Eleanor Roosevelt Quote

"As far as he (Harry Hopkins) was concerned, war needs were paramount. My husband felt the same. I, however, could not help feeling that it was the New Deal social objectives that had fostered the spirit that would make it possible to give people the feeling that in fighting the war we were still fighting for these same objectives . . . I felt it was essential both to the prosecution of the war and to the period after the war that the fight for the rights of minorities should continue." page 230

This quote is revealing not only because Eleanor Roosevelt is a first lady depicting a view very different from her husband, but also because it shows how the war effort could have been very different and America could have prepared for war differently. Roosevelt devotes much of her autobiography going into great detail many of the New Deal programs and how they affected American life. Her view that such programs still demanded the same attention during wartime only further shows how much she really believed in the programs and their success for the country. Although her quote is true in noting how the New Deal objectives fostered American spirit, I am not sure that focusing on more New Deal objectives during the crucial war preparation would have helped as much as she thought. World War II being a total war demanding so much physical contribution (people, guns, tanks, airplanes etc . . .), social reform most likely would have taken too much away from the administrative centralization necessary to accomplish all of the physical demands. But, of course it is hard to know since she does not mention any concrete reform propositions to consider.

Quote from Primary Source

Excerpt from The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt pg. 196-197:
"Franklin never resented constructive criticism from the members of Congress. What he did resent was the refusal of certain congressmen to understand the over-all needs of the country, the narrow point of view which let them pit their local interests against the national or international interest."

This quote seemed to embody some of the problems and frustrations that arose as the role of the imperial president expanded during the 20th century. F.D.R. had once been a member of the New York senate, but seems to forget the responsibility that senators have to their respective states once he moved into the role of head of state. Although it may sometimes hurt the national agenda when members of Congress act in regards to “their local interests”, ultimately they have a responsibility to do just that. Elected by the member of their respective states, members of Congress are in the best position to represent and advocate for the interests of the citizens in the states where they were elected. It is understandable that the President of the United States could view members of Congress as refusing to recognize the needs of the country because members of Congress, unlike the President, do not solely have a responsibility to the U.S., but they also have an obligation to advocate for the voters and majority views of their states.