Henderson daily dispatch., 1943-10-26
HENDERSON IN. c. DAILY DISPATCH,
Mrs. Roosevelt Depicts
Darker Side OF Warfare

| have listened to her on the mir Yo,,
may have seen her somewhere on ,
train Or on II lecture platform.
l glimpScd her when she held her
first press conference after her re-
turn from the South Pacific. | re-
cognized her completely when She
talked to the Red Cross cn:,sres. ionaI
ladies in the Coolidge auditorium OF
the Library of Congress.
This new Eleanor Roosevelt talked
OF the war, not in terms Of generals
and guns. She talked in terms of sui
iering, frightened boys, heroes and
victims of our struggle against the
enemy.
Infec weeks ago Uhcl | mentioned
mat lIrSt press conferences glimpse Of
inc new Eleanor Roosevelt To several
friends. | SAID, Mrs. RuoScl cit has
come back Subdued and dccply
thoughtful. That old .NGbcrancc is
gore"
Don't be sentimental" waS told.
She is just tired. A 2O,0O0-milr trip
Is a chore even for her. She'll be her
Old confident self again before you
ran say Fourth Term"
She is1t her cd confident self
again. Mum'lIty mas taken ire nlacc
of intrcpidity. The Zcs: for lie that
sometimes turned into rasi,ncss and
got into the joke books is gone. Tho
once dHuntlcsS Mrs. Roosevelt. i
bowed down with the reality cf what
she saw on that long journey.
The simple. terrible picture She
gave her Coolidge I'd toriu M
~
Americans. homcS;cE and ill in hos
pitfalls on far-away islands. And her
stories Of the "cXhauStcd", Shell
shocked was the term in the war for
those stricken in nerves and mind.
or one Of the exhausted" she re-
pcatcd an inCidclt that made her
listeners i'll with horror and helpless
ness. \ Rcd Cross girl werner WIS
sent To help boy, huddlcd with bent
head. in Il Camp lar from civilization.
The boy was sick in mind and heart
He had not spoken for days. Inc Rel
Cross worker hoped she could dis
cover what particular misery was
making him dumb.
You muSt"t feel So badly she
said. ITS time TO be happy. Soon
you'll be going home
"ThatS it," cried In" boz. ITS
home" His voice was thick with dcS-
pair Il can't 90 home"
"You can't 60 home. Why. home
is the best place in the world"
Don't YOU sec" said the boy.
"Tm not fiji To 60 home"
mot fit Ia 60 home, You've been
ono of the bravcSt men out here"
81 can't go home. | tell you. For
five months I've done nothing but
kill. I'm rot good enough for home"
He covered mis- face with his hands.
For five months I've done nothing
but kill
please, please don't feel that way.
You have had To kill Everybody
knows you nave mad To kill. II was
your job. You had To do il To get
this awful war over. The people at
home will understand what you have
been through. They'll be So glad to
have YOU back. They'll no, ask what
you did
Then you don't think they'll find
change in me-" The sound of Z
little hope was in the bows voice.
Certainly they wont think you've
changed. They'll sec stroSg. brave
man coming back. Besides they them
selves may have charged a little.
Perhaps you'll go home 10 different
world for the one you left. Ii will b.
Il world that will appreciate WHIT you
have done
1--WE have got Ia do something
about that world" said Mrs. RnnSc-
welt, SOlcmnly concluding her talk. |
"Wc have got In sec that the world |
these men come back Ia is worth The |
sacrifice they have made
| haven't quoted Mrs. Roosevelt |
exactly. | couldn't take notes as she |
talked. ! was too disturbed. Her |
words were better. more real than |
mine. She was completely sincere.