Evening star., 1942-03-04
Roosevelt Attends
Church as He Begins
Tenth Year in Office
Observes Custom He
Started on His First
Inauguration Day
BY JOHN c. HENRY.

BY JOHN C. HENRY.
Leading a Nation through its
graveSt crisis, President Roose-
velt today invoked Divine guild
ance in his responsibility.
In compliance with a custom in
itiated on his first Inauguration day,
March 4, 1888, the Chief Executive
and members of his personal and
official family attended church serv-
ices at St Johns Episcopal Church
Solemnly he listened to the off,
ciating clergy appeal to the Prince
of Peace for the strength to bring
this Nation and those fighting with
us victory at war.
Fervently spoken amens followed
special prayers offered for the Army,
for the Navy and for the family of
nations of the world.
Cabinet Members Present.
Close by the Nations Commander
in Chief were Secretary of War
Stimson and Secretary of Navy
Knox as supplication was spoken to
the God of Hosts to stretch forth.
we pray Thee, Thine almighty arm
to strengthen and protect the SOL
dlers OF our country vouchsafe
to take into Thy almighty and most
gracious protection our country's
Navy and all who serve therein. !"
AS the brief service ended the
President remained for several min
utes of personal prayer in his pew.
Officiating in the service were the
Rev. Endicott Peabody, headmaster
emeritus Of Groton School; the Rev.
Howard S. Wilkinson OF st. Thomas
Church. and the Rev John G.. Magee
of st. Johns.
Vice President Wallace headed the
large list of distinguished guests
attending the services, cabinet off,
GERS. congressional leaders and
heads of Government agencies and
their wives also being present. Com
missioners Young, Mason and Kutz
also were present.
Nine Years Ago Today.
1t was nine years ago today, a
bleak and gray March that
matched the temper of a depression
ridden people. that President Roose-
welt told the Nation in his inaugural
address that "the only thing we have
to fear is fear itself-nameless. un-
reasoning. unjustified terror which
paraIyzes needed efforts to convert
retreat into advance"
1t was q message which might be
rebroadcast to the Nation today as it
seeks to organize and direct its
powers most effectively into the
needed efforts to convert retreat
into advance"
The parallel between the two days
and the crisis which then and now
face the Nation is not a distorted
one.
For America was at war" then,
fighting for the survival of its ma
tional health as unemployment and
distrust of leadership left it vulner-
able to imminent invasion" by
panic.
In broad, bold strokes President
Roosevelt outlined for the Nation a
program of curative action and
served notice that if the emergency
continued he would then esk the
Congress for the one remaining in
strument to meet the crisis-broad
executive power to wage war
against the emergency, as great as
the power that would be given to
me If we were in fact invaded by
foreign foe."
Today, Mr.. Roosevelt is exercising
these complete powers as the coun-
try stands in literal. danger of in
vasion by a foreign foe. Already
enemy shells have landed on Amer
can soil on the West Coast while
enemy raiders have destroyed nearly
twoscore ships within actual sight of
the Eastern seaboard,
These and other attacks have
brought home the Presidents re-
sponsibility in leading peacefully
inclined and not yet adequately
prepared Nation to victory in his
tory's greatest war-against power
full enemies both to the East and
to the West, enemies that have the
considerable advantage of better
preparation and of material initial
successes.
The first task is to check these
successes-'to convert retreat into
advance"
War Effort Intensified.
For nearly three months past,
since December 7, there has been
speeding intensification of the ef-
fort to accomplish this task, even
while the enemy successes were ac-
cumulating
From the President, commander
in chief, came the pledge on the
night of February % that the turtle
policy" of defensive warfare would
be abandoned in favor of carrying
the war to the enemy in distant,
lands and distant waters-as far aS
possible from our own homf
grounds"
1t is a policy which Mr.. Roosevelt
has advocated consistently from the
october day in 1887 when he pro-,
posed an international quarantine of
the worlds agTessor r1ations-the
Axis partners Of today. Through