If You Ask Me
by Eleanor Roosevelt

President Truman is a politician. I am not. I would not state my judgment against his and I would surmise that even Mr. Stevenson might not have been as familiar with political requirements in his first campaign as President Truman. Whether millions of votes were needlessly sacrificed, however, is an opinion which can be neither proved nor disproved and therefore I am afraid it is one of those things we had better cease arguing about.

Corinthians I, Chapter 13, which begins: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."

I have no idea. A number of my grandchildren go to public schools and many have been to universities where I am sure there is complete integration. Among the younger children, if there were Negroes in their classes, I don't think they would even notice it. Most of my grandchildren, I am quite sure, have played with Negro children at some time.

Yes. He gave the impression that he was convinced his opponent, Mrs. Helen Gahagan Douglas, was a Communist. He knew she was not, just as well as anyone else who had watched her career in Congress. He could easily have found out from people who knew her personally what her political views were, but he chose to believe the worst because it fitted into the pattern which he felt would help him to win his election. That does not seem to me a good way to act politically or privately.

The President of the United States does not have to pay hospital bills, since he goes to government hospitals. I never carried any hospital insurance and I don't think my husband did either, but if I were young I would carry it today.

I would like to teach either American history or American literature. I have no preference as to the college because I have never had enough experience with any of them to know what the differences among them might be.

I don't really see why a lady can't be a real person! That again, however, is a question of definition. From my point of view being a lady means that you are genuinely yourself, that you do not try to make believe you are something you are not and that you act with kindness and consideration for others as you go about your daily routine of life.

No comprehensive biography has ever been written. There are two volumes by Frank Freidel, however, that cover the early phases of my husband's life and career. These I think are very comprehensive as far as they go. Mr. Freidel is continuing his work and will soon publish a third volume. When finished this biography will be a comprehensive one, I believe.