Evening star., 1943-12-19
Mrs. Roosevelt Puzzle
Even 10 Herself,
Writer Asserts
Special Dispatch to The Star.

| NEW YORK, Dec. 1S.-AlthOugh
Eleanor Roosevelts II years in the
White House have been widely
publicized, few Americans under
stand her, and at times Mrs. Roose-
velt has not fully understood herself
writes Mary Hornaday, veteran
Washington reporter, in the current
issue of Look Magazine.
But this" says the writer, "she
does know: She would rather be
wrong than miss chance to help
some one"
ITO understand Mrs. Roosevelt" "
continues Miss Hornaday, "one must
keep in mind an orphaned childhood,
self f-conscious girlhood, beloved
father with a weakness for alcohol,
and marriage dominated for years
by mother-i law"
Mrs. Roosevelt's mother used to
apologize to her friends when Flea
nor was girl because she was so
old-fashioned. Miss Hornaday also
relates that Mrs. Roosevelt, in an
effort to free herself from domina-
ton of Sara Delano Roosevelt, the
Presidents mother, built her own
cottage at Hyde Park.
Three Character Traits.
Out of this long chain of frustra-
tions, says Miss Hornaday, Mrs.
Roosevelt developed three character
traits:
"O Her desire to defy tradition;
CO her sympathy for those who are
humanity or economically frail; 90
her tendency to underestimate her.
self.
Seldom do those who marvel at
Mrs. Roosevelt's actions relate them
to past restraints. The White House,
which she reached about the time
the last of her children was grown,
gave her the first real chance to
soar
She flung tradition out the VIM
dow, refused Secret Service escorts,
insisted on running the White House
elevator. She conducted press con-
ferences and began to take an active
part in national affairs.
In her desire to help the weak
and the handicapped Mrs. Roose-
velt has run into many scrapes. She
has been told fatty to stay away
from Detroit because race rioting
there was laid to her efforts to
help Negroes achieve economic
equality The Presidents wife
double checks every appeal for help,
but there have been many instances
of people trying to take advantage
of her generosity.
Does criticism worry Mrs. Roose-
velt?" asks Miss Hornaday, rhetori-
cally. Yes and no. She never wor-
ries long over personal attacks
the kind that come from people who
want her not to fight for a cause,
or to stay home more, or who OBJ
ject to her serving hot dogs to the
British King and Queen. But criti-
clsm really gets under her skin
when it interferes with her intense
desire to do something for some
body -.
Influences Government.
Scarcely had the Roosevelts set
tied down in the Executive Mansion
when Republican Representative
Edith Nourse Rogers was seen
emerging from the front door one
day. With a sheepish look, she
hastened to explain:
I've been to see Mrs. Roosevelt,
I had something I wanted done, and
it's going to be donen
Since then, hundreds of Govern
ment officials and private citizens
have learned the secret of getting
things accomplished with the help
of the Presidents wife. In most
Government departments note
from Mrs. r. gets attention second
only to a message from the Presi-
dent"
President Roosevelt, Miss Horna-
day reveals, values highly his wife's
contacts with all types of people.
He listens attentively to her views
because they are cleaned not only
from her travels but from frank
letters from wide range of people
War has had an odd effect on
Mrs. Roosevelts travels" continues
Miss Hornaday. She has stored
her blue roadster because of gas ra-
tioning and stopped her lecture
tours. But the same war has en-
abled her to fly to England and
New Zealand. She Cancelled a visit
to a conscientious objectors' camp
about 100 miles from WASHINGTON
because of travel difficulties, then
almost Immediately turned up in
Australia"
Her mail averages TOO letters a
day, and through her mail she has
brought families together, placed
manuscripts for budding writer's,
even bought people pianos when the
cause seemed worthy. She is re-
puted to have given away or lent
without interest her entire income
made as the Presidents wife"