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•“A

Seven grandchildren came to Hyde Park in 1943 to celebrate Christmas with Father. This
picture was taken just after Father finished his Christmas broadcast to the nation.

job as could be expected of stabilizing
our economy. At the same time, it
was obvious from the tenor of his
remarks that he was deeply worried
about the war in Europe and con-
cerned over the terrific tasks ahead
for anyone who would be leader of
our nation in wartime.

As the leader of the strongest na-
tion in the world he had, during his
two terms of office, done all in his
power to avert a second world war,
and he clung doggedly to the hope
that it need not involve the United
States. At the same time he fought

for preparedness, realizing how much
greater the toll would be if we were
not prepared.

Father had convinced me that he
did not want the nomination, but he
had also convinced me that he would
undertake any task, no matter how
heavy, if his conscience and his logic
told him he should.

In November, 1943, I took my chil-
dren from Seattle to Washington,
D.C., intending to stay with my fam-
ily only through Christmas, as my
husband was in the Army overseas.
The way things happened, however,

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