The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-03
.FRENCHMAN GOT
 THE BEST OF TAFT Reporter Violated Unwrit- ten American Rule HOW TT WAS DONE President Always Talks Very Frank ly to Reporters But Is Never
 Quoted Except in Signed
 Statements
BY WALTER HARPER

Washington, December 2.-1Special) An over-enterprising French newspaper reporter has scooped the world. Ills enterprise may be appreciated in France but he is receiving no bouquets on this side of the big creek.
 This Frenchman got a personal in- terview with the President of the Unit ed States. The interview has just been published in Paris newspaper and 1t is in quotation marks. When the story was published it was cabled back at once to America and was at once shown to the President.
 While the President does not deny any of the statements credited to him he is amazed and surprised at the au- uacity of the reporter. He talked te The reporter and on the subjects dis cussed in the interview. but he was not aware that he was talking to news paper man at the time he is supposed to have been interviewed.
 If the President had known that he was talking to a reporter he prob ably would have said the same things that he did say to the visitor. He re- ceives and talks freely to newspaper men every day but there is an uu- written law or custom that no news paper man shall quote the President except in signed statements that are given out in the regular channel through the secretary. This rule has never been violated until the Frenchman came.
 The President talks very freely to all newspaper men who call and is al ways glad to see them when he has the time to receive them. Occasionally the President receives all the leading correspondents at Washington in a sort of cabinet conference. He presided at a conference of this kind a few days after he returned from his swing around the circle.
 | At these meetings the President and l the correspondents discuss public ques- | tions with great freedom. The cor respondents ask many questions and the President answers with frankness. The President often asks questions of the correspondents and is perhaps often enlightened on many subjects with which the writers are more familiar than the President can possibly be.
 But these conferences are in strict confidence. The correspondents can use the information that is given out by the expressions of the President, but he is never quoted. Indeed the Presi- dent uses this method of acquainting the newspaper boys with his personal views on many subjects. The custom Is helpful both to the President and the writers.
 T want to say that the President is as cordial in his treatment of news paper men who oppose him politically as he is to his political friends.
 good story is being told of one of the most prominent young newspaper
 min in Washington in connection wiuh one of these presidential-press confer ences when Theodore Roosevelt was president.
 This young man had just arrived in Washington from the west. He was green in the ways of the capital, but he was ambitious and had plenty of courage. He was attending his first conference with the President and was sitting very quiet ly near the foot of the table some dis tance from the President.
 During the conference the President brike In in his abrupt manner and said that he wanted to know some young man who was familiar with railroads. He wanted to know something about rail- roads. There was a moments silence. It was finally broken by the young tender foot from the west. He said he knew something about railroads. The older men around the table exchanged smiles, but the President looked at him keenly and without comment ordered-yes, or dered-the young man to come around to luncheon with him next day. The young man went to luncheon with the President next day. He told the President what he knew about railroads, and made good.
 That young man today Is one of the few newspaper men in Washington who owns covey of automobiles and one of the finest plantations in the neighborhood of Washington.
 He had confidence in himself and could back 1t up.