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

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New York City, Friday—I had tea yesterday afternoon in Washington for a group of the Henry George Foundation and then went over to the Chinese Embassy, where Pearl Buck presented the Book of Hope to the Ambassador. This Book of Hope means medical supplies for China, and the Ambassador was appreciative of what American women had done.

Madame Chiang Kai-shek sent a message giving the thanks of the Chinese women and expressed it in the way which we have grown to appreciate in this country. I think that the wife of this Chinese leader has made a deep impression on the women of this country. Her courage, personality and determination to help the unfortunate people of her land establish themselves on a better economic basis has won great admiration among women over here. In addition, she was educated in this country which, of course, gives us a sense of pride in her achievements.

Last evening I attended a dinner given by the Women's National Democratic Club. I made a short speech and stood in line to shake hands with the guests. It was a very successful party and I was very glad to see Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, Mrs. Cordell Hull, Mrs. Claude Pepper and many other Democratic men and women gathered together so early in the autumn. It was my first day of social functions after a long summer's rest and I was rather glad to have the handshaking divided so that neither afternoon nor evening party was a strain.

The President, as usual, was extremely busy and was still hard at work on his basket of mail at midnight. Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess Martha, with her lady-in-waiting and her chamberlain, were very much elated when we met at tea time, because they had found a very comfortable house in which to live and which will require very little done to it before they move in.

This morning we flew back to New York City and a busy afternoon is about to begin here.

I received yesterday one of the most interesting statements I have read in a long time. It is a joint statement made by a group belonging to the National Conference of Christians and Jews on the question of religion and democracy. I like the first two sentences: "Religion and democracy are inextricably interwoven. Democracy's survival and growth are not possible without religion." Another definition is very clarifying: "We define religion as to know, to love, and to serve God."

These men are doing a splendid work in bringing together people of different religions to prove that common meeting grounds for thought and action can be found.

E.R.

(COPYRIGHT, 1940, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, September 28, 1940

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.

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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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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