The Wilmington morning star., 1944-04-26
BY WEsTBRoOK PEGLER

| NEW YORK.-Some congressman in WASH
lngton recently led with his chin SUGGESTING
that Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt had been given
an extraordinary allowance of gasoline for
use IN her own automobile. He was PROMPTLY
Erebuked for it appears that Mrs. Roosevelt
has used her car sparingly and moreover,
public opinion does not sympathize with the
implied contention that one in Mrs Roose-
velt's position in the Capital should be re-
CURED to use street cars, buses or taxs on
her many necessary errands about town. If
she uses the official White House cars for her
travels within the city that would be all right
too.
However, those who submit to the gasoline
ration do have legitimate objection 10 the
great incidental waste of motor fuel which
follows Mrs. Roosevelt on her many journeys
mere ana abroad. I am not referring at the
moment to her latest air cruise to the Carib-
bean for in this case the lady seems to have
occupied only one place in ships which would
have Eeen flying on routine business anyway.
Nor to her South Pacific flight in the gl.ise
of a Red Cross field worker, the details of
which have never been volunteered by the
Army as to whether the de luxe transport,
known in San Diego as a SUPERB uper was
placed solely at her service in which case
some enormous quantity of highest gasoline
would have been consu.4-ed for no legitimate
purpo
tavc in mind the trains of accompanying
GERS carrying l o a officials and civilian
agents of the federal government, officers of
the Army and Navy and neighborhcod sight
seers. Or one occasion when Mrs. Roosevelt
went to Maine to christen a barge persons
who We're feeling the gasoline shortage COM
planned that the trip was disservice mas
much as the barge could have been launched
without ceremonies with the blessings of
HIM
cars in the procession as there have been at
other such events, specifically in New Jersey
and Oregon, and it does not dispose of the
issue to say that Mrs. Roosevelt does not en-
courage such attendance. In the first place.
Mrs. Roosevelt plainly delights in popular at
tention and once explained that she travelled
because the people want her to. in the second
place, she could prevent this unnecessary use
of necessary article by withdrawing from
such ceremonies knowing that her very pres
ence brings out crowds. 1t is not merely that
Mrs Roosevelt, herself, has Travelled surely
more mileage by car outside Washington than
any other persons engaged in non-essential
work or amy Beard citizen. And that fuel
consumption has been multiplied many times
her own personal mileage by the mileage of
her attendance and her following.
On her Caribbean trip, Mrs. Roosevelt stop
ped at Miami and the Miami Herald reported
WITHOUT comment or the slightest editorial fla
vor but just routine description of her
visit, that 12-car cavalcade thanked by half
a dozen expert motorcycle officers escorted
the First Lady on her inspection trip to Coral
Gables, clearing the road as they went.
Hundreds of passers-by stopped and stared
as they caught glimpse of the unmistakable
figure of Mrs Roosevelt in the lead car
the Herald said Their feelings may have
been tolerant in view of the fact that the
horses in the far outskirts of Miami this
year as thousands cheered who certainly didn't
get there on bicycles afoot, but neverthe-
less there is evidence of SPECIAL privilege in
the spectacle of IL cars and half dozen
motorcycle outriders attending the visit to
hospital of one person who some times rather
tartly disclaims privileges and official posi-
ton and rebukes pretensons to privilege by
others Nor, if these were government cars
would it be fair to reproach the officers who
provided them and the fuel for them out of
the governments pool because any officer who
took the responsibility for refusing transport
tation for an appropriate escort of distinguish
ed rank would be assuming risk with which
it is unfair to confront him in the first place.
The decision in all cases is made by Mrs
Roosevelt, knowing that quantities of fuel will
be used unnecessarily Thus far she has ap-
proved.
You're Telling Me