Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-04-26
HARD ON NEWSPAPER MEN.

| ~ at all times, and must not venture
within tho iron fence surrounding
Executive Park after the shades of
ngiht have fallen, unless 1t he to asl,
II question and run. The flat has
gone ont and Secretary Loeb refuses
very positively TO recall It. His ear
Is dumb to all entreaties. Only the
"cuckoos" are exempt from this latest
pronunciamento. All 1.-THE boys" are
wondering what will happen next.
From time immemorlal the newspa.
per fraternity have been granted free
access to the White House practical
~ at all honrs--at least until the
Chief Executive had said good night
10 his last visitors. Every newspaper
man has felt that this was one Of his
lnallenablc rights, for in this way
much news of Importance is secured
In these days. however, much space
is being given to the private affairs
of the Chief Executive and his fami.
~; that is, when these affairs make
interesting reading. This has begun
to jar on the nerves of President
Roosevelt and the first lady of the
land, according to Secretary Loeb.
Hence the most recent decree.
SO the hurley blue.coated protec,
tors of the President have been in
structed to prevent newspaper men
from "loitering around the White
House at night" Complaint appar.
emily has been made that certain,
newspaper men stand guard ut the
main entrance to the White House
nightly and intercept visitors as they
go out. Under the new rule newsna.
per men will be first warned. Later.
IL they are so bold as to persist I'M
their efforts 10 get legitimate news in
this way, more drastic measures will
be resorted to.
They will be permitted, it is said
to ask questions of policemen and
doorkeepers-a charming prospect
but when this is done they must pass
on. Woe betide the young manor
old man, for that matter-who has
the temerlty to disohey this decree.
They must not lie IN wait for per.
sons who are making their exit from
the White House. This applies not
only to the main door, but to the
grounds as well. Perhaps newspaper
men who are satisfied TO cool their
heels on the broad pavement outside
the massive iron gates will not be
molested--and they will get no news.
ostensibly the new order is intend
ed only to afford President Roose.
velt's family greater privacy in the
evenings. But several well.lsnown
newspaper men talked with Secretary
Loeb about the decree pointed out
that the President very frequently
receives politicians and public men
mt night, especially as campaign times
approach, discussing public questions
with them, and that 1t had been the
custom of correspondents for many
years to wait for the departure Of
these men and talk with them. 1T
was pointed out also, that no legiti.
mate newspaper or newspaper man
desired to interfere in any way with
social or personal guests at the White
House. and would not do So, How.
ever, correspondents of reputable pa
pers. 1t was asserted, did not relish
police interference when they re-
manned off the White House portico
and talked with public men as they
We're leaving. 1t Is a wel-known fact
that public men very often have an.
.nonncements to make after leaving
the President. They usually leave in
carriages, especially after dark, and
can not well be reached in any other
way.
notwithstanding these arguments,
Mir. Loeb was obdurnte. While. he
said he did not want to make burden.
some rules to govern the conduct OF
newspaper men. he must put stop
to lettering around the main entrance.
He suggested that 1t might he good
plan to call him zip by telephone hi
the evening, and that he would have
no objection of thus informing them
who was visiting the President How
erficacions and productive such a
plan would be the newspaper men
know very well from past expert,
ence.
AT the present writing, it looks
very much like there will be moth
ing doing" at the White House after