"Affectionately, F. D. R.," a
son's remarkable tribute to his
eminent father, is an exception-
ally well written account of the
life of the late President by
Congressman James Roosevelt
of California. Sidney Shalett
collaborated with F. D. R.'s son
in writing this story, published
by Harcourt, Brace & Co. (750
3rd, N.Y. 17).
Franklin D. Roosevelt is de-
scribed as a lonely man, yet the
affectionate story by his son is
replete with many heartwarm-
ing and human interest epi-
.sodes. A number of things in
the book have important bear-
ings on American Jewish in-
terests.
There are special references
to Henry Morgenthau Jr. and
the jokes. that F. D. R. played
on him. On one occasion the
Secretary of the Treasury came
to F. D. R. with his "resigna-
tion," out of resentment against
tricks on Morgenthau at a
poker game. But "he was talked
out of it." Henry Wallace is
quoted as saying that Morgen-
than really wanted to be Sec-
retary of Agriculture.
A puzzling thing about the
book is that it makes no refer-
ence to Herbert H. Lehman,
who was •one of Roosevelt's
closest associates and who suc•
ceeded him to the Governor-
ship of New York. There is
no reference to Judge Samuel
Rosenman, who was one of
Roosevelt's guides and ad-
visers.
Reference is made to an "in-
triguing bit of memorabilia"
involving Supreme Court. Jus-
tice Felix Frankfurter.
The most puzzling report in
"Affectionately, F. D. R." is the
account of Roosevelt's meeting
with King Ibn Saud. There is
not a word in James Roosevelt's
account of what F. D. R. had
"learned," as he later told Con-
gress, about Saud's attitude to-
ward Zionism! In fact, there are
no references whatever in the
entire hook to F. D. R.'s Zionist
or Jewish attitudes.
There is passing reference
in the James Roosevelt ac-
count to the late Senator
Arthur H. Vandenberg. What
a sensational tale is available
on the Roosevelt-Vandenberg
controversies — but it is
Miracle-Cured Boy
Flies Back on El Al
Last May, 8-year-old ABRA-
HAM FALLER was flown to
New York from his home in
Israel for heart surgery. Little
hope was held out for the lad
to lead a normal youngster's
life, but a team of 16 doctors,
nurses and technicians co-
operated in a seven-hour oper-
ation at Brooklyn's Jewish
Hospital to perform the near
miracle. Now, young Abraham
is on his way home to Israel
fully cured aboard an El Al
Israel Airlines jet - powered
Britannia. One chore remain-
ed before El Al Captain
MAURICE BEN-SIMON (cen-
ter) took him aboard the
giant airliner bound for home
—a call to the hospital to
thank those responsible for a
new life. The lad's mother
(right) beams as he speaks
his thanks.
missing from the new Roose-
velt book!
Rep. Roosevelt does mention
in his book the visit with his
parents, on Feb. 12, 1925, of
"prize guests, Sir Oswald
Mosley and his wife of that
time, the beautiful former Cyn-
thia Curzon, daughter of Lord
Curzon, ex-Viceroy of India."
Mosley has since become a rabid
anti-Semite. He was defeated
for the House of Commons in
the last election. Rep. Roosevelt
comments:
"Mosley at that time was a
respectable Member of Parlia-
ment—he was not to become
the notorious, Hitler-loving
fuehrer of the British black-
shirts until later."
James Roosevelt tells many
episodes involving the habits
and prejudices of his grand-
mother, Mrs. James (Sara
Delano) Roosevelt. pie relates:
"There was a bit of tradi-
tion-flouting, going back to
Father's birth, in the fact
that I was christened James.
— after my grandfather —
rather than Isaac. There had
been a long-standing custom
in the Roosevelt family —
adhered to with reasonable
fidelity — of alternately be-
stowing the names Isaac and
James on the first-born son
of each generation. Grand-
father James was the son of
my Great-grandfather Isaac.
