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

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NEW YORK—I am sure many of us will miss the old Wanamaker store building which was destroyed in the big fire that upset our East Side subway system, for it was a landmark for so long in that part of the city. But the people who have been inconvenienced by the subway repairs may suffer for some little time to come.

With all our modern knowledge, we do not seem to succeed in wiping out fire hazards, and fires still cause casualties among our firefighters. I think a good deal could be done if we could get people, as individuals, to exercise more care, each one taking greater responsibility in doing nothing that might lead to a fire far more serious than can be foreseen.

I think all of us who are interested in the United Nations are happy over the President's nominations to the United States delegation to the U.N. General Assembly of 1956.

This is the year when two Senators must be represented on the delegation, and the President's choices were Senators William F. Knowland of California and Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota.

Some people seem to think that sending Senator Knowland, who has shown no partiality to the United Nations, is a mistake, but I personally think it is a good thing.

I can remember how Senator Arthur Vandenberg's interest in international affairs increased as he attended sessions of the General Assembly. He became one of our ardent and understanding internationalists.

Perhaps we should not expect that everyone will be as fortunate as he was, for I think the education one receives and the interest developed in international affairs depends upon the contacts made within the United Nations with men of other countries.

The advisers from the State Department also contribute much, for they are able to give our delegates a background in understanding U.N. problems. And they are able to clarify the questions that come up, both by their background and ability to foresee possible future developments that may result.

I have great hopes, therefore, that serving in the General Assembly will mean a broadening of Senator Knowland's interest in the U.N. And if this is the case, it will be of benefit to the country, for the Senator is an able and an honest man.

I think I have not seen in a long time as good a choice of U.N. delegates, and among the alternatives are some who have had the advantage of continuous experience and contacts with members of other delegations.

Among the delegate nominees, Ellsworth Bunker and Paul G. Hoffman are businessmen who already have a wide knowledge of public affairs and take a keen interest in foreign policy.

Mrs. Oswald B. Lord, who was named as an alternate, is making a real place for herself among foreign delegates who are gradually coming to know her as a friend. The same thing can be said for James J. Wadsworth, who has many friends and will be a valuable aid.

In spite of the fact that the next session of the General Assembly has to be put off until after our elections, I think it should prove to be one of the most fruitful we will have had.

E.R.

(Copyright, 1956, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, July 20, 1956

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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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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