The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-20

to the Department of Commerce and
Labor has been more favored than any
other department in the number OF
tennis players who vie with the Presl-
dent. For besides Garfield, as Com
missioner of Corporations, and Murray,
Herbert Knox Smith, a young man who
succeeded to the chair vacated by Mr.
Garfield when he became Secretary OF
the Interior. has been often asked to
play tennis on the White House court.
Real cabinet officers have not shared
much in the Presidents tennis sport.
Justice Moody, when Secretary of the
Navy and later when Attorney General
was invited over for an occasional
game but he did not take very kindly
to the strenuous work with racquet.
AS a Harvard student Mr.. Moody used
to be good baseball player, but Mr.
Roosevelt can not play baseball. Sec
rotary of the Navy Metcalf, formerly
a Yale athlete In his college days, was
invited over to the tennis court once
or twice but did not continue that
form of presidential exercise. About
the only member Of the diplomatic
corps who has been much upon the
tennis court is Ambassador Jesserand,
Of France, little man, with black
whiskers and black eyes, who although
well into middle life, is remarkably
nimble in stopping swift curves
Naturally there is some rivalry
among government officials and among
members of the diplomatic corps to
participate in the Presidents athletic
sports The German Ambassador,
Speck Won Sternberg, is one of the
President S favorites but has not fig
ured much with the tennis racquet.
He occasionally goes riding with the
President, however, and, before his re-
cent departure for the Fatherland, fire.
quently rode out into the country with
the President and the Roosevelt boys,
who are learning to jump high fences
on horseback. Their instructor in this
was the Ambassador, who is light of
weight and an excellent horseman.
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., has been oc-
cupying the White House tennis court
in recent days more than his father
The lad has been home from Harvard
noon for time invited in some of his
young friends here in the city for a
game. Miss Hagner, who is Mrs Roose-
welt s social secretary, has also had
possession of the court on occasional
afternoons and has given some strenu-
Gus exhibitions of tennis
The court is kept in the best of con.
dition and is carefully screened from
the public eye. It is laid out close
south, so that the players sometimes
go out and come in through the win
dows of either Secretary Loeb's Office
or of the Presidents private office.
1t is very convenient, for if Secretary
Loeb has a matter of pressing i'm
portance, he simply raises the window
and walks out upon the court to the
President. Such things, however, are
of rare occurrence. The President does
not like to be interrupted at his play,
unless there is good reason for it.
"A tall screen of blue material, pune
tured with holes to let the wind
through, is erected ON the end next
executive avenue, which passes be-
tween the White House grounds and
the State, War and Navy building.
There is another similar screen on the
east end of the court. These screens
also keep the tennis balls from get
ting beyond immediate reach. On the
south of the court are the private
grounds of the White House and fat
policeman is generally there to pre-
vent intrusions. Visitors TO Secretary
Loeb's offices and clerks hlgh up IN
the Navy Department are about the
only spectators of these presidential
games. The Navy clerks are especial
" favored in that regard and know
more about the quality of tennis on
the White House court than any other
persons, except the players themselves
The fate of this fine TEMPS court,
which is certain to be featured IN
the history of the Republic, viii be
matter of interest when the Roose-
velts leave the White House. No one
of the candidates for the Presidency
in either of the big parties has pen
chant for tennis or other strenuous ex-
ercise and likely enough the court will
be dug up and the place erased over,