Eleanor Roosevelt Speeches

This is the home and overseas service of the BBC. This evening, the pilgrims of Great Britain are entertaining to dinner Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt. In a few minutes, Mrs. Roosevelt will rise to speak. She will be introduced by the right honorable Viscount Greenwood. There will also be speeches by the Prime Minister, the right honorable Clement R. Atlee, and by the right honorable Winston Churchill. In the meantime, Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, who is at the dinner, will set the scene. So over now to the Savoy Hotel, London.

We welcome you to the Pilgrim Society's dinner, and extend a special welcome to our listeners in America. They're joining us on a historic evening. The Pilgrim Society, which for well over twenty-five years now has done so much to foster Anglo-American friendship, is honoring Mrs. Roosevelt. The traditional toast of the society, the king and the president, has already been drunk with acclamation, and his majesty's special-special message has been read by Lord Greenwood. And also, Ambassador Hooker, President Truman's special representative, has read President Truman's message, with its inspiring words urging that Anglo-American friendship can and must be as staunch in[unknown] peace as it was in war; it can and will be a shield against the perils of the future. We've had messages, too, from General Eisenhower, Mr. Mackenzie King, and from Mr. John W. Davis, the president of the Pilgrims in New York. And now, we're looking towards the high table. There, to the right of the chairman, Lord Greenwood, sits Mrs. Roosevelt, herself, dressed in a gown of black lace. To the left of the president sits Princess Elizabeth. She is dressed in a lace crinoline gown of pastel pink. And opposite her sits Prince Philip. And, in the very corner of the room, under a spotlight, we've got a replica of the statue to the late President Roosevelt, which was unveiled in Grosvenor Square this morning. There it is, that vivid statue of where the president, his cloak thrown back, leaning, gripping his stick firmly, bare-headed, with an almost an austerelook in his eye. And above it, the crossed flag, the Union Jack, and the Stars and Stripes. And now at the high table, the moment has come when Lord Greenwood rises to begin the speeches of the evening.

[gavel bangs for quiet]Mrs. Roosevelt, your Royal Highnesses, your Excellencies, your Grace, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, pray silence for the right honorable Viscount Greenwood, your chairman.

Mrs. Roosevelt, your royal highnesses, your excellencies, your grace, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, my first duty on behalf of all present and on behalf of the Pilgrim Society, is to express our profound grief at the loss of our revered president, the late Lord Darvey [crowd rumbles]. No one labored more loyally for Anglo-American friendship. His long and splendid record of public service is known to all of you. To us pilgrims, he was a beloved chief, and we will always revere and honor his inspiring memory. His heir, the present Lord Darvey, is a pilgrim and is with us tonight and we are most glad to welcome him.

