The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-05-15

Eleanor Roosevelt
WAR AND CHARITIES

WAR AND CHARITIES
NEW YORK CITY.-One morning
/ went over to the Naval hospital
and returned in time to meet Mrs.
Myron Taylor, who came to see me
about the USO campaign. She also
spoke to me of several other chari-
ties, the School for Applied Design,
the Purple Box (where crippled
workers have for many years been
doing the daintiest kind of sewing)
and the New York Association for
the Blind. These charities are Ell
Their giving up in despair, or cur
failing their programs, because it is
SO difficult to raise money for any,
thing but war work.
Our National Symphony orchestra
in Washington has had this same
experience. The big gifts have come
in, but it is largely supported by
small gifts, and this year these
gifts seem to be flowing into defense
bonds or war charities. l think it
is time we consider what we really
intend to do about the type of cul-
tural community service rendered
by symphony orchestra.
The School for Applied Design has
trained many women for CONNER
cial art. The Purple Box has trained
cripples so that they have been
able to support themselves. It is
possible that women now being
trained in the School for Applied
Design might 60 into munition fac
tories for the duration of the war.
Perhaps it is one of the organiza-
tons which can be shut down, but
it will be hard to build up again
once disbanded.
/. Certainly there is no place in in
dustry for the cripples in the work.
rooms of the Purple Box. There is
comparatively little opportunity for
those who are trained by the New
York Association for the Blind.
HEROIC DEEDS
WASHINGTON.-One evening, in
New York city, I sat on a panel
which inaugurated series of forum
discussions to be carried on through
the spring for the benefit of the New
York Infirmary for Women and
Children. / was delighted to find
my cousin, Mrs. Joseph Alsop, as
well as number of pleasant ac-
quaintances, on the panel. The SUBJ
ject was women's work in the war
and an effort was made to cover as
many outside activities outside of
actual industrial work.
The Presidents speech was heard
over the loudspeaker at the hotel
where we assembled and everyone
listened eagerly. ! think his closing
stories about the heroism of some of
our men fitted in particularly well
with an appeal which one of the
speakers made for the USO. She
had mentioned the fact that some
people wrongly think that the serv-
ices rendered outside the camps to
men of the armed forces are apt
to make them "sissies." Somehow,
that seems to me a poor word to
apply to the average boy in our
services. If we needed corrobora-
ton on her stand, the Presidents
speech gave it.
These stories are illustrative
Of hundreds Of thousands Of
equally heroic deeds which are
being performed every day in
the line Of duty. Some of them
will never be reported. Others
will receive recognition i'm time.
One need never worry about the
heroism of the youth Of Amer
lea.
Almost any day, any newspaper
can supply you with innumerable
acts in civilian life, which require
courage, initiative and quick think
ing and are the background for
heroic deeds. a
CHILD CONGRESS
Miss Thompson and I took the
plane back to Washington and / was
here for my press conference at II
o'clock. Miss Katharine Lenroot at
tended to talk about the Pan-Amer-
lean Child Congress. I was par
ticularly pleased to hear her say
that the advances made since this
congress first met were really
notable.
Now, at its eighth session, we can
fix our minds primarily on the needs
of the children in the war. We still
can feel that wel-established social
legislation will carry forward the
program and improve the agencies
now set up in the different countries
on this continent, so that the chill
dren will be cared for in peace
time as well as during the war
period.
am sure that everyone has
the same feeling that I have,
a sense Of relief that we are 60
ing to be told what we should do
in this war period in our homes.
It will surely reach down into
our lives. Some Of us may find
adjustments difficult, but, after
all, the adjustment Of the boy
who leaves his job and goes into
the armed services is q far more