STRENUOUS DAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 204, 30 August 1943, Page 4

STRENUOUS DAY

MRS. ROOSEVELT VISITS AT WELLINGTON SERVICE CLUBS AND BASE HOSPITAL (P.A.) Wellington, Aug. 29. Mrs Roosevelt spent a strenuous day to-day, visiting an American navai base hospital and two of the larger service clubs in the city. Leaving Government House shortly after 9 a.m., she drove, in beautifully sunny weather, through a typical New Zealand valley to th-e hospital, where she was greeted by the commanding officer, Captain Felix P. Keaney. Accompanying her was the United States naval attacne, Lieut. J. P. Olding, Capt. H. G. Helmore, A.D.C., and Mrs. Fraser. At the hospital she went straight to the theatre, • which had been converted for a church service. The service was conducted by the chaplain, Padre Lumkin, U.S.M.C., according to the order in the American prayer book for soldiers and sailors. The theatre was packed with patients —’Marines and naval men—medical officers, nurses and corps men. Following the service the drop curtain was let down to cover the altar and Mrs. Roosevelt addressed the gathering. She told the men that the President daily went to the map-room and learned tne happenings of the past hours in all theatres of the war He knew the doings of every unit and every ship. He has asked her to convey his appreciation of the .vonderfu. job every one had done and was doing. Mrs. Roosevelt said that It would be necessary after the war for us to keep the brotherhod which was being built up by the intermixture of United States servicemen in the allied countries so there would be understanding between the nations. Lunch was served in the officers’ mess at the hospital in the midst of medical officers and nurses. In the afternoon the first visit was to the American Red Cross at the Hotel Cecii Club, where Mrs. Roosevelt inspected the facilities and expressed gratification. Speaking in an intermission between dances in the recreation hall, Mrs. Roosevelt thanked the hostesses for their work in seeing that the United States men had a good time, but remarked that she thought the hostesses had a good time too. She signed ‘the club register “Eleanor Roosevelt, Washington,” and also pinned a slip with her name on the Washington spot of the huge wall map in the lounge, midst thousands of similar slips placed there by servicemen. Visiting the Allied Services Club in Maimers Street, she was received by the Hon. W. Perry, Minister of Coordination and Armed Forces, who introduced the hostess, Mrs. Ina Allen, and after an afternoon tea party introduced her to the huge gathering of United States and New Zealand servicemen and hostesses. Mr. Perry said the mingling of the Allied men with the men and women of our country was the best thing being born of this war. Mrs. Roosevelt, rising to speak, was greeted with prolonged cheering and “She’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” She expressed her congratulations to Mrs. Ina Allen for the great job she was doing, and at her request the gathering repeated the cheers and the singing for her. Mrs. Roosevelt said that to-day she had been primarily seeing her own people, but had seen enough to show that the women of New Zealand were doing much to help. Everywhere she had gone the few American women were being helped by many local women. After the war the women would not stop working tooperation coming therefrom would go the same—and the internatinal cooperation coming thereform would go far to bringing the better world all desired. Mrs. Roosevelt was again cheered.at the end of her speech and then spent some time walking about the club, talking to me and women of both countries.