Eleanor Roosevelt Speeches

Good morning, it's 9:30 and time to listen, ladies, to Eleanor Hoff. Good morning, Eleanor.

Good morning, good morning ladies and gentlemen. We've just ended another successful drive for funds for the American Red Cross. [Introduction music fades out] But the drive and the great need for American Red Cross service can't end until every American man and woman is home again. The battle won, the victory done. So for the week of April 9th, I've invited five guests from five branches of the Washington Red Cross volunteer services to speak to us here. They will not ask for money, they're going to tell us rather how our d-donations are used and explain to us the many ways in which we can augment that money with personal use. Our guest today who is going to open the discussion forum for us is our gracious and generous First Lady. Mrs. Roosevelt has seen the American Cross at work throughout the old vast country of ours and in many of the actual fighting areas of the war. I don't think there is any other one woman who can tell us better from experience what the American Red Cross means to fighting men and women throughout the world. Your fighting men and women, and mine, and hers. I'm most proud today to be able to introduce to you, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Mrs. Roosevelt, we're putting on a drive here for the American Red Cross now in Washington for more volunteer help. They're going to need more motor corps drivers, they're going to need more Red Cross ladies, gray ladies, they're going to need, and always will need, I guess, more first aid ladies, that is nurses aid ladies. You've seen these women, these volunteer women, working in the hospitals. You have probably I am sure, undoubtedly, a better idea of how valuable their services are than anybody. The boys speak of them, don't they, to you?

And from the other standpoint, Mrs. Roosevelt, certainly the women who give are gaining tremendously. I don't believe any one of them who's ever done the work hasn't come out feeling she's gotten more than she has given, isn't that true?

And so, next Monday we're going to start a series of five talks from five heads of the volunteer services here in Washington who are going to ask you not for money, but for help. You start listening in Monday, would you? And remember, please, when you listen, what Mrs. Roosevelt has just said to you about the Red Cross, that it's work really--you're not giving so much as you're getting. Thank you, Mrs. Roosevelt.

You know, Mrs. Roosevelt, the WBP [War Production Board] has asked me to ask you to say a word about the paper drive. We've started here, the first city drive to conserve paper. It's going to be, we hope, an example for all the big cities throughout the country, so that all the women will understand what we're doing. I know you understand thoroughly because you've seen paper conservation in other countries, haven't you?

In other words, if they didn't find anything, they'd carry their fish raw!

Well, I don't think we're ever going to get to that point, but there's a tremendous need now for paper, I think they need something more than twice as much as they have ever needed before. And our drive here, which the WPB is sponsoring, is to ask, ladies, not to ask for wrapping paper when they buy parcels. It's quite simple, because there is still a great many, a great deal of boxes and a good many things are boxed to take away. Uh, you know some of the generals' wives this week pledged themselves, as I have done and I'm sure as you have done, Mrs. Roosevelt, not to ask for paper wrapping.

Well, they were thanking you for that, too, because I'm sure everyone knowing that you are going to carry your packages unwrapped will be- feel a little bit more proud to carry her own package unwrapped. Mrs. Roosevelt, thank you very, very much for coming. You know, last week, at the press conference, someone asked you what your favorite music was, and you said you didn't have any favorite piece-but among the things you liked, you did mention the "Ballad for Americans." And so, in gracious thanks to you for your coming here this morning, we are going to play Paul Robeson singing the "Ballad for Americans."

For a complete recording of this selection, see Mrs. Roosevelt's music collection.