The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1951-01-19
BOOK review
Roosevelt In Retrospect

AOCSFCal Ala NClIOSpCGl
by John Gunther Published by Harp
Ell & Bros.
My interest in this book was first
aroused by one of those Westbrook
Pegler diatribes in the ceaseless war
he wages against Roosevelt and the
! Roosevelt heritage in American lib
eraliSm.
One might call this volume a book
sized character study, an overall
scrutiny of the man, the human being,
in an attempt to understand the quail
ty and extent of his greatness. 1t nat
urally follows that the book is also
q summary of the times through which
he lived. And though it is but brief
restatement of recent history, it is
sufficient to remind us of the COM
plex magnitude of the presidency dur
ing his years in office, and to re-
alize the toll that was exacted of
him.
Seen now from the perspective of
time, some acts of Roosevelt which
seemed indefensible even to his ar
dent supporters at the time they took
place, appear now more understand
able, or even completely justified, as
Gunther reviews the facts for US. Of
his terrific and enduring impact on
American life and American history
there can be no doubt. AS Gunther
says in his concluding paragraph,
zone result of all this is that the
President, though dead, is still alive.
Millions of Americans will continue
to vote for Roosevelt as long as they
live" Sufficient reason for this is
expressed earlier in the volume: "The
whole gist of his twelve years in Of
flee can be expressed by the propo-
sition that he did succeed in giving
the people of the United States a full
Ter measure of security than they had
ever known before, without any sac
rifice whatever of liberty and civil
rights -
A Westbrook Pegler might bubble
that a Gunther evaiuation would nat
urally be heavily biased in Roose-
velt's favor And while it is true
must distill his material through the
personality, it can be said that here
be judicious, critical, balanced; that
man have been equally explored. This
is not to imply that one may not
have an honest difference of opin-
ion with Mr.. Gunther on this or that
point.
In several instances, Gunther in
dulges in speculative ''ifs": if Roose-
or met such a person when he did,
how different might have been the
course of his life and the course of |
history In that same vein, one can
we'll believe that millions have cried,
'if only Roosevelt were still alive
5odayW We wonder, would his par
ocular greatness and mold of mind
nave been sufficient to prevent the
deepening crisis which threatens to
angulf us? This much we know
md altogether afraid of a resurgeut
he once said the first prerequisite
or a European settlement was that
10 German should ever be permitted
% wear uniform" (again). Ger
ainly this was the understanding of
he allies during the war. Despite
his, today we are preparing the full
'eafmamenC ana 1uIl war partlcl-
patton of Western Germany, this in
he face of repeated Soviet warnings.
Gunther states in his foreword,
books about Roosevelt are pouring
ut by the Dozen" This, however,
S the first attempt at a rounded
biography. 1t is safe to assume that
With the "slow sitting of years of
cholarship" many more volumes will '
e written, but Roosevelt in Retro
pect" can be expected to retain its
,alue. And Roosevelt's scurrilous de-
amers will continue to claw at his I
rave for what, at best, can earn
hem but footnote in an occasional
olume.- OLDENBURG. :