The Detroit times., 1910-06-08
TAFT REALIZES He
MUST GET NEARER
TO THE PUBLIC
Charles D. Norton, His New Private
Secretary, Breaks Down Exclusive
Barrier That Had Been Main
tanned by Fred w. Carpenter.
Will Let People Know President as
Friends Know Him and Hopes To
Make Him Very Popular.

WASHINGTON, June S.-Charles ID.
Norton, of Chicago. who has assumed
the duties OF secretary 20 the prcsi-
dent, crossing the street nom the
treasury department, where he has
made an enviable record, at the very
start had opportunity TO show his met
tie in another and wholly dinerent
field. says a special to the Chicago
Tribune.
There was a changed atmosphere
about the White House, decidedly
noticeable TO all who have had daily
or even semioccasional call to visit
the workshop OF the nations cher,
and the comment thereat was favor
able. The railroad conference, at
tracing the attention OF the whole
country as II did, brought newspaper
correspondents to the executive ofiices
In droves, aud, as a result, one OF tho
things that has aroused greatest COM
plant heretofore during the Taft re-
gime-the embargo on Information
was subjected to comparison with the
new order OF internal affairs.
All Mystery Discarded.
Information on matters which the
public ought to know and the know
ing OF which Is an aid TO the admin
istration In a popular sense followed
without the agency OF pumps or ex-
ternal force. Mystery was discarded.
The change was 80 sudden and pro-
nounced that everyone talked about II.
Moreover, II was possible for political
visitors to penetrate to the outer sane
tum, where the assistant to the pres
i6ent" has his desk, without having
10 tell the story OF their lives or have
permits after the manner Of the Rus
sian police system. The new incum-
bent met callers with q smile, heard
requests, saw that those who should
have an audience with the executive
got II, and at the close OF the day IL
was declared that all appointments
had been kept on time for the first
time since the doorkeepers could re-
call.
On Mr.. Norton's desk when he re-
ported for duty at 8 o'clock was an
immense bunch OF American Beauty
roses sent by his former associates
In the Chicago Offices OF the North
western Mutual Life Insurance COM
pany. Mr.. Norton received also many
letters and kilograms wishing him
success. He had no time 10 read them
until evening and was so busy, In fact.
that he did not get around to swear
ing to the usual form for federal
employee until midafternoon.
Newspaper Man Pleased.
Just to show that local pride and
the feeling that Chicago men make
good wherever you put them are not
the actuating motives In setting forth
the debut OF the new secretary to the
president In a dispatch to q Chicago
newspaper, listen to what the bright
young man on the Washington Times
One whose daily task through differ
ent administrations has been to
cover" the White House-says about
It:
Charles Dyer Norton. former as
sistant secretary OF the treasury, Is
on the Job today as secretary to the
president, and things are looking up.
above the executice Offices there
ripples and rumples In the juno
breeze the gonfalon of publicity, and
through the rooms where grim silence
took his gloomy pleasure In the dear.
dead past there rings the merry echo
of candid laughted and happy speech.
"In other words, the executive
Offices are to be run in the a manner
radically different from the manage
ment Of Fred w. Carpenter. News is
to be given out as 1t happens. Mys-
terry inscrutable as the night will no
longer hold its sable court within the
house that Is white.
'Hfhe ceremonies and shrouds which
we're wont to cloak the official live
things have been discarded, and the
quietest thing heard about the grounds
today was the dull thud Of CASTOR
gum shoes as they hurtled through
the windows and fell to the asphalt
about q mile away.
Statesmen who used to think they
had TO be able to do the 220-yard
hurdles in a minute in order TO run
through the guardians who kept them
away from the presidential ear can
now give up their athletic training.