Evening star., 1942-02-12


with civilian defense.
Much of the criticism is unfair
and much of it is so right that one
wonders why the controversy isn't
disposed Of once and for all by Mrs.
Roosevelt herself by going to the
root of the whole difficulty.
The difficulty is that Mrs Roose-
velt is an appointed official Most
people think she was appointed pri-
marily because of her relationship
to the President. This isn't exactly
so. Even If Mr.. Roosevelt were not
President and 1t was decided to
have a woman head up some social
welfare activities in the Govern
ment, Mrs. Roosevelt would be a
logical appointee. She has one of
the best social welfare minds in the
country.
So the question doesn't turn upon
Mrs. Roosevelt's qualifications. to
serve IN the civilian defense organi-
zation. The real problem is wheth-
er the Presidents wife should accept
any appointive Office while her hus-
band Is the most powerful official
IN our whole governmental setup.
Shuns Idleness.
II one answers in the negative, it
imposes a handicap on Mrs. Roose-
welt. who doesn't want to be a social
butterfly and an idle member of the
family while there is important
work to be done. She has an active
mind and a vigorous personality,
somewhat like that of her late uncle,
Theodore Roosevelt.
So the next question is what shall
Mrs. Roosevelt do if she is denied
an appointive place in the Govern
ment? The answer for her may be
to reject once and for all the idea
of holding appointive office and de-
vote herself to elective Office. Many
women do and some of them now
sit in the House and Senate. Some
also have run for the governorship
of States.
There's an election this year for
Governor of New York. Mrs. Roose-
welt has as much right as any other
citizen to enter the lists. She is a
liberal of record. She is a good
campaign speaker. Few who heard
her address the Democratic National
Convention in Chicago in 1910 will
deny that she Is an able orator, for
her speech, delivered extemporane-
ously, was the best of that whole
convention.
1t Is true that Gov. Lehman may
be a candidate for fourth term,
but there are many people who think
three terms are enough and that
someone else should be given
chance now in the Democratic party
IN New York State. Mrs. Roosevelt
Is well known in her home State.
She has made mistakes, but they
are OF the kind which the President
once described with reference to
himself as mistakes of the heart
rather than of the mind
Might Replace Fish.
II Mrs. Roosevelt Is entitled to
high Office, the people alone can
decide. If the governorship is not to
her liking and she wishes to run for
Congress, doubtless she could get
the nomination at Hyde Park. Rep
resentative Fish is now representing
the Hyde Park district and Mr..
Roosevelt has been trying for years
to get candidate to defeat him.
Maybe If Mrs. Roosevelt ran she
would be elected.
Certainly she would find work in
the House of Representatives con-
genial. 1t affords plenty of oppor-
tunity for social welfare, class legis-
lation, boondogging, public owner
ship schemes, soaking-th rich,
soaking ng-the-poor, and all other de-
vices that have made the New Deal
famous and the public treasury as
empty as it is today. It affords
plenty of opportunity also for mis-
takes Of the mind as we'll as the
heart. And so far as giving Mrs.
Roosevelt an occupation to which
few could possibly take exception
because she would be holding Office
by virtue of election by the people |
rather than an appointment through
her husbands influence-it would be
an ideal haven of refuge for an able
woman with an energetic person.
ality.
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