If You Ask Me
by Eleanor Roosevelt

You credit me, my dear lady, with more qualifications than I believe I have. You also forget that I am 65 years of age and that I have no desire to be President of the United States.

I do not think the time has come for a woman to be President of the United States. It seems to me that before a woman can successfully be President many more public offices must be filled by women and we in this country must have ceased to think of our candidates as men or women but only as people who have the proper qualifications for the job to which we are considering electing them.

On the whole I think the Roosevelts have already demonstrated what they can do, and probably will do so many times again, but I do not think it is up to me to demonstrate either the capacities of Roosevelts or women in general. I feel at the present time that a woman could not fill the Presidency successfully because she might not be able to hold a following long enough, and without a loyal following she could accomplish little.

I have long advocated equal pay for equal work. When a man has higher qualifications I think he is entitled to higher pay, but when the qualifications are equal I think teachers as well as all other workers generally should receive equal pay for equal work.

I think this is a question that should be answered by anthropologists or doctors. I was brought up on the theory that first cousins should not marry because it mixes strains which are too closely allied; but ideas may have changed, and I would be unable to answer your question.

So many different situations present themselves in labor disputes that it is well to have the precise situation described before venturing an answer. There undoubtedly are situations in which unions are unreasonable. On the other hand, there are situations which too often are denounced as unreasonable when they are not unreasonable at all. Many businessmen realize that when unions refuse to handle products which are manufactured under low wages, long hours and poor working conditions, the decent employer is being helped. A good employer should not be subjected to competition by other employers who underprice him by reason of their exploitation of workers. The situation confronting your husband may be one in which his support of the union position would eventually result in his own profit.

Because we have never actually entered into peace treaties with Germany and Japan. Until we do that the war is not officially ended.

As far as I know a will made when the person was of sound mind is entirely valid no matter how many years ago it was drawn, as long as no later will has been written. However, I am not a lawyer, and it might be wise for you to consult your own lawyer on this subject.

I am told that if there are no minor children, and if the woman is under 65 years of age, she can receive a lump-sum death payment. If there are minor children, they receive monthly payments even though the widow may not be eligible for these payments because she is earning more than $14.99 in a month in an industry which is covered by Social Security. In other words, a widow who is earning more than the above-mentioned sum in an industry where she is covered by Social Security is not entitled to any monthly payments, though she can receive them for minor children.