| FDR and the House of Representatives (United States News, 1944) The House of Representatives that was convening in early '44 was composed of thirty additional Democrats - but this seemed not to matter to the President and his allies on the Hill; after eight years of practice, the opposition party had learned how to play the game. An Anti-Discrimination Measure in Wartime (Collier's 1941)Although the Roosevelt administration believed that integrating the armed forces was far too risky a proposition during wartime, it did take one important step to insure that fair hiring practices were followed by all businesses that held defense contracts with the Federal government; during the summer of 1941, while American industry was still playing its roll as "the arsenal of democracy", a law was passed making such discrimination a crime, and the attached editorial from COLLIER"S MAGAZINE applauded the President for doing the right thing:
"For our money, the President's finest single act in the national emergency to date is his loud-voiced demand for an end to all racial discrimination in hiring workers for the defense industries." "Any loyal inhabitant of this country, says the President, is entitled to a chance at any of these jobs, whether he be of German, Italian, colored, Jewish or any other descent. We don't know of anything more timely that could be said just now." The Roosevelt I knew (Collier's. 1946)Here is a warm recollection of FDR by a woman who worked closely with the man for nearly thirty five years as political colleague, state governor appointee and Labor Secretary: Francis Perkins (1880 - 1965). Diplomatic Relations with Japan (The Literary Digest, 1933)This article is about the diplomatic relationship that was maintained between the United States and Imperial Japan during the earliest months of the FDR administration. Can Congress Kill the New Deal? (Click Magazine, 1943)This is a 1943 editorial that was penned by Republican Senator Robert Taft (1889 – 1953) who explained in the most clinical terms that President Roosevelt's loyal opposition on Capitol Hill can be relied upon to support him in all matters involving his roll as Commander-in-Chief. However, Taft implied, any further efforts to go gallivanting about the Capitol creating any more of those agencies with the New Deal trademark names like FSA, WPA, NYA, REA, TVA etc. etc. etc will be met with the stiffest opposition from his Republicans, who were well outnumbered, anyway.
Taft's column was answered by his opposite number in the Democratic Party: New York Senator Robert F. Wagner (1877 – 1953); his column can also be read here. Roosevelt Takes Charge... (The Literary Digest, 1933)This 1933 magazine article anticipating the reign of FDR appeared on the newsstands on the same day as the man's first inauguration. The article is composed of various musings that had been published in numerous papers across the economically depressed nation as to what manner of leadership might the Americans expect from their new President.
"No President has ever inherited such a load of problems and responsibilities as Roosevelt. Click here to read President Hoover's
farewell warning to the nation.
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