Evening star., 1942-12-01
Mrs. Roosevelt
Lauds Courage
OF the British
Presidents Wife Tell
Democratic WOmen
OF Visit to England
By Gretchen Smith.

The courage of the English whc
smile cheerfully in spite OF bomb
ings, blackouts, strict rationing
fuelless homes and days of damp.
ness and rain was praised highly
by Mrs. Roosevelt yesterday before
members of the Women's Nationa
Democratic Club.
Speaking at the organiZatlon's
weekly information hour luncheon
Mrs. Roosevelt told of her recent
visit to England and of conditions
in the brave, bomb-shattered island
In spite of daily lives lived un-
der depressing conditions, every one
there greets you with a smile and 9
pleasant word" she said. mo home
is without anxiety and real hard
ship and yet one has a feeling OF
real unity among the people who
never complain"
The Presidents wife described
her visits to centers where girls ano
women are trained for war duties
She told how girls take complete
charge of England's interislano
plane-ferrying as we'll as chauffeur
ing cars and motorcycles. Half OF
the girls in the British ferry COM
mand are American girls, Mrs.
Roosevelt added. and many are
girls who never flew plane before
the war.
The ingenuity of girls of the
Auxiliary Training Service was alSo
described by the speaker who told
how one young woman prepared a
complete dinner consisting OF
meat pie, potatoes, brussels sprouts
and suet pudding" on an lmproVlsed
stove in a pouring rain.
No one in England is free from
work. Mrs. Roosevelt declared, and
even old women and men crippled
from the war are given place in
the nations program to win the
war.
The old 'nannies' or nurses who
have long been retired are not
drafted" she explained, but they
have volunteered their services to
conduct small children from city
centers to nursery homes in the
country" England is also using its
handicapped people in an eXtraordl-
nary way, Mrs. Roosevelt added.
IF the men are too crippled tC
fight, they are given production jobs
which they are able to do" she said
There is no wasted labor that can
be reclaimed"
High praise was given the Amer
ican Red Cross Clubs, where Amer
lean servicemen find cheer, enter
tainment and hospitality while or
leave in blacked-out London, ac-
cording to Mrs. Roosevelt.
A touch of home" is found in the
Red Cross Clubs, she said, describ-
ing the menu of one young soldier
who had ordered Waffies because
they reminded him Of home.
The Waff1es did not look very
light Mrs. Roosevelt smiled, "as
they were made of dark English
-four that is used everywhere. In
cidentally, I think we should start
to educate our American children
to like whole wheat -four" she
added.
In spite of this recommendation
Mrs. Roosevelt expressed the hope
that she may be able to arrange to
have American white flour sent tc
the boys across the seas in order to
make the Waffles, doughnuts and
pies to which they have been ac-
customed at home.
The dark flour makes good
bread" she added, but it makes
poor pastry and Waffies."
Describing the London blackouts
as "blackouts that are really black"
Mrs. Roosevelt said that several
American boys had been sent to the
hospital as result of trying to drive
in the unaccuStomed dark
Add 2 little mist or fog to the
blackout and it is terrible" she as
serted.
The Presidents wife spoka of the
work being done at childrens
nurseries in England. where many
individuals have assumed complete