We all wish to express our warmest welcome to her royal highness, the Princess Elizabeth, and to her gallant husband, his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh [applause]. I think this is the first appearance of their royal highnesses since their wedding at a great public banquet together, and we the pilgrims and our guests feel greatly honored by their presence [applause]. It is most fitting that they should be present at this dinner in honor of Mrs. Roosevelt, and by their presence to help to celebrate and cement Anglo-American friendship, which friendship is the greatest factor in our time for the peace of the world. We also welcome their royal highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester [applause]; they are great ambassadors of empire. And also, her royal highness the Princess Alice and the Earl of Athlone [applause]. Now I must add an especial welcome to his Excellency, the honorable Major Hooker [applause], who is the personally appointed representative for President Truman at today's ceremonies. His Excellency was a lifelong friend of the late President Roosevelt, and has been a champion of Anglo-American unity. He fought in the First World War, and was one of those who received our late revered King George V when he visited the armies in France. We are glad to have with us tonight Sir Oliver Franks [applause], who is shortly to become British ambassador in Washington. We wish him every success in this most important position [applause]. Naturally, the American ambassador, the honorable Lewis Douglas, is a very welcome guest [applause]. Both because of the office he holds, and because of his own invaluable contribution to Anglo-American friendship [applause]. And the prime minister is with us tonight, together with many of his colleagues [applause]. It must be remembered that he was deputy prime minister in our Winston Churchill war government [applause], and as such he played a great part in the decisions which led to victory. He too was a colleague of President Roosevelt in the cause of allied unity. We thank him for his cooperation and the great personal interest he took in the Roosevelt memorial, and we appreciate his presence with us tonight [applause]. I must, as chairman of the Executive Committee of the pilgrims, express our warmest appreciation of the fine parade of royal marines today at Grosvenor Square [applause], and especially appreciation of the contingent of American marines [applause] sent over by President Truman as a gesture of goodwill. I am glad to say we have with us tonight General Shepard, a general of the marines of the United States [applause]. Let me add, also, a word of appreciation to the police and other arrangements which made today one of the historic days in our history [applause]. This is the largest as well as the most distinguished gathering in the history of the Pilgrims. It has assembled to do honor to Mrs. Roosevelt and to the memory of her husband. [applause] The Pilgrim-- [applause] the Pilgrim Society entertained Mrs. Roosevelt at dinner in February 1946, and at that dinner I read a letter from Lord Derby in which he said, "Shouldn't we pilgrims not give a lead and make this occasion historic by launching a project for the erection of a national memorial here in our capitol to Franklin Delano Roosevelt." The Pilgrims adopted Lord Derby's inspiring proposal: the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial Committee was formed, and a national appeal was launched for the prime minister in a broadcast on November the seventeenth, 1946, and supported by Mr. Winston Churchill in a broadcast the following night. It was an appeal to the hearts of the people of Great Britain. The subscriptions rolled in, in shillings, with a maximum of five shillings. The appeal was quickly closed, having been supported by the whole country. Grosvenor Square was selected as the site for the monument, owing to its intimate connection with American history. His grace the Duke of Westminster at once agreed to surrender all rights to the square, as did also the tenants. An act of Parliament was necessary, and the Roosevelt Memorial Act 1946, move that the prime minister supported by Mr. Winston Churchill and other leaders, was unanimously passed by Parliament. It provided for the erection in Grosvenor Square of a statue to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The laying out of the square is a garden, and it's opening for the use and enjoyment of the public in perpetuity. The multivarious details were carried out for the memorial committee, a major part of the work being done by Sir Campbell Stewart (11:37), the treasurer [applause]. The result is a majestic bronze statue to the late president by Sir William Reid Dick with a pedestal and surroundings in stone designed by Mr. [unclear term: might be "[Galenel]" (11:56)], the architect, unveiled this morning by Mrs. Roosevelt in the presence of their majesties the king, the queen, Queen Mary, and other members of the royal family, leading citizens of the land, and ourselves, the Pilgrims, authors and creators of this historic occasion. Franklin Roosevelt and the Republic of the United States were our most powerful allies in the last war. He was with us even before his country declared war, as shown by his lend-lease policy and other matters. His name is forever associated with that of Winston Churchill, our own immortal [applause]! These two men led the world of civilization to victory and laid the foundations of that close friendship of the United States and the British Empire on the continuance of which the liberty and freedom of all mankind depends. But it is not in personal admiration only for the man Roosevelt, that we have raised this statue in our midst, we honor him also as the man who spoke for America to us, and promised on behalf of his nation unfailing strength and support in the hour of our greatest peril. And now the United States under the Marshall Plan are pouring millions into our economic lives, reinforcing our own efforts to save ourselves and the democracies of Western Europe from misery and want. Mrs. Roosevelt, we Pilgrims rejoice to welcome you [applause]. Believe me, it is a very heartfelt welcome. From Windsor Castle to the humblest home, you are the honored guest. To the millions in your own great country and throughout the world, you stand for all that is best in womanhood, and we honor you as the loyal helpmate of your distinguished husband whose statue you unveiled today. We have given his statue a special place in the heart of our empire. There, he will stand in our midst, as he stood in life, for the four great freedoms which he enunciated and which are engraved there in the stone, and which are the hope of the world. Your royal highnesses, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, I am proud to propose to you the toast of the health of Mrs. Roosevelt.

The toast [unclear term: might be "[is]" (15:14)] our guest, Mrs. Roosevelt [brief silence followed by applause]. [unclear term maybe "Mr." (15:48)] chairman, your royal highnesses, your excellencies, your grace, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, pray silence for your guest of honor this evening, Mrs. Roosevelt.

[gavel bang] My lord chairman, Mrs. Roosevelt, your Royal Highnesses, your Excellencies, your Grace, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, pray silence for the right honorable C.R. Atlee, the Prime Minister.

Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Roosevelt, your Royal Highnesses, your Excellencies, your Grace, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, I have the honor to propose the toast of the memory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. We have this morning witnessed the unveiling of a statue, the outward expression of the gratitude of the people of this country to a great friend, through a man who was the first citizen of one great nation, but also the servant of all [unknown speaker: Here here]. The United States has been fortunate that in the crises of our history she has found men of outstanding moral and intellectual stature to lead the nation. I am glad that here in London we have now added to the memorials of Washington and Lincoln, a statue to this great president whose services to the cause of freedom were given in an even wider sphere than those in his eminent predecessors. Great men belong not only to their own countries, but to the world. All men and women who love liberty and democracy owe a deep debt of gratitude to Franklin Roosevelt and will cherish his memory, but we British have special cause to give thanks. It is most fitting that here in England, where freedom, driven from the continent of Europe, found refuge in the critical days of the war. We should express our thanks to the man whose friendship helped us in our time of need [unknown speaker: Here here]. We can all recall vividly those dark days when the British Commonwealth and Empire stood alone, when though our faith in victory had never faltered, we had no clear view as to how victory was to be attained. There was one gleam of light on that cloudy horizon; we knew that across the Atlantic there was a great democracy with the same principles as those for which we were fighting, and at its head was a man of dauntless courage and vision who understood what were the issues at stake. We knew that in him, Britain had a great and faithful friend. That friendship was expressed not only in words, but in deeds, in that difficult and dangerous period. As well in these days, when some people seem to have a short memory of benefits received, to recall the wise generosity of lend-lease that did so much to help us to restore our strength and lay the foundations of victory in the future [applause]. Only a great statesman could have conceived the idea and carried it through. But to win a war, a spiritual as well as physical weapons are needed; men must know for what they fight. And when before America entered the war, President Roosevelt and our own great war leader set before the world in the Atlantic Charter the freedoms for which we were fighting and for which we still contend. The common man in every country saw clearly stated the democratic faith and was inspired to fight and work for victory. I recall, too, how although the war had yet to be won, the president, with wise prescience, called together the San Francisco conference to try to devise an instrument whereby these freedoms might be assured to men and women of all nations. He did his utmost to ensure that when war ceased, peace might be established on a sure foundation. And when the wanton attack by the Japanese brought the United States into the war, his was the guiding hand that mobilized the immense resources of his country for service in the common cause. His still was the wise statesmanship that did so much to make that alliance effective. History shows us many examples of alliances in war where lack of harmony between allies has hindered or frustrated ultimate victory, where petty quarrels or insistence on particular interests have obscured the great design. There was nothing petty about Franklin Roosevelt; he always saw the larger issues. It was, I think, largely due to his leadership and example that there grew up that comradeship in arms which was so strikingly exemplified in the fighting forces of both nations [unknown speaker: Here here]. What then were the qualities which enabled the president to play so decisive a role in history? First of all, I think courage. No one but a very brave man could have faced and triumphantly overcome the disabling effects of a severe illness which would have meant the end of a public career to a man of less fortitude. He displayed this same physical courage in undertaking arduous journeys to consult with the other allied leaders. When he was called to his high office in the United States, not only his own country but the whole world was in the throes of a great depression. His courage in facing these problems was an inspiration to us all. For this quality was most needed and most fully displayed on the entry of America into the war, when as commander-in-chief, as well as president, he had to take the responsibility of making vital decisions. I think his next great quality was that of vision. While many of his countrymen were still looking upon the war as a remote quarrel between European powers which did not affect any vital American interests, he saw that the real issue was one which transcended national boundaries. What was at stake was a life common to Western Europe and America. He realized the destruction of freedom and democracy in Europe would expose (45:52) America to attack; the Battle of Britain was a defense of American, as well as British, ideals. Had the dictators succeeded, there'd have been created a deep division between the Western and Eastern hemispheres. Although the immediate attack on the United States came from Japan, he knew that the battle must be fought on two fronts. His leadership and appreciation of strategy sent the armed forces of America to Africa and Europe, as well as to the islands of the Pacific. He displayed the same wide sweep of imagination in his vision of the future, of a world organization for peace. And with this he added a third quality: a deep sympathy for the common man. At the end of the first world war, most statesmen were thinking in terms of a self-determination of nations and political liberty, but Franklin Roosevelt saw beyond the nation: the individual citizen. He saw that nationalism was not enough, that mutual defense against aggression was not enough, there must also be a sharing of prosperity among the nations and a united effort to raise the standard of life of ordinary folk. Thus I think his work in America, during the years of peace, bore fruit in his conception of what kind of a world was needed to banish war forever. In this deep appreciation of the hopes of ordinary folk, he was helped by the wide sympathy and knowledge of the greatest lady whom we are privileged to have with us here tonight [applause]. But he had more than sympathy for the common people: he had faith in them. He worked with and through the people. He had a great gift of speak, so as the leader he could inspire the nation and could also speak simply to his fellow men as one of themselves. He worked with and through the institutions of popular government in a world where leadership had been debased by being equated with dictatorship. He was supremely successful in showing how to lead a free people. Above all, he was a great human being. I shall always recall the memory of his lovable personality. The troubled world of today has need of those qualities which shone so brightly in Franklin Roosevelt. His faith, his courage, and his broad humanity will continue to inspire us, to do our share in gaining the adherence of the world the ideals of peace, justice, and freedom for which he strove.

