July 17, 1962 - Four “gifts” that Theodore Roosevelt wished Santa Claus to bestow upon the U.S. were described in a letter acquired by Columbia University and made public today. In the letter, to the magazine editor Marie Meloney, dated Aug. 5, 1916, the late President expressed the following desires:
1. “That every molly-coddle, professional pacifist, and man who is ‘too proud to fight’ when the nation’s quarrel is just would be exiled to those out-of-the-way parts of China where the spirit of manliness has not yet penetrated.
2. That every decent young man should have a family, a job, and the military training which will enable him to help keep this country out of harm’s way by making it dangerous for any ruthless military people to attack us.
3. That every youngster may have a good and wise mother and every good woman a child for her arms.
4. That we may all of us become an efficient, patriotic, and nobly proud people — too proud either to inflict wrong or to endure it.”
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