The Roosevelt Week

One sure way has the President of the U. S. of knowing when winter is at hand. Last week Franklin Roosevelt knew it. His white tie and tails were laid out for him one evening when he was wheeled back from his evening swim in the White House pool. Down he went to his first official entertainment of the season. The Cabinet and their wives with a sprinkling of tycoons had the pleasure of eating the first State dinner cooked in the new White House kitchen.

P: Early one morning last week fire engines clanged down Pennsylvania Avenue to the new $10,000,000 Post Office Building. In a huge windowless room on the sixth floor of the building a fire had started among old files. Unable to attack it properly through the one door of the room, firemen chopped holes through the eight-inch concrete ceiling, poured in water which cascaded down to the lower floors, ruined the paneling in Postmaster General Farley's swank reception room. Washington firefighters, some 40 of whom were overcome by smoke, were bitter because they have to put out fires in Federal buildings

but are not allowed to inspect these same buildings and compel obedience to local laws against fire hazards. Informed of this at his press conference next day, the President declared that Government edifices certainly should conform to fire laws. Then a newshawk pointed out that the entrance door of his own Executive Offices broke the laws by opening inward.

P: In Manhattan at a banquet of the Better Light-Better Sight Movement, attended by tycoons of utilities nearly all of which are at war with the Government, President Thomas N. McCarter of Public Service Corp. of New Jersey proposed a toast: "To the President of the United States!" Struck dumb, a few men got sheepishly to their feet, grinning. Somebody tittered. Then with a roar of laughter the audience stood and drank. "We are meeting here on a salubrious occasion," said Mr. McCarter soberly. "We are an industry with no troubles of any kind. The only thing we have to worry about is the Italian-Ethiopian war."

P: One night Mrs. Roosevelt drove out to address the Faculty Women's Club of Howard University (Negro). The dusky clubwomen had to threaten to call the police to keep Negro newshawks and cameramen from crashing the party. In the confusion Mrs. Roosevelt found herself alone on the street after the affair. Gallantly Negro Edgar C. Brown, CCC press-agent who has a bushy Vandyke beard, squired her to the White House car.

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