Press Conference

(Her Majesty Wilhelmina, Queen of The Netherlands, was a guest at this Press Conference. As the newspapermen came in, the President and the Queen were both standing behind chairs in front of the desk. Mrs. Roosevelt was also present, and stood to the right of the Queen.)

THE PRESIDENT: (to the Queen) I can really see them now. I very rarely see more than the front row.

MR. DONALDSON: All in.

THE PRESIDENT: I don't think that you good people have had any advance notice of this, but Her Majesty consented to come here today, not to be asked questions but to have the White House Correspondents' Association presented to her.

I think you all know that The Netherlands and this country have most of their ideals in common. And it is a very interesting and a very wonderful thing to know that constitutionally in The Netherlands and in this country freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press are a part of the Government. They are recognized by the constitutions of both of our Nations.

And I can only say that in these past three days, all of us the Congress, the Government- the executive branch—and I think the press- have been made very happy by the presence of this really great head of a Government as our guest head of an Allied Nation, who is seeing this war through with us.

And so I present all of you gentlemen, and ladies, to Her Majesty, the Queen of The Netherlands. And I have asked her, and she has graciously consented, to say a few words to the White House Correspondents' Association. (Applause for the Queen)

HER MAJESTY QUEEN WILHELMINA: I am indebted to the President for inviting me to his press and radio conference, having thus been given the occasion to voice my admiration of all the work the members of the American press and radio have done, not only in the past and happier years, but especially since the outbreak of the present war. I have had the opportunity to read and listen to reports from men and women who are actually in the many scenes of combat with the enemy, and who with complete disregard of their own safety gather their information for the sake of truth and public enlightenment.

The mission of the press and radio is one of great responsibility, more so now than ever, when the future of the world and civilization is in the balance. Its fulfillment is dependent on freedom of speech and a free press—two conditions no dictator ever grants.

In this country, as in all parts of my country, both rights are constitutionally guaranteed and deeply ingrained in the life of the Nation. Where occupation has temporarily abolished them, defeat of the enemy will see them restored. At present, wherever freedom of speech and press continue to exist, the contribution which press and radio make to the effort of those upon whose shoulders has been placed the sacred duty to lead democracy to victory is of immense value, because they share the task of leading mankind toward a brighter morrow. (Applause)

THE PRESIDENT: Now we are going to sit down and proceed with the regular conference. . . .

Donald Nelson wants me to mention the following—it came over the telephone a few minutes ago, so I haven't read it first. I assume it's all right.

(Reading): "We are engaged in an intensive drive to collect all of the scrap possible. We need steel scrap badly to increase present production. We are keeping ahead of the blast furnaces now, but we want to accumulate 17 million tons of scrap to insure steel production for the year 1943. We want to take all abandoned steel structures, abandoned railroads, plants and buildings, old farm machinery of no further value, and any miscellaneous steel or copper—or rubber, of course—scrap that's lying around the home. This is merely another effort to get in a lot of scrap of various kinds that we feel certain is still lying around the country in different places."

I think that's all I have got.

(Then turning to Mr. Early) There isn't any more—there is nothing more on the rubber survey committee that was appointed yesterday?

MR. EARLY: No, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: They're at work. That's all I can tell you.

Q. Mr. President, have you completed your review of the case of the eight German agents?

THE PRESIDENT: Not yet. Haven't finished reading it.

Q. Do you expect to do so today, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I couldn't tell you. I don't know.

Q. Mr. President, with respect to Mr. Nelson's memorandum to you, there comes to newspapers and radio people from all over the country the suggestion that possibly you could organize to pick up the cannon, and things of that sort, .that are lying around on courthouse squares throughout the country, plus some of the statues of bronze that people(laughter interrupting)

THE PRESIDENT: I think there are many—

Q. (continuing) Would you care to say anything about that?

THE PRESIDENT: (continuing) Taking the last point first, there are a great many statues around the country which would probably look better if they were turned into guns. (Laughter) They could perhaps be replaced after the war with something—what shall I say?—a little more artistic. (More laughter) The World War cannon, and some of the Civil War cannon are being collected. We have already gone through navy yards, and are still going through navy yards to use many of those old historic cannon. It probably is the best use they can be put to, and I think it should be done.

Q. You endorse that?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. I am inclined to think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some kind of approval or authorization by Congress which would tell communities that have these cannon out on the village green that after the war is all over we will replace them with something more modern—(Laughter) that has a modern history in the winning of the war.

Q. Mr. President, there are a lot of elegant brass doorknobs and mailboxes in this town.

THE PRESIDENT: Would you like the chairmanship of that committee? (Laughter)

Q. Mr. President, charges have been made in the New York primary campaign that Senator Jim Mead is an isolationist. Do you think so?

THE PRESIDENT: I am not talking politics. I am not engaging in the New York campaign, but whoever made any charge of that kind, I should say offhand that—well, if Jim Mead is an isolationist, so am I.

Q. Are you going to vote in the primary, sir?

THE PRESIDENT.' What?

Q. Are you expecting to vote in the primary, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: No. I am not going up for the primaries, because we have essentially no contest for— in the Democratic primaries in the District. In other words, I am not permitted to go into the Republican primaries [in which Congressman Hamilton Fish was a candidate]. (Laughter)

Q. Would you like to, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I would. (Laughter). . .