The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-29

President RooSevelt's efforts to sup
press the giving of news TO corre-
spondents by members of the Cabinet
is the talk of the town. Secretary
Loeb's letter of instructions to Cabinet
officers is one of the most amazing
documents that ever came out of the
White House. There is but one ration
al eXplana tion-that the President
was so hurried in finishing his speech
es and closing out the business on
his desk before starting on his South
ern tour that he did not have time to
give the matter proper consideration.
1t was one of those dashed -off-in ma
hurry catch-as-catch-can affairs
which the President INDUCES in when
he is under pressure
This attempt TO put a gag in the
mouths of Cabinet officers by eXecu-
tive order is received with a mixture of
amaZement and amusement. Some o.
the persons directly affected by it
members of the Cabinet and represen-
tatives of the press-give expression
10 their feelings in cuss words. others
in laughter. And it is difficult to tell
with certainty whom the joke is on
The eminent gentlemen who sit at the
Cabinet table or the newspaper corr
respondents. Possibly i'm the end it
will be found that it is upon the
President and his secretary, the usual
ly clever Mr. Loeb.
1t must not be supposed the Presi-
dent has endeavored 10 put all news
paper correspondents under ban ana
TO forbid all intercourse between them
and the members Of his Cabinet 1T Is
not correct to assume, as some haSty
critics do that Mn Roosevelt is trying
To put an embargo upon gather
ing in Washington and to establish a
censorship OF the press by means of
oil hi "a
which he chooses TO give out through
his secretary 1t is true that Mr..
Loeb's unfortunate letter on first read
ing gives that impression, and il Is
the fault of that secretary and his
chief if they have been misunderstood
and subjected to more or less ridicule
for what seems to be an effort to es-
tablish ST Petersburg methods lin
Washington
Wide of the mark are the current
jokes that the newspaper profession
is a an end in Washington and that
henceforth the public will get all its
news from Il royal press bureau per-
sonally conducted by II. l. M. Theo-
dore l. Who'll superfluous and in
applicable also are the jeStS made
anent the official decapitation of poor
!tlvdge, the chauffeur, to the effect
that in future when the President sal
lies worth from the palace Outriders
Will precede him sounding cymDalS
and heWgagS warning all subjects to
Salaam. close their doors and THEN
mouth and never, never use big II.
in addressing oficious courtiers, pos
itions. guards of the secret service,
bicycle halberdierS or others of the
royal retinue.
The facts about this not very inn
portant, but highly ridiculous episode
appear to be rs follows: A small num-
Der of newspaper men representing
press associations ana afternoon pa
pers and wanting their news quick
even if not in very satisfactory form,
have hung about the White House on
Cabinet days and on the adjournment
of the meetings have accoSted mem
bers of the Cabinet and asked them
what took place inside. The newspa-
per men have q right to do this. A
room is fitted up for their use at the
White House annex, with tables and
telephone. This method of gathering
news has been III vogue many years.
1t is nothing new.
AS rule the correspondents and
the Cabinet officers get on we'll to-
gether. 1t is thrust and parry joke
and laughter between them. The Ca
binet officers are grown men, masters
of their tongue, it is presumed, and
it is not to be supposed they are
forced To tell anything they do not
want to tell or that is improper to be
told 1t is difficult to see what possible
objection there can be to permitting
the press men to "catch on the fly
departing Cabinet officers and extract
such bits of Information from them as
they can. Certainly there is nothing
"unSeemly" about it, TO quote Mr..
Loeb's letter.
But it seems that President Roose
welt does not like il. He does not like
it because of one incident. Mr.. RooSe-
welt is greatly impressed by single in
cidents. and often argues from Incl
dent to principle in somewhat arbitra-
ny and hasty fashion, as In the case
Of the poor chauffeur. secretary Root
was leaving the White House one day
when a newspaper man asked him
what had taken place IN tne>NCabinet
meeting. Nothing, repiled Mr.. Root.
with a smile. "Oh. that RIDICULOUS,
replied the press man: GU We been
there two hours. NHeleupon oecfe-
tary Root became indignant. lie gave
that correspondent occurring which
the youne gentleman will not soon for
get President Roosevelt heard of
this incident and in hurry out came
Mr.. I,oeh's letter to members of the
Cabinet, ordering them not to talk to
special correspondents DIS such con-
duct is "unseemly.
Probably the correspondent who
spoke in that way to Mr. Root went
too far He should not have used
such language. But, in the first place
Mr.. Roof ;s able to take care of him
self. In fine second place, Mr.. Loeb