A Letter to President Roosevelt, Related to His 1934 Devils Lake Speech

Oakland, CA: By the author, 1934. Very good. Typed letter, signed in ink; 12 x 8 1/2; single sheet, text to recto only; mild, uniform age-toning; old, horizontal fold lines; in very good condition.Albert Adelson (1850 - 1943) was a Russian-American resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, allegedly claiming to be one of the founders of the Russian Republic and author of their constitution. Known for his crusades against social injustices and for his relentless letter-writing to US presidents, senators, and other political figures, in this particular letter he addressed "His Excellency, President of the United States," in connection with President Franklin Roosevelt's 1934 visit to Devils Lake in North Dakota. The president's campaign against the drought and the desperate economic situation in the midst of the Great Depression prompted Adelson to offer a "genious invention, titled: Overhead-Irrigation and Fire-Extinguisher Wizard." According to him, it could cover the whole country and "120 million souls in the United States of America, will surely be saved ALIVE!!!" Begging for the Government's backing, Albert ended his letter with: "I remain, the best U. S. officially qualified citizen."