The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-26
A MORNING HOUR AT
THE WHITE HOUSE

The Presidents executive Offices fur /
nish rich field for the study Of human /
nature. \ man is thoroughly at home in |
this environment. q woman feels ike 1
fish out of water and an inquistiye fish. |
at that
BY 10 in the morning there is a prelim- |
mary hustle TO the days proceedings. Tel |
egraph wires are al work, messengers and !
doorkeepers and secret service men arc /
on the alert, and visitors have begun TO /
arrive. An interesting way TO spend ar /
hour Of the morning is TO take "A seat in 1
the corner of the big lobby and watch the /
types of people who seek 10 visit the I
President upon some business or other /
The vast majority drift IN with vague 4
ideas Of the other" having no particular /
business to transact. wishing merely to 1
shake hands with the Chief Executive /
Strangers come in with an ingratiating 1
smile and offer their cards To the door I
keeper. who politely turns them over 10 the /
guardian OF Secretary Loeb's s1nctum. II 1
Is seldom "a stranger succeeds iu meeting /
the President on busy morning, unless /
he has previously made an appointment /
with him Secretary Loeb. "a man or rare
tact, is tho mediaTv between the hungry
{ Il
functoDary outside the secretarv's door
loads his pockets with visiting cards in
the course of day and every visitor is /
closely scanned and commented upon BIZ
the guardians of the building
The newspaper men. who fit back and
forth from the pressrOom. are ever on
the alert 20 intercept those who visit the
: President. When anyone energies from
the Presidents private Office. these gath
ercrs OF the news surround him ia the at
tempt TO CLEAN items Of interest.
Yesterday morning the first person of
renown 90 come from The presence was
the Attorney General Before he had
crossed the threshold into the fresh air
/ ten newspaper correspondents were AT his
/ heels. a member or the Cabinet seldom
fails 10 furnish news When a pompous
/ individual in rather shabby Prince Albert
coat and silk hat gained admttrance 10
I the President "a murmur Of inquiry went
round as 20 his identity. There was much
shaking Of heads until "a party of Catho-
ne priests entered, hgmbly enough and
+ TOOK the center of the stage. An indi-
Fidudl in yellow shoes and flowing neck
scarf gnaWed his mUStaChe and paced
the hoor IN impaticuce. Another revised
+ "a large roll OF manuscript while he watt
cd 10 see the President 4 happy bridal
pair, with "a kodak. entered and presented
/ their cards. sitting contentedly upon a
leather couch for solid hour An cncu1fc
youth in black sided his way 10 Secre-
I tary Loeb's door and begged to be adj
mitted. Upon being refused immediate
entrance, ne sank into "a corner chair
and drew forth worn volume. which inn
/ medlately engrOssed his attention Two
dressy young girls i'm fTou-frou waists
and white-plumed hats dashed i'm and.
I seating themselves at the center fable
/ wrote moro dIshiug names upon blank
cards and presented them 70 the door
/ Keeper y father. mother and Young
/ child arrived. and tie mothers first act
was To take a side comb from her hair
and with nervous haste smooth the locks
OF ner offspring in immediate expectation
/ OF gaining admittance % the chiId-lovinr
( President. \ volatile German rushed in
I i've times within the hour To ascertain If
/ Secretary Loeb would see him The Ger
/ man merely wanted YES or no from the
/ secretary. but BE wanted it at once
/ though ne was unwilling TO wait for IT.
/ He walked upon his heels and made
something Of a noise each time he hurried
/ in and cut
| Tho executive mail arrived in two in
stailments, enormous bagfuls of letters
/ ncer which the shoulders OF tho bearer
bent pcsty collected the mail from
the box and several men on the waiting
list fumblcd cigars as if they wished
| nightly To disobev placarded rules and
smoke. By this time ever>. chair in the
/ waiting room was occupie5. and the Jour
/ ndiists gathered outside IN the sunshine
and stood gravely watching the market
( aud ice wagons which cater TO the do
| nestle needs of the White House in
mates The pleasant air of d balmy day
stole into the room in sweet contrast to
| the air supplied by the electric fan The
doofkeeper studied his clean white gloves
| and the flies hummed upon the window
screens. Nobody spoke ABOVE a whisper.
Then the door of Secretary Loeb's room
swung oDen. There was an immediate
! Duzz OF expectancy, and an installment
! OF visitors was ushered into the large
mahogany furnished room which over
| looks the Presidents tennis court
The atmosphere of this apartment. i'm
| which the Secretary conducts his diplo-
/ mantle interviews with all manner and
kinds of people is charming. The Secre-
| tary. in fTock coat and white waistcoat
! sits a q large uulittoTed desk upon which
stands, invariably. a bunch Of fragrant
! REQ roses. The rugs arc red IN tone and
| the fire upon the wide hearth is laid in
fantastic kindling pattern between the
| logs. At the first hint OF cold weather
! this fire is lighted
IL is only a step from this sanctum to
| one OF even greater privacy and dignity
/ the Presidents own-but il is Just this
step that so few people take and for
which the throngs in the lobby wait with
/ infinite patience every morning OF the
| Presidents stay in Washington