[Gavel bang] High Lord Chairman, Mrs. Roosevelt, your Royal Highnesses, your Excellencies, your Grace, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, pray silence for the right honorable Winston Churchill.

Your Royal Highnesses, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, I have little to add except my heartfelt agreement to uh what-what the Prime Minister has said. Now I am asked to sustain and support uh what he has said and um to respond to the appeal which he has made to us all. Uh obviously, we are divided in this island not only on practical but on doctrinal issues [coughs] [audience laughs], but we are all united tonight in paying our tribute to the memory of Franklin Roosevelt, and I am so glad to be invited to testify to this and to support what the Prime Minister has said. I-it has become a feature of the American constitution that the-the head of the state is also the head of a party. Eh, no one in a free country, as I can testify [audience laughs], and as I am sure [audience laughs] I'm sure the Prime Minister will confirm [audience laughs] [clears throat] can hold office as a party leader and for long [audience laughs] without incurring many antagonisms [audience laughs]. No-no one ever held the supreme office of the U-in the United States so long as President Roosevelt. And-and no one since eh George Washington gave so strong a direction to American affairs. It is therefore natural that in his own country there should be opposing views eh about his public life and work o-o-on party life. But here in Britain we know nothing of American party differences. Uh we sedulously avoid over here all special associations with one party or the other: Republicans and Democrats are the same to us [audience laughs]. Uh-uh our relations- [laughter continues] our relations [clears throat] are-are with the American nation and with those it chooses by the processes of democratic elections to guide its vast affairs. Eh and any other course would imply a bias o-or even an interference in internal American politics. But when we come to speak of Franklin Roosevelt, we enter the sphere of British history and of world history (54:06), far above the ebb and flow of party politics on either side of the Atlantic Ocean [applause]. And I shall not hesitate to affirm, a-and indeed to repeat, that he was the greatest American friend that Britain ever found [applause]. A-and the foremost champion of freedom and justice, whatever stretched strong hands across the ocean to rescue Europe and Asia from tyranny and destruction [murmurs of approval in audience]. The longer his life and times are studied, the more unchallengeable these affirmations I have made to you tonight will become. But I will go forth-further, my lords and gentlemen, and place on record my conviction, shared I believe by the whole sentiment of the British Empire and its commonwealth, that in Roosevelt's life and by his actions, he changed, he altered, decisively and permanently, the social axis, the moral axis, of mankind by involving the New World inexorably and irrevocably in the fortunes of the Old. His life must therefore be regarded as one of the commanding events in human destiny. As a result of his personal influence and exertions, the principle of one world as his opponent. Uh Mr. Wendell-Wilke, uh called it the principle of one world in which all the men in all the lands must play their part and do their duty, has been finally proclaimed and comprehended. Eh um my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, in all this he was unswervingly supported twice during the continuance of the struggle, by the spirit and genius of the American people who apart from all internal differences or administrative incidence founded him during the war the full expression of their mission, their power, and as it proved, their glory [applause]. And here tonight we do honor not only to his memory but we have the good fortune to have with us Mrs. Roosevelt, ma-many of us kno-know what we owe to our wives, in life they are a journey. Mrs. Roosevelt has made her distinctive and personal contribution to the generous thought of modern society. Eh in her speech tonight, eh it gives u-us here a-a measure of the individual power, influence and comprehension uh which she has brought into the field of world affairs [applause]. But uh now, at this moment, when we celebrate the setting up of the Roosevelt monument a-and its fine statue which so compulsively recalls to me the figure which I loved and honored; tonight, we must describe to Mrs. Roosevelt that it is a marvelous fact that a crippled man, the victim of a cruel affliction, was able for more than ten years to ride the storms of peace and war at the summit of the United States [applause]. And the debt we owe to President Roosevelt is also owed to her [murmurs of approval in audience], I-I'm sure that you see it around her tonight, in this old apparent land a-a-and in this great company the esteem and the affection of the whole British people [audience voice approval] the ancient-my lord, ladies and gentlemen-the ancient spoke of personages who are happy in the occasion of their death. Certainly President Roosevelt died in full career and undisputed control at the moment when certain victory was in view. He didn't leave- He did not live to endure the quarrels of allies either to united by common nor--