The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

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FORT WORTH, Texas, Sunday—After presiding at the National Defense Forum of the General Federation of Women's Clubs on Friday evening, I took a night plane for Fort Worth. I am delighted to find my daughter-in-law, Mrs. Elliott Roosevelt, and the new grandson very well, and have had a wondeful time with her and the children. I am not, however, completely neglecting my work, for I have seen a number of people on questions dealing with national defense while here.

It is a good thing to be out in the field and to find out what people are doing. After all, in the Office of Civilian Defense in Washington, I sit in a nice little ivory tower and can make a great many plans. It is out in the community, however, that people do the things which bring them a sense of confidence and ability to meet attack on every front.

I am off again tonight and hope to reach Washington in the morning by plane.

Mr. Rex Stout has sent me a delightful story, for which his sister is responsible. I am going to give it here, exactly as he has written it to me:

"Jim, the young man who used to sell me eggs, dropped in last evening and I asked him how he was making out in his new job at the tool factory. 'Fine,' he said. In spite of the expense of the baby he and his wife were saving money every week.

"I said:'Of course, you're buying Defense Bonds with it?' 'No,'he said, 'guess I ought to, but with the baby to think of—such a responsibility, our first baby—we just feel we can't afford it until we've got maybe a thousand dollars put away—then we can start buying Defense Stamps every week.'

"And Jim isn't dumb by any means, he's a very intelligent young man. I wonder how many Americans have the same understanding he had—thinking that when they buy Defense Bonds or stamps, they are giving something, making a contribution? I explained to Jim that Defense Bonds are the safest investment in the world today—the best and safest way for people like him and his wife to save money."

Someone suggested to me that Defense Bonds might well be given a new name and come to be known as Freedom Bonds, for they will not only pave the way for freedom now, but they may help us to economic freedom in the postwar period.

E.R.

(COPYRIGHT, 1942, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.)


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

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  • Fort Worth (Tex., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, January 26, 1942

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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