Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-10
Mrs. Roosevelt Urge!
Public Opinion as
Curb on Jap Cruelty
Topics at Press Farley
Include Monroe's Parties
At r Street House
By MARION WADE DOYLE.

NAhANAoAN DO
Mrs. Roosevelt returned from five
weeks of almost continuous travel
to hold press conference today at
which she discussed the parties at
21O1 r street, the women's land
army, Japanese killing OF American
aviators and her use Of Army
bombers.
Asked II she had ever attended
one of John P. Monroe's much
publicized parties, Mrs. Roosevelt
said, Il was never there"
Going on to discuss the way in
vitations are issued to many parties
in the Capital, Mrs. Roosevelt de-
clared, Washington has always
been curious place. I have never
quite understood why people go to
places they don't know"
Washington is full of strangers
she added, and perhaps that is
one reason people will expect invi-
tations from an unknown host ito
meet somebody"
She reiterated the previously pub
lished information that she had
met Mrs. Eula Smith before in con-
nection with day nursery and q
tobacco company in Jacksonville
Fla.
Piled With Questions.
Reporters piled Mrs. Roosevelt
with questions that had come up
in the long interval since her last
conference. AS she touched on the
killings of American aviators cap
tured after the raid on Toxic, Mrs
Roosevelt emphasized that reprisal
killings OF Japanese prisoners or
evacuees" in this country would not
do a bit of good to prevent a SINH
lar occurrence.
Because japanese prisoners really
prefer to be killed by their captors
she said, news of mass murders of
Japanese here would do nothing to
deter officials in Toxic. The only
way she can think Of, Mrs. Roosevelt
continued, to prevent japanese
cruelty is to convince them they lose
face by such action in the eyes of
the civilized world"
AS she travelled about the country
she said, she noticed q wave of bit
terness over the deaths of the avn
ators, particularly among those with
dear ones now held by the japanese
At the same time, she said, she
found many useful Japanese Amer
leans in relocation camps eager to
enlist in the American Army but
held back by their elders.
They say it would be easier for
them if We would draft them" Mrs
Roosevelt said, so they could serve
without going against expressed
wishes of their parents against VOL
unteering
Tells of Bomber Trip.
The Presidents wife was quick to
answer criticism of her trip to a
student meeting at Columbia, Mo,
in an Army bomber She went on
an inspection trip with Director
Hobby of the WAACS. she said, and
was dropped off at Columbia on the
normal course of the plane trip
The same bomber had to pass over
Columbia anyway on It's return trip
after leaving Mrs. Hobby in Texas,
she explained, and SO she rode back
to save space she might otherwise
have used on train or commercial
transport
Miss Margaret Smith Of the Elk
tended Farm Labor Program Office
modelled an attractive overall uni
form for the Women's Land Army
at the beginning of the conference.
Miss Florence Hall, in charge of the
program, said the uniforms would
not be compulsory but said she
hoped they would add dignity and
prestige to the farm service and
aid recruiting"
Turning to the problem of racial
discrimination in certain industries
and offices, Mrs. Roosevelt said she
believed unions are doing good
job to eliminate as much prejudice
as they can.
1T is being handled as we'll by the
unions as it is by the rest of the
country" Mrs. Roosevelt said.
The standard of mans ability to
do job rather than his color is
still not universal, however, she
stated.