The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
MARCH 23, 1936
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WASHINGTON, March 23 —Saturday was gusty and windy and I spent the morning indoors feeling that delightful sense of complacency which comes when you know that you have time to do things which you did not expect to do, in a leisurely fashion and there really is no need to do anything away from home!
Governor Winant of the Social Security Board and Governor and Mrs. Lawrence Cramer of the Virgin Islands came to lunch. Having been to the Virgin Islands, it is interesting to hear of their progress. When I was there the people were so fearful of what the government was going to do, and now that it is done they seem to be pleased with the results. More people are getting to work, wages are a little higher, and as is always the case, living standards are going up with more economic security. The hotel on St. Thomas which I thought was going to be perfectly charming has evidently turned out to be much as I expected for they tell me that they have turned away more than one hundred people this winter. It has a perfectly lovely view and was built around the old Bluebeard Tower which lends a bit of romance. Someday I hope to go back and see for myself what has happened for it is rather satisfying to view a problem of such a size that results can be seen fairly soon.
I felt great sympathy with King Edward VIII the other day when he remarked that our civilization was a trifle topsy-turvey! What a comparison between the super luxurious ship which will bring people across the Atlantic and the slums of Glasgow! The solution of so many problems lies so far in the future it is difficult to face even a beginning!
Yesterday afternoon I walked down to the Lincoln Memorial and completely around the gallery of the Memorial itself so as to view the Potomac in every direction and from there to the hospital to see Colonel Howe and then home to a quiet dinner and an evening of reading.
This morning the decision is made to start off on our journey southwards and we leave at one o'clock. My own part of this trip will be short but I am very glad that conditions are so much improved that my husband is going to be able to get a short holiday.
E.R.
About this document
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, March 23, 1936
Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007
Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project
Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.
Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.
MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.
TEI-P5 edition published on April 28, 2017.
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TMsd, 22March 1936, AERP, FDRL