When his first son by his first
marriage came along, he
broke the chain by calling
him — rather excessively, I
always thought—James Roose-
velt Roosevelt, known in the
family as 'Uncle Rosy.' When
Father entered the world,
Grandfather, as I heard the
story, was all set to appease
tradition by calling him Isaac.
He reckoned, however, with-
out Granny. She detested
`Isaac' and was determined
that her son would bear a
really DISTINGUISHED
name, so the child was chris-
tened Franklin Delano Roose-
velt, after one of her favorite
uncles, Franklin Hughes
Delano. Originally, Grand-
mother planned to name him
Warren Delano Roosevelt
after her father, but her bro-
ther, Warren Delano, had just
lost an infant son who bore
the same name; she told her
sister it would grieve him if
she chbse that name, so the
future president became
Franklin instead of Warren.
"In due course, when I was
born, the family blithely re-
verted to James on the con-
venient theory that it was
Father, not I, who should have
been tagged Isaac. My only
regret is that, had tradition
been respected, there would
have been an 'Ike' — Ike
Roosevelt! — in the White
House long before the advent
of a certain military man."
"Affectionately, F. D. R." has
the merit of a human document.
It is informative and entertain-
ing. It reveals a great deal
about the character and abil-
ities of Eleanor Roosevelt.
There are regrettable omissions
from the record, nevertheless
it is a noteworthy book.
—P. S.
Surinam Jews Receive
Jewish Congress Books
5 000 Jews Settled in Brazil Since '57
RIO DE JANEIRO, (JTA)—
Approximately 5,000 Jewish im-
migrants have come to Brazil
since 1957 under an agreement
between United Hias Service
and the Brazilian government.
It was reported that the im-
migrants included 2.804 Egyp-
tian Jews who were brought
here when the Egyptian govern-
ment declared Jews to be state-
less persons after the Sinai
campaign in 1956.
The Roman Catholic church
is credited with a major role
-- •
The World Jewish Congress
in New York has sent a ba-
sic library of Jewish books as
well as educational materials
to aid one of the oldest Jew-
ish communities in the West-
ern Hemisphere—Paramaribo,
Surinam. Dispatched by the
WJC's cultural department,
the library will be housed in
the community's synagogue
and center (above) which
Princess Beatrix of the Neth-
erlands visited when last in
Surinam.
in helping to develop the pro-
gram conducted by Hias. The
newcomers, whose transporta-
tion and resettlement were
handled by Hias and other Jew-
ish groups here, have integrated
themselves with substantial suc-
cess, it is reported.
The majority of the Egyptian
immigrants had special skills or
experience in managerial re-
sponsibilities. It was relatively
easy for them to learn Portu-
guese. Their assimilation was
termed smooth and rapid.
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There are 27 million Amer-
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library service. Greatest num-
bers are found in the south,
southwest and midwest. Michi-
gan has over a million.
Available in SDD and State Stores
•
IN TOM
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• • •
Israel to Request Open to a good suggestion? Open a can of Heiin
$60,000,000 Loan strictly Kosher Beans tonight. Heat! Serve! And
from World Bank watch 'em disappear. Sit back (for a minute) and
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—Israel
will shortly submit to the World
Bank detailed requests for loans
totaling $6'0,000,000 for various
investment projects. The Treas-
ury is now drafting plans for
investing the loan in the con-
struction of the new port of
Ashdod, expanding potash pro-
duction and financing an indus-
trialization institute which
would make investments in de-
velopment projects.
enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that every spoon.
ful is a delicious, nutritious delight. It's a pleasure
—isn't it?to get up again when they sing
out, "More beans, please!"
EVERY LABEL CARRIES THE (CD SEAL OF APPROVAL
OF THE UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMFRICA 1.
9-THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS—Friday, December 18, 1959
`Affectionately, F .D.R.',. Instructive,
Informative and E ntertaining Book