176 ChaPter^4
were homeless, countless Americans were hungry and either had to eat at
charity kitchens or look for food in garbage cans. Factories and farms were
shut down, prices had fallen, and, most importantly, the typical American did
not have enough to buy the basic goods he or she needed to live. “Fear itself”
was hardly worth mentioning given the terrifying consequences of the depres-
sion on the common man. Yet, Roosevelt’s words were soothing. They made
people feel more at ease, as if someone who cared and understood the sever-
ity of the problems was now in charge and was going to do something about
the crisis.
And he did have to confront the depression. Capitalism was on the ropes,
people were suffering, and everyone was looking to him for a solution. His
first approach, more of a statement of priorities, came with the “ 3 Rs”—relief,
recovery and reform. Relief simply referred to the basic task of saving people’s
lives, like doing triage in an emergency room. Social workers, humanitarians,
local officials and others would find the most destitute cases and try to pro-
vide basic needs like food and shelter, setting up soup kitchens and providing
lodging simply to prevent starvation and homelessness. Recovery was an eco-FIGuRE 4-3 People waiting in line for food in New York City,
February 1932