The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

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WASHINGTONMrs. Lawrence Townsend's first musicale of the year, yesterday morning, was really a treat to us all. Madame Jarmila Novotna, a Czech artist, not only sang delightfully, but looked a charming picture in her floor-length, red dress. Mr. Richard Crooks was unable to come, but Mr. Kullman, who took his place, sang beautifully.

Mrs. Townsend in introducing him, told us an amusing story about his debut at the Metropolitan. He apparently came down from Yale to sing and some of his fellow students almost broke up the solemnity of the occasion by punctuating every difficult passage with cries of "Atta boy."

Yesterday afternoon, I attended a tea given by the Reverend Howard S. Wilkinson, Rector of St. Thomas' Church, and Mrs. Wilkinson. Today is a most beautiful day and I am looking forward to a luncheon with two or three old friends and a fairly quiet afternoon.

I was interested yesterday to receive a letter from the editor of a Mexican paper who came to speak to me for a few minutes when I visited Laredo, Texas, and crossed into Mexico there. Some of the officials of the Mexican Government are cooperating with him to further the Good Neighbor Policy.

From this country he gives a radio program for the benefit of the South American people. He also writes articles which will serve the purpuse of acquating his people with his own experiences and feelings about the people of our country. I think it is interesting that people in Mexico should make this effort for increasing friendship between us and I hope Mr. Bonifacio Fernandez Aldana will be successful in the work he is trying to do.

One of the things he is attempting is to take back records of short messages or speeches from well-known personalities to use on the radio in Mexico. He has many records of people in his own country, and I think he is right that such programs would bring about a greater familiarity with personalities in the United States.

Mrs. Ernest Schelling is planning to bring to our attention in the near future, a nationwide movement which she is proposing, to pay a tribute to Mr. Paderewski during a week in February. He has given so much to the people of our country that I am sure this series of concerts, which is to be given throughout the nation in his honor, will bring forth a great outpouring of affection for Mr. Paderewski. They will show with what warmth of feeling we all desire to help him to help the unfortunates of his own nation.

I think, perhaps, Mr. Paderewski has helped as much as any one to awaken in this nation a feeling of great interest in music. In New York City there is another musician who has carried on a valiant program along the same lines. Mr. David Mannes, who founded the Mannes Music School, started off his 24th season of free concerts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on the evening of January 4th. Attending these concerts is really an extraordinary experience. Mr. Mannes says he gets the greatest thrill in watching the faces of his audience and anyone in the audience can feel the deep appreciation and satisfaction registered by the great crowd in attendance.

E.R.

(COPYRIGHT, 1940, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, January 8, 1941

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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