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

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EN ROUTE TO NEW YORK, Tuesday—The flight from Honolulu to San Francisco was smooth and pleasant and on time to the minute. I never cease to be surprised when schedules by air work out completely like clockwork. We crossed half the world and were never late at any stop.

My son, James, met us in San Francisco and a group of newspapermen informed me immediately that President Truman had announced he would not run again. They gave me a copy of his statement, and it did not surprise me very much. It sounded just like the man I have always found the President to be—a simple and straightforward statement of the facts as he saw them.

President Truman has served his country to the maximum of his ability and he feels he has done his duty. One could not ask for more from any American.

Those of us who have served in any capacity under him will always be grateful for his kindness, his thoughtfulness, and his loyal backing. He has always shown me the greatest kindness and consideration, and I hope when he leaves the White House I shall sometimes have an opportunity occasionally to see a man who has carried himself with humble dignity and guided a great nation during some of the most difficult years that the world has ever been through.

He has given the best that was in him and all of us will wish him well in whatever he undertakes in the future.

In the President's remaining months in office life will not be completely easy. There will be many pressures from all sides. Candidates will want his backing, and last favors will be asked by many. I am sure, however, that Mr. Truman will do what he believes to be the right thing. I am also sure there will be years of usefulness ahead and more happiness I hope for him and for his wife and daughter.

I was amused to have the newspapermen ask me for a prediction as to the next election. It seems to me rather ridiculous that anyone would speculate right now on the results of anything that is so vague as next November's elections.

First of all, we have to go through two conventions, and if we were to have a visitor from Mars he might think our political conventions were a trifle odd. The people meeting in them usually behave in a somewhat distraught fashion, but this is the way we nominate our candidates in our two major parties. And that has to happen before we know what the issues will be and the personalities who will have to argue these issues for final decision before the people.

All I hope is that we will be calm and wise, for this is no period in world history to lose our heads.

This is Easter vacation time for some of my grandchildren and I am hoping to see quite a number of them at Hyde Park this weekend. I am also hopeful that I shall catch a glimpse of my new great-grandchild, who is only a few weeks old. I am told that the little lady is called Julianna. So, with one new grandchild and one new great-grandchild, the family has acquired two new members since I have been away.

E. R.

(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1952, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROHIBITED.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, April 2, 1952

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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Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
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Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

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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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