This was a brief, informal, impromptu press conference held in front of the newspapermen's cottage at Warm Springs:

Q: Mr. President, will you give us a slant on what your plans are over the weekend, who you are going to see and what you are going to discuss with them?

ROOSEVELT: I haven't the foggiest idea when they are coming down.

Mr. McIntyre: Why don't you ask him something else? That stuff is all available.

ROOSEVELT: I don't know what is available and there isn't any conference, just ordinary talk. There is no subject. It is tough luck for you, but there isn't any subject.

Q: Any news in your talk today with Moffett?

ROOSEVELT: No; we talked about his work.

Q: I have a nice old question resurrected. We have got from London and Washington the rumor that there has been a note suggesting war debt settlement.

ROOSEVELT: "S.C.S."  I really, honestly, don't believe there is the slightest bit of news. I do not believe I could write a story myself.

Q: We have got to.

Q: Any plans for consolidating the housing industry?

ROOSEVELT: Not that I know of.

Q: This idea you were telling us about the other day -- the Federal housing program for low income people?

ROOSEVELT: No; still very much in the study period.

Q: Mr. President, is there anything to say about the relief plans for the winter?

ROOSEVELT: Still in the study period -- third of January. You will get a story on the third of January. ANything you write before that will be wrong.

Q: We took copious notes of our long Press Conference, the one we had the other afternoon and it would make a swell story if we could release them sometime.

ROOSEVELT: I do not know how we can. Which one do you mean, the housing or the T.V.A.?

Q: Couldn't we write it?

ROOSEVELT: No, I will tell you why: You will cramp my style. I am thinking, again off the record, I am thinking of using that when I go on the air in December. I think it is a good thing to use.

Q: There will be gnashing of teeth.

ROOSEVELT: I think it will make an awfully good thing to use. Obviously, I have to talk about agriculture. In other words, you do know this, that I am going to talk on some of the things I did not mention in the last one. I did not talk on agriculture and T.V.A. and probably other things. You all know I am going to touch on some of the things I did not mention in September.

Q: Have you decided just what time you will speak -- what day?

ROOSEVELT: No, I have no idea at all.

Q: Are you having a good time down here?

ROOSEVELT: That is a silly question. I am going to lunch with Cason Callaway on Sunday. No reason why you should not know that.

Q: Over in LaGrange?

ROOSEVELT: It isn't his place, it is on top of the mountain. I do not think there is another blessed thing.

Q: Any plans for today?

ROOSEVELT: No, I am going up to the farm, and I will talk about whether I want to sell my cows now or later on.

Q: For sale? Your cows?

ROOSEVELT: Forty for sale. These are beef cattle.

Q: Is your superintendent having any luck with his breeding experiments? I talked with him last year.

ROOSEVELT: Getting along very well and of course in our own cattle we are getting much improved stock.

Q: Did you get any drought cattle at all?

ROOSEVELT: No; I have practically all I can feed. I have to get rid of forty, if I can. I had fifty calves this year but, of course, the prices are terrible, awful.

Q: About two cents?

ROOSEVELT: Two cents; two and a half cents.

Q: Are you going to take that up with the Administration? (Laughter) The way the boys are eating at our cottage, you might send one down.

ROOSEVELT: I will do that; it would be very good business. I will send down a young, tender, fat heifer.

Q: A few bottles too. (Laughter)

Q: No, we are going on a program of more eating and less of that.

ROOSEVELT: Well, it was a good party last night.

Q: Fine.

Q: Mr. President, are you going out to the farm from here?

ROOSEVELT: No, I have to go back to the house.

Q: About what time will you be going out?

ROOSEVELT: About half past four.

Q: Would you mind if we go out?

ROOSEVELT: No, you had better not because the most of the time I am going to be talking to the farmer.

Q: About that tax investigation you are going to make, will you talk to the Census Bureau? They have already made that investigation.

ROOSEVELT: I am glad to know that, Russ. I did not know that they had done that.

Q: Thank you, Mr. President.

Source: Complete Presidential Press Conferences of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Da Capo Press, New York,
1972, Vol. 4, #161-A.

© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia

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