The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-08-27

and Queen Elizabeth. On that occa.
sion, she visited American Army
camps and other military and naval
installations throughout the British
Isles and returned to Washington
Nov. II.
Washington, Aug. II. (UP)-The
capital, long accustomed to the
travels of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt
received the news of her arrival in
New Zealand today with only g
little surprise.
Most of the surprise was not that
Mrs. Roosevelt had turned up 10000
miles away, but that her trip had
been such a well kept secret.
Discussion Stirs
There had been some discussion
here during the last 10 days about
why Mrs. Roosevelt had not gone
to Quebec where her husband and
Prime Minister Winston Churchill
held their latest war conference.
Now the answer is obvious, al
though 1t was hard to understand
before inasmuch as Mrs. Roosevelt
often had expressed desire to re-
turn to Mrs. Churchill, who was ir'
Quebec, the many courtesies ex-
tended her in Britain.
The news from New Zealand ar
rived after midnight, and there was
no comment from any source.
This is Mrs. Roosevelt's second
solo jaunt to foreign shores during
the war. She journeyed by Army
bomber to Great Britain last
October.
The mistress of the White House
is perhaps best known as an in.
defatigable traveller. Washington !!
used to hearing with little or NJ
warning that she has visited some
prison, mine or factory.
10000 Miles
She has Travelled by plane, trair
and automobile some 10000 miles {
year since she moved into the Whit.
House in 1888, and has visited every
part Of the United States including
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
But the trip to New Zealand caps
all her travels as first lady-botf
for distance and for unexpected
ness. Today, newspapers carrying
the familiar column, my Day.
published Mrs. Roosevelt,s remarks
on the wages Of coal miners. The
column will be dated, Hyde Park
Thursday" But it must have beer
prepared we'll in advance. Even Mrs
Roosevelt couldn't make 1t from
Hyde Park to New Zealand In less
than "a hours.
As the "eyes and ears" Of the
President, she may be expected tt
try to sense the feeling Of officials
and just ordinary. people close tt
the Pacific war whose thinking ano
attitude may give a clue to the
place the United States holds ir
the Pacific half Of the world.
New York, Aug. 27-(UP)-Mrs
Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her COL
umn my Day" today that she was
making her New Zealand trip as a
Red Cross representative to bring
soldiers, sailors and marines In the
Pacific area "a greeting from their
COMMUNICATIVE chief" and to see
the work women are doing In New
Zealand and Australia.
In an editors note preceding her
column, it was disclosed that the
surprise trip was being paid for by
Mrs. Roosevelt herself and that re-
ceipts from her columns written
there would be divided between the
American Red Cross and the Amer
lean friends service committee.
II am going on this trip for the
Red Cross" Mrs. Roosevelt wrote
from San Francisco prior to her de-
parture by plane. because I found
in Great Britain that If you wanted
to talk to the boys you had to catch
them in their moments of ease
Many of these moments are spent
In Red Cross clubs.
I'm addition I want to visit as
many o. Our hospitals as possible
and there again, the Red Cross
uniform Is familiar sight" she
said. She added that she had been
invited to go to New Zealand and
Australia to see 1.-The work women
are DOING
For me-" she said, (this trip lis
going to be an experience which ]
never expected to have. 1 shall see
places I have read about even be-
fore this war made some Of the
names so tragically familiar. They
tell me I shall be very cold In some
places and very hot in others, that
In spots the mosquitoes will be bad.
In fact, they say I shall be un-
comfortable at times on this trip.
and it does not worry me at all. If
our boys can stand 1t for months
and In some cases 1t has already
been two years for some Of them, !
think that I shall be much too in
terested to notice any discomfort"