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

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NEW YORK, Friday—On Wednesday I visited the Polish exhibit, "Comeback of Poland," currently being held in Rockefeller Center, here. It is extremely interesting, but I fear that for the average American it is not going to be as easy to understand as it might be if it had been done in a more pictorial fashion. There are charts that show the boundaries of Poland at different periods, how much land is back in production, what the industrial level of production is, what the loss in population has been, and what their needs are—all these are very enlightening if you take the time to look at them carefully. A 10-minute movie also is shown. But I did not feel there were enough pictures of the life of the people—as it was and as it is today—to give a very good idea to the average American of what is actually going on in Poland.

The Poles lost an enormous amount of their cattle and horses during the war years so their needs now are for cows, horses, and tractors, the last named to be used for plowing. There is not enough milk to meet the needs of the children, and I was told that 73 percent of the children have tuberculosis, an appalling figure. Fortunately, we have now discovered a serum with which to inoculate healthy children to keep them from catching tuberculosis. Such inoculation is one of the most important medical treatments in Europe today.

In the same part of the building where the Polish exhibit is being held, Palestine also has quite a remarkable exhibit. Here a cyclorama, which keeps moving around and around, covers the history of the Jews in Palestine from the days of Moses.

* * *

Last evening I went to the farewell dinner given in honor of the Iranian Princess, Her Royal Highness Princess Ashraf Pahlevi, by the Iran American Merchants Association.

We had tried to meet before but had never succeeded, so I was not prepared for the youth and beauty of this young Princess, who has such definite ideas and has worked so hard on welfare projects in her country. She says her brother started a society for the promotion of social welfare, but she has acted as the head and I gather there has been plenty for her to do. It is interesting to learn how much a young and charming woman can do for her country. I think everyone who saw her and heard her speak last night went away with the feeling that she would be a power for good in the Near East and that with her help conditions in her country would grow better for the average human being.

* * *

Committee 3 of the United Nations finally got down to the point of discussing one of the resolutions yesterday. The United Kingdom proposed that the budget of the Advisory Social Welfare Services, which the U.N. had been rendering to continue the work done under UNRRA, be cut in a manner that would severely curtail most of the services. The budget for last year was a little over $670,000 and the Secretary General has asked for $80,000 more for the coming year, but the United Kingdom would cut the budget to $150,000 in all, which would mean the abandonment of much of the work that has barely begun. We very much hope that we can keep the level of last year's appropriation at least, and then find out what might be of value as permanent services.

E. R.

WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1947, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN PART OR IN WHOLE PROHIBITED.


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My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, October 4, 1947

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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