|
THE MAKING OF A NATION - February 21, 2002: Franklin Roosevelt and the First 100 Days
By David Jarmul
VOICE 1:
THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English by the Voice of America.
(Theme)
The inauguration speech of President Franklin Roosevelt in March, nineteen-thirtythree,
gave hope to millions of Americans. The new president promised to fight the
terrible economic crisis, the great depression.
Roosevelt kept his promise. His administration launched into action even before the
inauguration ceremonies were finished. As Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor,
watched the traditional inauguration parade, his assistants began working.
The lights of Washington's federal office buildings burned late that night. And not
just on inauguration night, but the next night and the next night, too. The nation was
in crisis. There was much work to do.
VOICE 2:
The first three months of Franklin Roosevelt's administration were an exciting time. Roosevelt led the Congress
to pass more important legislation during this short period than most presidents pass during their entire term.
These three months are remembered today as "the Hundred Days. "
Sunday, March fifth, was the day after the inauguration.
Roosevelt told Congress to begin a special meeting on Thursday. And he ordered all the nation's banks to close
until the economy improved. Roosevelt also banned the export of gold.
Congress met on Thursday, as Roosevelt had asked. It passed everything that Roosevelt wanted. Both the house
and Senate approved Roosevelt's strong new banking laws in less than eight hours. Roosevelt signed the bills into
law the same day.
VOICE 1:
The next day, Friday, Roosevelt called on Congress to cut federal spending. Once again, Congress met and
approved Roosevelt's request immediately.
Two nights later, Roosevelt spoke to the nation in a radio speech. His warm, powerful voice traveled to millions
of homes. He gave listeners hope that they could once again trust their banks and political leaders. On Monday,
Roosevelt called on Congress to pass laws making it legal to drink wine or beer. And once again, Congress
agreed.
Roosevelt's success in passing these important and difficult laws excited the nation. People across the country
watched in wonder as the new president fought and won battle after battle.
VOICE 2:
Washington was filled with activity. The air was full of energy, like a country sky during an electric storm.
People from around the country rushed to the capital to urge the administration to support their ideas.
Bankers came by the thousands to win favorable legislation. Experts of all kinds offered new ideas on how to
rescue the economy. Ambassadors came from Britain, France, Brazil, Chile, China, and many other countries to
speak with Roosevelt on economic and diplomatic issues. And members of the Democratic Party arrived by the
thousands to seek jobs in the new administration.
Americans watched closely what was happening in Washington. And they liked what they saw. They had voted
for action. Now, Roosevelt was giving them action.
VOICE 2:
One of the most important areas of action for the new administration was agriculture. American farmers had been
hurt more than any other group by the economic depression. The average income of American farmers had
dropped in three years from one-hundred sixty-two dollars a year to just forty-eight dollars. Farm prices had
fallen fifty -five percent. The buying power of the average farmer had dropped by more than half.
Many farmers could not even earn enough money to pay for their tools and seeds.
The main cause of the farmers' problem was that they produced too much. There was too much grain, too much
meat, too much cotton. As a result, prices stayed low. The situation was good for people in cities who bought
farm products. But it was a disaster for the farmers themselves.
VOICE 2:
Roosevelt attacked the problem by limiting production. His administration put a new tax on grain products,
increasing their price and reducing demand. The administration paid cotton farmers to destroy some of their
crops. And it bought and killed five-million pigs to reduce the amount of meat on the market.
It was a strange situation. Some Americans had trouble understanding the economic reason why food had to be
destroyed so people could have enough to eat. But more officials agreed that this was the only way to limit
supply, raise prices, and save farmers.
The plan worked. Production fell rapidly. Hot weather and bad harvests in nineteen-thirty-three and nineteen-
thirty-four reduced the amount of grain even more. As a result, prices rose. Farm income increased fifty percent
in four years.
VOICE 1:
The administration also attacked the problem of falling industrial production.
At the time of Roosevelt's inauguration, American industry was producing less than half the goods that it had just
four years before. Business owners reacted by cutting costs: lowering wages and reducing the number of workers.
This only reduced the number of people with enough money to buy goods. And so production went down further
and further.
The administration created a national recovery administration to allow companies to cooperate to increase
production. Business owners agreed to follow certain rules, such as limiting the number of hours people could
work. They also agreed to raise wages and to stop hiring children. They agreed to improve working conditions
and to cooperate with labor unions.
At the same time, Roosevelt created a public works administration to provide jobs to unemployed workers. The
federal government put people to work building dams, bridges, water systems, and other major projects.
VOICE 2:
On money policy, Roosevelt and the Congress decided that the dollar should no longer be tied to the price of
gold. They passed a home owner's bill that helped many Americans borrow new money to protect their homes.
And a bank insurance bill guaranteed the safety of money that Americans placed in banks, greatly increasing
public faith in the banks.
Roosevelt and the Congress created a new civilian conservation corps to put young men to work in rural areas to
protect the nation's natural resources. These young men planted trees, improved parks, and protected natural
water supplies. They also worked with farmers to develop crops and farming methods to protect soil from wind
and rain.
VOICE 1:
One of Roosevelt's most creative projects was a plan to improve the area around the state of Tennessee in the
southeastern part of the country. The Tennessee river valley area was very poor. Forests were thin, floods
common, and income low. Few farms had electricity.
Roosevelt and Congress decided to attack all these problems with a single project. The new Tennessee Valley
administration (authority) built dams, cleared rivers, expanded forests, and provided electricity. It succeeded in
helping farmers throughout the area, creating new life and hope.
VOICE 2:
"The Hundred Days" -- the first three months of the Roosevelt administration -- were a great success. One
reporter for the New York Times newspaper observed that the change from President Hoover to President
Roosevelt was like a man moving from a slow horse to an airplane. Suddenly, the nation was moving again.
There was action everywhere.
Newsman Frederick Allen described the situation this way:
"The difference between Roosevelt's program and the Hoover program was sharp," Allen wrote. "Roosevelt's was
not a program of defense, but of attack. In most of the laws, there was a new push for the good of the common
man. There was a new effort to build wealth from the bottom up, rather than from the top down." Said Allen:
"there was a new willingness to expand the limits of government."
(Theme)
VOICE 1:
You have been listening to the Special English program THE MAKING OF A NATION. Your reporters were
Harry Monroe and Rich Kleinfeldt. Our program was written by David Jarmul.
Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version
|