THE PRESIDENCY: The Roosevelt Week: Aug. 31, 1936

Franklin Roosevelt began last week by driving out to his front gate to look with interest on the newest thing in antiaircraft guns as the motorized 67th Coast Artillery passed through Hyde Park. He closed the week by welcoming at his mother’s house the People’s Mandate Committee and listening with interest to its plea for Peace. But only two problems took much of his time out of his week of fun. One was Drought, the other Politics.

First to bring Drought to his doorstep was Relief Administrator Harry Hopkins who sought permission to increase the number of farmers on drought relief from 90,000 to 150,000. Next to bring Drought to his doorstep were Louis J. Taber and Fred Freestone of the National Grange, who arrived to suggest a system of crop insurance which they had already presented to Alf Landon, who promised it favorable consideration. Franklin Roosevelt promised no less. As for more immediate Drought problems, the President laid out in detail his trip to confer with officials of 16 Drought States, beginning this week at Bismarck, N. Dak.

Those who turned up to talk Politics were more numerous. They included a Democratic Congressman from Maine, where the election is only three weeks off, a Republican Senator from North Dakota, Dr. Stanley High, who plans to spend $100,000 getting “Good Neighborly” preachers to vote for Roosevelt. Charles Pettijohn of Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America dropped by to tell the President that his popularity, as gauged by audience response to newsreels, was once more on the upgrade. New Dealish James Cromwell brought his new wife, the onetime Doris Duke, to a Hyde Park lunch with the Roosevelts.

Most eager to talk politics were newshawks. In response to their questions the President repeated his solemn declaration that there would be no politics in his Drought trip, not even at Des Moines where he will meet Governor Landon. In fact, he declared, politics would be “out”‘ two weeks hence when he addressed a seven-State Democratic rally at Charlotte, N. C., “out” the week after when he speaks at the 300th anniversary of the founding of Harvard College.

Having given these firm assurances to the Press in the afternoon, President Roosevelt spent the evening conferring with his campaign managers, Postmaster General Farley, Pressmaster General Michelson, Moneymaster General W. Forbes Morgan, and their underlings.