Evening star., 1944-07-23
He's the Same Franklin y. Roosevelt

centuaLe0 curing WOrlQ war Gays Wnen
he served as Assistant Secretary of the
Navy. In the White House as well as at
Hyde Park, the President has scores Of
ship models
They range in type from old-fash-
Toned sailing vessels to sleek, modern
destroyers. A valuable addition to the
collection was made during the recent
visit here Of Gen. Charles de Gaulle,
who presented the President with a
model submarine which submerges and
fires shells and torpedoes. It was made
by shipyard workers at Tunis. one of
the first large French colonial cities
to be liberated by Allied troops.
The Presidents third form Of relaxa-
ton is reading. Here again, his aides
say. his taste is varied. One evening
may be spent on an exciting detective
tale. The next book he picks up may
be volume Of history or biography.
The Presidents relations with the
press have changed but little during his
three terms of ofice. He broke prece-
dent in 1888 by opening his conferences
to oral. impromptu, straight from the
shoulder questions, and despite the war
has never deviated from this procedure.
His relations with newspapermen are
on very human plane, rejecting his
moods and reactions. He can be, in
turn, serious, friendly, jovial and caustic.
During his second and third terms he
occasionally showed sharp annoyance
when asked about his plans to run
again. One reporter who sought to
probe the presidential political plans
was advised to put on Ounce cap and
stand in the corner. Another was ac-
cused of being "picayunish"
When early this month the President
was ready to announce his willingness
to accept fourth term If nominated
and elected he seemed to enjoy the per-
formance immensely. Perhaps he felt a
sense of relief, realizing that the hoary
fourth-term question, so often asked,
had finally been answered.
IL Times Around the Earth.
AS the President nears the end of his
third term he has piled up a record of
travel not even approached by any of
his predecessors. According to records
kept by the White House he has jour-
neyed by ship, train automobile and
plane more than 100000 miles, or the
equivalent of IL times around the center
Of the earth.
Although considerations Of his safety
have limited the Presidents travel for
personal appearances and speeches in
the United States since the war started,
about $4,000 miles OF the 100000 total
has been rolled up in the last three
years.
In January, 1943, he journeyed to
Casablanca, North Africa; in April of
the same year he visited MonterreA I
Mexico, where he met President Avila
Camecho OF Mexico and then toured
war plants: in August, 1943, the Presi-
dent attended a war conference at Que
bee; and in December of last year he
made his longest trip of ALTO meet
ings with Prime Minister Churchill and
Gen. Chang -Kai-Shek at Cairo and
later with Mr.. Churchill and Premier
Stain at Teheran, Iran.
Since the war, however, the President
has visited Hyde Park, his ancestral
home where he once made frequent
week end pilgrimages. only occasionally
And Warm Spring. Ga, his favorite spot
for rest cures. has not seen him since
shortly before the war.
On Travel.
The fanfare of publicity which once
attended presidential trips has been
stopped, too. because of Secret Service
security measures. Now, usually, press
association men accompany Mr.. Roose-
welt when he travels in the United States,
but they write no dispatches, except
with occasional permission, until the
President is safely back In the White
House. Then, and then only, can his
journey be described
So, in summary, the man who now
is candidate for fourth term in the
presidency is still very much the same
man who entered the White House in
1888. changed but little by the vicis-
Situdes of IL years of depression and
war. He has termed himself variously
DR.. New Deal, DR.. Win-the-War and
the Commander in Chief But, under
meath, he has remained essentially
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Hudson River
squire with liberal turn of mind whose
political philosophy still is either mamma
or anathema to approximately the same
groups of Americans.