If You Ask Me
by Eleanor Roosevelt

No, I never had any inkling that Mr. Hearst was an admirer of mine. I explain the statement by the fact that Marion Davies has always, when we have met, been extremely kind and she was probably trying to make it appear that Mr. Hearst's feelings were somewhat akin to hers.

I am quite sure that your mother-in-law is correct, though my mother-in-law always had photographs of the family in her living room in New York City and in Hyde Park. I never gave it a thought as to whether it was etiquette or not. I like to have photographs of my family around in all of my rooms, and so I am afraid I have just gone ahead and put them there and never really thought that it was a question with which etiquette concerned itself.

I should say just the same characteristics that are important in anybody else—she should be herself, be kind, interested in the opportunities which the position affords her to help people and dispense White House hospitality with pleasure.

Of course what your husband is trying to guard against is the feeling of guilt which comes to any man who has been physically unfaithful to the woman whom he really loves and does not want to lose. The act of being physically unfaithful seems much less important to the average man, and he finds it hard to understand why the woman he loves looks upon it as all-important. Yet, as you prove by your question to him, if a woman tries to take the same point of view a husband is quite horrified and turns to the old code of respectability on the woman's part for the sake of the children. How about respectability on the man's part being of value to the children?

There is something more, however, that should be said on this whole question, since physical faithfulness is perhaps more difficult for men than for women. I imagine your husband, who apparently does love you, is trying to make sure that you will not turn away from him if anything of the kind should happen while he is overseas. You and he will have to decide what is the right attitude to take. Nobody else can decide it for you.

Never.

I think Vice-President Barkley may well be right. Secretary Acheson, I feel, has been one of the very best Secretaries of State we have had. It has taken honest, able thinking and diplomacy to come through this trying period of history. To do so under a constant barrage of criticism requires an amount of character which few men possess.

I always try to cover a certain percentage of schools every year, and I take them as the invitations come in. I try not to go too often to the same area, and I try not to do only schools. I try also not to fill my calendar too full, because one must have some time for other things than speeches.

Neither my family nor I have made any particular or private preparations for an atomic bombing beyond reading all the directions sent out by the Civilian Defense officials and preparing to obey them.

From time to time I have had to take, for short periods, a small amount of thyroid, also at intervals some vitamin pills and pills containing garlic, which is supposed to be good for your memory.