The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-15
A NEW ONE ON HIM
WASHINGTON EXPERIENCE A WIS.,
TOR RESENTED.
A LEAK AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
VISITING sTATEsMAN's EXPERT
ENCE, WITH PRESIDENT.

Was Keeping the Information Irl-
parted to Him by President a Very
Close secret When He Saw the
Whole story In His Home Paper.
Wrote the President That There
Must he "a Leak mt the white
House." When the President Him
self Had Given Out the story.
Statesman Got the Ha-Ha When the
story Became Known.
Washington. July 14-"There must
be a leak in the White House some
where. for l read in one of my home
papers the detailed account of the con-
fidential conversation had with you
a short time ago relative to federal
patronage in my state"
The above statement is the sub
stance of a letter President Roosevelt
recently received from a distinguished
Southern gentleman who visited
Washington. on what he believed to
be a secret mission.
Subsequent developments show that
the visiting statesman" was a triAe
premature in calling the Presidents
attention to the leak" and there
by hangs an amusing story, which is
being told at the expense of the Prssi-
dents Jealous correspondent.
The gentleman referred to came 10
Washington as he supposed, in 2
cloud of mystery. He was invited to
break bread with the President and
during his visit several important fed
araf IN efo 70
considered and certain conclusions
reached. The gentleman departed for
home with these state secrets weigh
ing heavily upon his mind. He man
aged to avoid meeting any Of his
newspaper friends, so that he reached
home before his presence in Wash
ington was discovered.
Told it TO Correspondent.
In the meantime President Roose-
welt saw the correspondent OF one OF
the papers in the gentlernar's herae,
ard spoke very freely and Ulreserv-
eddy ot his recent v.sito. The rela-
TORS between the President ard TIE
correspondent are such that the Presi-
dent was justified in discussing the
subject in detail, knowing that while
he was giving the correspondent the
text for an interesting story, he would
not be quoted. 1t Is not unusual for
the President to talk unreservedly o
those correspondents who enjoy his
confidence.
The correspondent that night teIe-
graphed his paper column and a
half story of political gossip, giving
in detail the object and result of the
visiting statesman's" mission to the
White House. There was not the
slightest suggestion or intimation that
the Information contained in the dis
patch was inspired by the President.
OF course, the visiting statesman"
upon returning home, had confided his
secrets to few personal and political
friends. There was CONSERVATION in
their ranks when they read the double
loaded dispatch in their home paper
giving an accurate statement, with ac-
companying sidelights of the confer
ence which had taken place at the
White House a few days previous.
How Did IT Get QUITE
The question that troubled the visit
ing statesman" was how did that in
formation get out? He did not care
to suspect any of those in whom he
had, confided but there were certain
statements in the dispatch which
stamped it as official" Fearing that
he might be suspected of betraying
confidence or that his status at the
White House might be impaired by
the premature publication of events
that had not then taken place, he sat
down and wrote a personal letter to
the President, enclosing the newspaper
clipping referred to and also suggest
ed to the President that some of the
officials Of the White House must have
leaked"
few days later the fact became
known to the visiting statesman's"
personal friends that the article pub
lished was the result Of a voluntary
and frank statement of the circum-
stances by the President. 1t was made
without any reservation, except that
the Presidents name is never given as
authority in the informal CONVERSE
lions he has with his newspaper
friends.
AS a. result of this discovery the
visiting statesman1s' friends are
making merry with him over the COM
plant he filed with the President.
that there was a leak in the White
House"