Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-05-16
FROM WASHINGTON.
The President and the Newspaper
Men Mrs. Burleigh's Illness.

The President and the Newspaper
Men Mrs. Burleigh's Illness.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., May Il Especially y
President Roosevelt has recently shown
on a larger scale than ever his confidence
in the newspaper fraternity of Washing
ton. More than any other President, he
has all along kept in touch with the big
newspapers OF the country by maintain
ing relations with their Washington cor
respondents. He wants the news of what
he and his administration are doing put
into the newspapers right, and he prefers
to convey the information first hand. In
years gone by very much OF the important
news to the big journals has been secured
second hand from cabinet officers and
those in the confidence of the President.
But Mr.. Roosevelt changed all that. He
used to hold conclaves with the newspaper
correspondents at Albany when he was
governor OF New York. He did not ex-
actIy continue that when he came to
Washington, but the latchstring Of the
executive offices was generally out for
dozen or more correspondents of standing
who chose to call and inquire from him
about the status OF matters of current in
terest.
More than once he has called confer
enees of fifteen or twenty correspondents
whom he wished to tell something OF an
executive character not to be printed but
to be held in confidence. The advantage
of the latter to the correspondents, of
course, was that they would be able to
write intelligently and not inaecurately,
although not privileged to state all there
was to state.
When the big rate fight was drawing to
a close last week, and an agreement be-
tween the republican factions was con-
cluded, the President went farther than
he has ever done in taking the Washing
ton correspondents into his conf
dence. He has more than once
stated that If there were any men to
whom he could tell any secret safely and
without danger of its becoming public, it
was the reputable newspaper men at the
capital.
He demonstrated his sincerity in this
when at his last conference with them he
extended the lines and called thirty-six OF
these men together in his cabinet room.
Many of them were men he did not know
personally. What he told them on that
occasion for publication was published all
over the country the next morning. But
he told them some things that were not
for publication. These have not been
published and, of course, will not be.
At one stage certain question was put
to him during the hours conversation he
had with the thirty-six. 81 can answer
that" replied the President, sitting in his
high backed chair at the head of the cabi-
net table. "But what say about it is an
executive secret. You agree to that, gen.
tlemen?"
sYes, !" 'Yes," came the response in
chorus from all around the room, where
the newspaper correspondents were
banked, some sitting and some standing,
as the cabinet-room was built for the ac-
commodation of a cabinet of ten and not
for cabinet of thirty-six.
Then the President proceeded to his
answer. Both the question and his reply
thereto would be the most interesting part
of his conference, but the secret will
not De TOLD. a caDlneI OHcer VINO nelQ
the secret might like to let it out to some
favorite newspaper friend, but the news
paper man has no opportunity to play
friendship in that way. The President, of
course, understands the advantage OF the
situation where he tells anything directly
to the man who does the writing, or who
superyises the writing. That is why he
calls the newspaper conferences.
Three big newspaper conferences have
been called at the White House offices
this winter. The first two, which were
smaller than the third, assembled in the
Presidents private Office. Some twelve
correspondents were present at the first;
fourteen attended the second. They were
summoned by telephone; every newspaper
bureau of any consequence in Washington
has telephone, and its correspondent can
be readily reached by telephone either at
his office or at his residence.
The same is true of senators and mem
bers Of the House, and most of the Presi-
dents summonses to them are delivered
in the same way, although occasionally
the request goes by letter. But the i'm
portant feature is that the newspaper con-