The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-02-12
Observations
Air Minded Dog OF
Elliott Roosevelt
Back in News
BY HELEN EssARY

right bright Nnen you re nor
right bright" over on the eastern
sho' OF Maryland where came
from. you just "natchelly" don't
know what's going on. You aren't
aware OF what people right around
you are thinking. 4ou don't know
any more about "a trend that a
straw vote knows about a candidate
two years before election day.
II were right bright,
wouldn't have reversed my first
opinion that the commotion about
dog flights by air and train stop
pings, at the suggestion OF Roose,
Welt sons, was exaggerated. But
did reverse my opinion. | went
serious about the golngs-on OF FL
liott and James and of Mrs. Anna
Boettiger Roosevelt. This was af
ter ! saw on the front page OF a
Monday newspaper two startling
stories.
Mono new escapade OF the
younger Roosevelts was revealed.
shouldn't have been disturbed by
that. What did disturb me was.
first James Roosevelt, who had
denied he had had anything to do
With the delay of the train. sudden
~ changed face and admitted that
at the suggestion of a train con.
ductor" he did wire ahead to Chi.
cago and ask that California train
be held until he arrived.
Second. After many evasions
about the requested air priority for
Mrs. Elliott's 200-pound doz, Blaze,
which caused the updumping of ser
yicemen on their way to see sick
relatives. It was disclosed that Mrs.
Anna Roosevelt Boettinger had
Quested the priority.
To make my reaction more unde-
standable, it was not the request
for a priority and for delay in the
train that was alarming. Ii was
the obvious lack of a nice feeling
for truth the young Roosevelts re
yealed in their sudden reyersals.
A nice feeling for truth is so i'm
portant in each and every member
of White House family. 1t en-
courages confidence in the people
of the nation for whom the White
House is the highest authority.
Particularly true is this in time
OF great war. Today, seriously
wounded men are being shipped
back TO the United States" at the
rate OF one thousand a day. One
thousand a day! Think that num-
Der over. One thousand a day,
This doesn't include the number OF
men killed, missing In action or
taken prisoner
i II is likely that the number OF
men seriously wounded. killed or
missing in action and taken prison
er will be increased or diminished
during the next months by the de-
cisions of. the Big Three-Russia's
Premier Josef Stain, British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill and
President Roosevelt-now meeting
at some undisclosed place.
Each one OF these three especial
ly from our point OF view. the
representative of the United States
in the conclave) needs every ounce
of courage, clear thinking and
honesty it is possible to muster in
the human spirit. Otherwise, what
will be the outcome of the war?
Will sacrifice be washed out In the
evasions and double dealings of
discussion?
| brooded over such thoughts as
these half the night. Worked my.
SIT into a sharp and noble state of
moral indignation. Bitter, accus-
ing words sprang into my mind as
fast as sheep jump over insomnia
fences.
Charged with what seemed to me
TO be justihable resentment OF the
ways OF the young Roosevelts, |
faced my typewriter this morn
ing. | would call attention to the
spectacle Of a member OF a presi-
Dental family denying a charge
known to be true. | was bursting
with superior virtue.
Then l decided to glance at the
morning paper. What to my limo
cent eyes did appear. but a news
story which began. Col. Elliott
Roosevelt, the Presidents second
son. was approved by the Senate
Military Affairs Committee for pro-
motion to brigadier.general." There
was no growing about the dog Incl
dent.
Well, there you are. Even | can
). see now that I'm mot right bright 3"
Why should | worry over the ethi
y cal state OF the nation, Here was
n p oof that Blaze was not a 200
pound mastiff In VOLTS clothing
He was brigadier-general In pri-
ority disguise.
And another point TO prove me
wrong again. An Englishwoman
said to me, not five minute ago:
What Is all the pother about
an air ride for a dog and the stop
ping of a train? Surely there is
nothing to get excited about In
England. we never give a second
thoneht to the pranks OF our royal
family"