The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-09-19

Eleanor Roosevelt

which is used on our defense bonds
posters, was done by the sculptor,
Mr.. Daniel Chester French, who did
the great marble Lincoln statue in
the Lincoln Memorial in Washing
ton, d. c. Perhaps it would interest
you to know a little about the max
ing of this statue, since the story is
told to me by the sculptor's daugh-
ter, Mrs. William Penn Cresson:
''The young sculptor borrowed
from the art museum large plas-
ter cast Of the Apollo Belvedere,'
which he set up on one side of his
studio, and on the other side he
placed long full-length mirror, in
which he surveyed his own not I'M
attractive form. And there he made
his Minute Man.
The dedication of the statue on the
nineteenth of April, 1875, was very
great occasion in the little town Of
Concord, Mass. It was one of those
bitterly cold days that we have so
often in the New England spring.
More people were said to have died
from the effects of that cold, than
had died on the day of the battle
they were celebrating.
President Grant and all his cabi-
net came from Washington for the
unwilling. Longfellow and Lowell
marched in the procession. George
William Curtis was the orator CT the
day, and Grated for more than two
hours in the cold. Emerson read
his poem written for the occasion,
the lines of which were cut on the
pedestal of the statue.
WOMEN IN DEFENSE
am shocked to find through some
of the clippings which have come
to me, that my answer to a press
conference question last week, as to
whether / was satisfied with the vol
unteer participation in civilian de-
tense, seems to have caused COM
plete misunderstanding of my atti-
tude. / answered truthfully, that
was not satisfied with the civilian
defense participation. But that was
no criticism, as it was apparently
taken to be, of Mayor LaGuardia,
because / am sure he is not salts
fed either!
How could any of us be content
when the organization is just be-
ginning and will never be complete
until every man, woman and child
in every community throughout the
nation, feels that in one way or an
other, they are contributing to ma
tional defense?
Secondly, I find that certain
groups of women think that I do
not believe in the participation of
women in national defense. can
hardly understand how this miseon-
ception took place, because ! have
wanted women to take their place
in national defense long before the
government machinery was set up.
felt strongly that, while it was
well to take up any training avail
able, it was better not to set up
programs which could not later be
easily Incorporated with whatever
arrangements were made through
government channels. I believe that
there is work to be done by every
man, woman and child in the coun-
try. Some of us can take training
which will make us useful in ways
that are closely related to military
work. Others, many more proba-
bly,, can devote themselves to i'm
proving the life in their own COM
munities.
This is very important part of
national defense, for it is this life
in our own communities which
makes national defense worth while.
If it is good life and meets our
needs, and we know our neighbors
are cooperating to achieve better
conditions, then any sacrifices we
make to preserve what we have
and to attain what we hope for, are
cheerfully made, and are part of the
duty which we recognize as citizens
in free democracy.
THE FORGOTTEN VILLAGE
Last night we saw very beauti-
full movie, documentary film, 'The
Forgotten Village" written by John
Steinbeck, with music by Hans
Eisler. It is the story of boy in
small village in Mexico and shows
the life of the village, the supersti-
tons which still exist, and the bad
sanitation. 1t portrays the gather
ing of the family round the fire in
the evening, the birth of a new baby,
the selling of the corn which is the
basis of life, festival and a death
in the family.
Finally, the young Mexican leaves
his village, because the local school
master has brought knowledge and
inspiration to such of the youth Of
the community who are open to new
ideas. The boy will return trained
to lead his people to better life.
/ was tremendously interested in
the medical trucks which 60 over
almost impossible roads to serve
the people of these remote villages.
A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
mant IN rnerfiOu hoiISiu0 de-