jr., were with
their father during these last days
somewhere at sea-" knew that
Franklin Jr. had gone off for an un-
disclosed length of time to these wa
tiers, but the last I heard of Elliott
was several weeks ago, when he
was starting to fly over undisclosed
and barren areas, and no word from
that time on.
It is foolish to worry, for all Of
us know that whatever comes we
have to meet it. Everybody has to
do his job in the world, but just
the same that statement on the ra-
dio that morning started me off for
the rest of the day with lighter
heart.
MARSHALL FIELD
One day Mr.. Marshall Field came
to lunch with us, after which we
went over to look at the library be-
fore he went to visit the Greenwich
House camp at Lagrangeville, N. Y,
which is in this county. There are
not many people who take their
positions on boards and various or
CARNATIONS as seriously as Mr..
Field.
have grown to know him better
through our association on the Unit
ed States Committee for Refugee
Children, and constantly am i'm
pressed with the fact that he gives
so much Of himself. He never
seems to consider that the money
he has donated absolves him from
q personal responsibility.
There are few young men know.
who would start out for q day in