Description:

Roosevelt Franklin

President Franklin D. Roosevelt DS to family regarding U.S.S. Houston cruise in October 1935

 

1p memorandum typed on "The White House, Washington" letterhead signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) as "FDR" near bottom. Written in Washington, D.C. on September 23, 1935. Expected light paper folds and a few isolated discolored spots, else near fine. The page measures 6.25" x 9.25".

 

President Roosevelt, soon scheduled to embark on a 3-week-long cruise, provided immediate family members with contact information. Entitled "Memorandum for - E.R., S.D.R., Anna, Elliott, Franklin, Jr., John," copies were sent to wife Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), mother Sara Delano Roosevelt (1854-1941), daughter Anna Roosevelt (1906-1975), and sons Elliott Roosevelt (1910-1990), Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. (1914-1999), and John Roosevelt (1916-1981). The "S" of "S.D.R." has been retyped.

 

"If the spirit moves you you can write to me U.S.S. Houston, San Diego, California, by airmail, provided you post it by Monday morning, September 30th. Also you can write me c/o Governor of the Canal Zone, Balboa, Canal Zone, by regular mail up to October 7th, and by airmail, same address, up to Friday evening, October 11th. This last letter requires 20 1/2 air mail stamps. You can take a chance and write me air mail up to Monday evening, October 14th, to U.S.S. Houston, Cristobal, Canal Zone. This may not reach me if the plane is late, as there is only a three hour connection before I leave.

 

F.D.R."

 

President Roosevelt left Washington, D.C. on September 25, 1935, two days after signing this memo, en route to San Diego, California. This leg of his trip mixed business with pleasure; he stopped in Arizona to dedicate the Boulder Dam, and tried to reconcile two feuding cabinet members then on board. Roosevelt's real vacation started after October 3, 1935, when, aboard the Northampton-class heavy cruiser U.S.S. Houston, he got in some serious deep-water fishing. Roosevelt traveled down the western seaboard of Mexico into the Panama Canal Zone before reaching his southernmost point at Cocos Island west of South America. He returned via the Panama Canal to Charleston, South Carolina on October 23, 1935, declaring it "a very happy ending to a very happy vacation."

 

The U.S.S. Houston was the flagship of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet. President Roosevelt took a total of four cruises aboard the U.S.S. Houston, where his whereabouts--including daily fishing catch--were dutifully reported in the on-board ship newspaper, the Blue Bonnet. This October 3, 1935 cruise was Roosevelt's second; he would return aboard in July 1938 and February 1939. The ship was sunk at the Battle of Sundra Strait in March 1942.

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

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