My Life With F.D.R.

43

inches shorter than Jimmy at this time.

I remember vividly some discus-
sions we had on this trip. The New
Deal was in the planning stage, and
Father was talking about these plans.
They presented many new aspects of
government, for the new agencies be-
ing discussed entered directly into
the individual lives of American fam-
ilies. These plans embraced the new
thought that government must pro-
vide jobs for the jobless until private
industry and business could take up
the economic slack. The plans also
went into educational fields and into
music and art; they contemplated
giving constructive work to young
people through a National Youth
Administration and a Civilian Con-
servation Corps.

Father would discuss these ideas,
and the fact that it was absolutely
necessary for the people to under-
stand exactly what the Government
was doing and why. On several occa-
sions, we got down to talking about
the best ways of informing the peo-
ple.

Some of us, as political neophytes,
suggested there should be a new De-
partment of Education set up in the
Government. Father pointed out,
however, that there would be many
who would disagree and would
strongly feel that these new agencies
were entering provinces where gov-
ernment should not tread. The hue
and cry might well be that such an
education department was merely a
propaganda vehicle for the New
Deal and that taxpayers’ money

should not go to help popularize
something that might be regarded as
political.

Father’s plans for keeping the peo-
ple informed were along lines he had
started while Governor of New York
State, when he often went on the
radio to explain his programs and
why he was striving to get his plans
adopted by a Republican legislature
in Albany. He decided the job of
being a nationwide information bu-
reau was his and that he must use
the radio to reach the people. Out of
this decision grew the “fireside chats.”
Most often these came over the air
on Sunday evenings, when family
groups are usually gathered.

As the years went by, I became
convinced that Father really enjoyed
these talks with the people he repre-
sented. In my own radio work, I
have been told one must have the
feeling that one is talking to a spe-
cific individual or a small group in
a home; otherwise, listeners get the
feeling that the person at the micro-
phone is simply delivering a speech.
Listening to Father’s fireside chats,
I always had the feeling he tuas talk-
ing directly to me, no matter how
many thousands of miles I might be
away from him.

In March, 1933, when our family
moved to the White House, there
was, of course, much excitement.
Mother has written often of her dis-
like of the “hostess” job she saw
looming ahead for her. She has writ-
ten also of the fondness she developed