The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-06
WASHINGTON, May 80.

II T rs safe to say that nowhere else
in the world. is SO large a volume
= of important business handled as
that at the White House at Washington
by 40 small a force of employees as COM
prise the presidents business staff.
PRESIDENT Roosevelt s: office force, in
Guiding secretaries, clerks, t~elegraphers,
stenographers and messengers numbers
only about two dozen men, yet 50 highly
.systematized is the work at the head
quarters Of the, nation that this limited
number OF employees get thru with as
much work as, twice al many toilers IN
the average corporation headquarters
in New York or Chicago. Moreover, the
vast volume Of business pouring. into
the White House by mail, telephone,
telegraph and transoceanic cable, as
we'll as thru the medium of personal
callers, is handled with a degree OF ex-;
Righteousness that is a credit to Amer
lean time and labor-saving methods:
| The presidents Offices are never closed
for a minute from one end Of the year
to. the other, so that important matters
may be disposed Of literally at a mo
ments' notice and it is a rule that every
letter shall be answered the day. 1t IS
received--a task the g. magnitude Of
Which viii be appreciated when It is
explained that more than 1000 letters
are often received at the White House
in n day. w.
( The Presidents Routine. h"%
Business at the White House runs 90
smoothly in. well-ftted grooves that the
president seldom has to give a thought
or a moment Of his time to routine mat.
ters in his business establishment
When Mr.. Roosevelt first arrives at the
executive office at, say OILS o'clock II
the morning. he spends perhaps hall
an hour or more with his private score
tary;; Mr.. Loeb: He outlines to. tn
taken up and listens to reports o.
progress, giving further instruction.
regarding matters already under way
Il He also indicates to Secretary Loeb tn
tenor Of the replies to the letters from
the morning mail which the secretary
does not care to take the responsibility.
Of, answering without specific instruc
lions from his chief-not more than
ably. Finally, MI. Loeb hands to tn
president a list Of appointments whicl
have been made for him for that day
for, be it known. the president Is s
, busy that he can give audience to yer:
, few callers. save On appointment an
;, these appointments are usually made
; day ahead by Secretary Loeb withou
consulting the chief magistrate.
The directing head Of affairs at tn
81 White House Offices is the secretary t
v the president, In the extent to whic
r he keeps in touch with all department
e at executive headquarters he might b
compared to. the executive officer Of
!. warship or the general manager of q bi
q department store. In his Office as hi
9 aide is the first secretary to the pres
dent, and one, or the other of these o,
j fcials sees practically all the Gale,
r who come, to the presidential Offices an
disposes Of all the more important. ma
tors that develop in the mail-eithe
debating individual replies or answe
ing thru the medium Of n Or anothe
e Of the stereotyped "form' letter
81 which are utilized in replying to man
,s dent.
When the President Phones.
to the president on one side is the tel
graph room, in one corner OF which
the private branch telephone exchang
Is connecting with more than a score
L stations in the White House Offices ar
mansion and turnout the grounds. Pres
h dent Roosevelt never could reconci
d himself to the plan of having 8 distrac
n. ing telephone on his desk, and SO wht
he desires to talk with n Of his cat
net members or with q senator or re
20 resentative at the capitol he walks tn,
d Mr.. Loeb's office and takes his place
ella private telephone booth in the tel
graph room. Incidentally, it may
explained, matters are SO arranged tn
neither the operator at the VIII
House nor the stHello Girl at the ci
Exchange can overhear the president
: conversation.
Aside from its functions in come
n ton with telephone communication tt
little institution, which is known as t
4 " president s intelligence Office az
&c as a clearinghouse for an imlnen
,e amount of official telegraph and cat
IL business with United States officials
all narts of the world. Most of the vi