"However, there have been included a number of the
published letters written to individuals, and greetings
extended to various conventions and annual meetings held
throughout the
country. The President receives and grants many requests
for such greetings, and inasmuch as some of them contain
elements of his philosophy or statements of importance, a
sample number of them have been printed." 
 
                                   II. PRIVATE LETTERS
 
          In the case of private letters, we start with the
premise that when F.D.R. originally wrote and transmitted such
letters, he still retained the common law property right to
control publication. If nothing further had been done, he
would have retained that right at the time of his death and
it would have passed to his executors. The question is
whether or not he parted with that right during his
lifetime, either expressly or as a result of the course of
action taken by him with respect thereto. 
 
       For purposes of orderly discussion, private letters 
as previously defined, can be classified into three general
groups depending upon what President Roosevelt did about
them during his lifetime.
 
      1. Private letters written in longhand or of which no
copies were retained by F.D.R. in the files given to the
Library,or otherwise disposed of.
 
       2. Private letters of which copies were retained by
F.D.R.and included in the files given to the Library.
 
       3. Private letters written by F.D.R., the originals
of which were later re-acquired by him and disposed of
either to members of his family or included among the
papers and files turned over to the Library.
 
                          -9-