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

[Original version of the column. Text in red are tagged with <sic> (needs correction); text in purple are tagged with <orig> (needs regularization); and text in blue are tagged names of persons or organizations. View emended version]

      

DALLAS, Tex.—I received a wire, while in Houston Wednesday, from the Texas White Citizens Council suggesting in no uncertain terms that I leave the state as rapidly as possible.

In fact, the wire proposed that I leave the state immediately. But those who sent the wire spelled my name wrong, which seemed to show a certain lack of precision in their information.

Members of the council came to the hotel where I was speaking and walked up and down the street outside of the building during the two hours I was at the dinner. But, of course, I knew nothing of this until after they had left.

There were five women and one man in this group. When a reporter for the Houston Post asked the man his name, he became so abusive, I was told, that the reporter hit him, whereupon this man jumped into a waiting car and the whole group melted away. So evidently they did not want to be recognized.

These people can't be very sure of the cause in which they are enlisted if they won't come out in the open and say who they are and run away when they get into trouble. So, I expect the consciences of these ill-advised ladies and gentleman will in time catch up with them.

The next day we drove to the Houston airport to fly to Dallas, only to find to our dismay that planes were not landing in Dallas because of the very bad storms there.

After two hours' delay, we finally decided to drive. But the nearer we got to Dallas the stormier were the skies, and finally we ran into heavy winds. Our chauffeur told us that at a garage he was informed that Dallas had winds of 70 to 80 miles an hour.

This was not cheery news, but we kept on until suddenly something went wrong with the car. We all decided that we had been jinxed, but finally the car was repaired at a garage and we proceeded through a driving rainstorm.

We arrived in Dallas very late, but 6 o'clock found us at the hotel. Then I had to write my column and change clothes before going to a 5 p.m. cocktail party. From there I went to the Bonds for Israel dinner, where I spoke, and then rushed to the airport for a plane. So it was quite a day!

I discovered in Houston Thursday that I could buy the New York Times there. How the delivery at such a distance is achieved, I don't know, but it was a great delight to be able to get one of the newspapers I am accustomed to reading.

I must, however, pay a tribute to the Houston newspapers. They reported my press conference and speech with complete accuracy, which is not always easy to do when you try to make someone answer questions on controversial subjects.

Quite frankly, I was trying not to answer some of the questions. Since I was there for a specific purpose—to promote Bonds for Israel—I did not think I should complicate matters by talking any more than absolutely necessary about controversial matters.

I was glad to see that the President's plea for foreign aid is beginning to bring out not only the support of his Cabinet but that of the Democratic Congressional leaders, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson and House Speaker Sam Rayburn.

The President also showed a little realism in making the remark that while he would support the full Republican slate in the next Congressional elections, he would feel more enthusiasm for those who go along with his program.

The amendment which forbids him from running for a third term curtails his power, of course, but his great personal popularity still can be used as a weapon in helping those whom he backs with "enthusiasm."

E.R.

(Copyright, 1957, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)


Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced

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  • Dallas (Tex., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, May 25, 1957

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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