The Washington herald., 1909-04-30
SEEING THE PRESIDENT.
Demands Upon His Time ArduOuS
and Tnremitting.

Robert L, O'Breu. in the Boston Transc-ipt-
Mr. Taft takes no luncheon. The inter
ruption which Il has afforded TO his
predecessors in Office in the wearying task
Of seeing people. hour in and hour out Is
not fer him. From O'Clock IN ere morn
ing until 70 in the afternoon. accord
ing 20 circumstances, ne IS meeting a
stream Of people. singly or IN commit
tees, or in delegations, introduced By Sen
stors and Cabinet officers. or arriving at
his portals with letters OF commendation.
or presenting themselves on the basis OF
their personal acquaintance No one sees
him except by appointment-barrins few
members Of the choicest inner circle-and
vet among the callers by appointment
waits Of three hours are not unknown
To see him q an hour and a half after
the time scheduled IS doing we'll a new
piece Of machinery in the handling OF
the crowd has been devised Capt Stone,
the Pullman car conductor. whom Presi-
dent Roosevelt taking a fancy 10.
brought 10 the White House. is now en-
Eaged. nOminally uuder-the title Of chief
usher, IN opening and closing a great
double door between the Cabinet room
and the Presidents real Office. Through
this portal stone admits in order The per-
sons or groups who have previously been
admitted 20 the Cabinet room by the
nan at its entrance. who has a list sup
piled each day BY the private secretary.
or. as occasions arise. OF persons who are
10 be passed Making an appointment
acmits them 20 the Cabinet room. Capt
Stone. as he opens and closes these doors.
introducing 10 the President the persons
who pass in. wherever necessary. repre-
sents a stage in the mechanism which
had not been found necessary by Mr..
Taft's predecessors. And yet Washington
people are complaining that Mr. Taft is
toe hard 70 get at. is not seeing enough
people, is not mingiing with the multi
tude as much as did his predecessor. In
fact. he does nothing else for the greater
part OF his waking hours. and IL is a ter
rible strain on any man.
The changed use OF the telephone Is not
without its suggestiveness. Twenty years
ago the White HOIse contained just one
telephone standing against the wall II
the northeast corner room. where the Of
fee telegrapher made his headquarters.
Nc one responded 70 Il except during
Office hours. The Presidents wife used TO
send OuL mal1 70 transmit q message.
usually through one Of the clerks, per
haps thrice a week. No general appoint
ments were made by 1t except In the
rarest emergency. Its use was not
greatly different from that OF a fre-alarm
signal. The White House occupants.
either Of the family or Of the clerical
stah. had acquired no telephone habit and
were virtually unedUcated 10 its possi-
bilities What is the situation to-day?
The White House central, Main No. s."
Is manned day and night. The exchange
connects with virtually every room in the
mansion. in the Office building. and in the
stables. the man at it's switchboard par
takes Of the nature OF a private secre-
tary- Upon him IS poured q list Of ap-
pointments and he IS busy making them.
II seems as II the entire town were con
nected with the White House, and also
the larger centers OF the country. The
access Of the telephone to the old man
sion has repeated the experience Of the
railroad II has geared up the wheels OF
business TO a newly accelerated speed.
with the result that the pressure upon
the Presidents time is unremitting.