| Show Elliott Roosevelt Raps R ps Critic of Brothers' Brothers 9 Record in Service j Asks Only to Fight Without Stab For Politics Politics' Sake WASHINGTON March 5 OP UPI UPI- Lieutenant Colonel Elliott Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt answering an attack on the war record of his brothers asked Friday that their critic off lay and declared that for tor Gods God's sake let lei us fight without tabbed stabbed in the back for the sake of politics pol pol- In a letter to Representative Lanham D D. Texas the pr presidents president's si- si dents dent's son wrote I dont don't care whether a man is a Republican or ora ora ora a Democrat Lets Let's get together and get this damn war won Im I'm tired and I want to go home and live in peace on my ranch with my family The sooner the better too Lanham made the letter public on the house floor Friday as he assailed criticism directed by Representative Rep Rep- resen Lambertson R. R Kan earlier this week in the house Lambertson said that Franklin FranklinJr Jr and his Du Pont wife were doing the night clubs of New York 4 The text of ot Elliott Roosevelt's letter North Africa Januar January 22 1943 Dear FritzI Fritz Fritz- I II I am writing you this note because because be be- cause first of all you are arc my con- con J be-J Continued on Pare Six Sli Column Four t tI I r 4 1 I c c a x I LIEUTEN LIEUTENANT ANT COLONEL ELLIOTT ROOSEVELT Lets l I get this damn war ar won ROOSEVETT SON RAPS CRITIC Continued from Pall Page One gressman and secondly you h have lve known me for a long time and can speak me means meas as a citizen of Texas I have j just t had an opportunity of ot seeing my father over here nere and he gave me the first American newspapers I 1 have seen seen since I left the states ast last September f fIn fIn In the papers I read something which deeply disturbs me A fellow congressman of yours has undertaken under under- undertaken taken to criticise some of ot my brothers and their records by bj stating stating stat stat- ing that two of ot them were were pulled out ut of combat zones so that they would not be exposed to danger Inasmuch as I know the congressman congress congress- man could not be e referring to to me because I 1 am here with the troops in north Africa and because I 1 know that my brother Franklin has been on a destroyer in the north Atlantic and still Is there can be only two brothers t to whom the e gentleman in question refers my br brothers th rs James an and John Not Physically Strong tI I happen to know that James has insisted on carrying on on fictive active duty uty even though he is not physically up to the strain of combat com com- bat at He could easily sit back and not be exposed to actual combat because if he were anybody else's son he would be exempted from such duty He Ho is a hell of a Ii- fine offices officer and has plenty of ot guts Ask any man who has served with him that him that is the test John my my- young youngest st brother is In the nava naval supply corps Hes He's been fighting like hell believer ever since he got in t to togo togo go on foreign service and I 1 know that my father or anyone else els isn't going to stop him before this show is over The tiThe fact that my brother James Jame has won the navy cross for gallantry gal lantry in action speaks for itself Such criticism aimed at me men who are fighting for their country strikes me as sort of unfair They cant can't answer back We feel weare weare we wi are fighting for all America W Ware Ware We Weare are not in politics In the forces force there is a unity of purpose the purpose th continuation of ot American freed freedom m mand and American Ideals Leave Lea Ont Oot Polities Polities' Please explain this fact to your you colleague and try to explain to him that we as soldiers dont don't care whether or how much he disagrees with the president but for Gods God's sake let us fight without being stabbed in the back for lor the sake sak of politics If I 1 ever get home hom and am out of ot the army Ill I'll be glad to standup stand standup up for my own honor but in the meantime see if he wont won't lay off oft until such time as a fair fight can be made of itI it itI I dont don't care whether a man isa Is Isa Isa a Republican or a Democrat Lets Let's get together r and get this damn war won won Im I'm tired and I want to go home and liv live hi in peace on my ranch with my family The sooner sooner the better too If It the congressman questions my service you might tell him that I 1 have sp spent t more than two- two thirds of ot my service service in the past two years on foreign duty Ive I've been in every lousy spot the air corps can think of to send its men Its It's not much fun I can tell you especially the butterflies that fly around In your stomach when hen the GerI German gets the range and lets loose everything hes he's got at your plane Th Thank you sir for passing on these personal sentiments to your honored colleague in the house Sincerely your friend Elliott Roosevelt Lt LL Col Air Corps Corps' House Applauds As Lanham finished reading the letter there was applause from both the the- Democratic and Republican Republican lican sides of the aisle After the Texan had described Lambertson's attack as improper improper and aid unfair Representative Baldwin R R. N N. Y Y arose to declare that Lanham was voicing the sentiment of those on this side of the aisle too too Elliott t Roosevelt declared Lanham is fighting the enemy not members of ot congress Surely it is the duty of all members of ot congress to help such boys fight the enemy and not be directing attacks against the boys themselves them them- selves Lanham said sald he had sought out the records of ot the presidents president's four sons and because of Lambertson's utterances had decided to pr present present pre pre- sent them to the ho house se for lor the record In order that ve we may get geton geton geton on about winning this war and stop attacking one another Advances ance on 00 Own James he said is now v a lieutenant colonel in the marine marine- corps He has been promoted from the captaincy he had when the war began When he was first commissioned In the marine corps before the war he was a lieutenant lieutenant lieutenant lieuten lieuten- ant colonel However when the war began he asked to be reduced to a captaincy His request was complied with and now he has by his service with the marines inaction In Inaction inaction action in the southwest Pacific been twice promoted and has risen again to the rank of ot lieutenant colonel In his own right He has been decorated for gallantry In Inaction inaction action When he was serving as one of ot the secretaries to his father lather he had to resign because of ol ill in health He tie underwent a major operation at the Mayo clinic in Rochester limn His stomach was ulcerated and the surgeons removed a dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- and sizable ulcer if |
