The Detroit times., 1911-09-18


served as welcoming committee.
boarded the presidents car and ex-
tended cordial greeting as soon as
the executive, beaming as usual.
emerged from his private parlors.
The committee included Milton A.
McRae. president OF the Board OF
Commerce, who will remain with the
distinguished guest all day, riding
with him and acting as personal
guide; Frederick III. Holt. chairman;
Fred M. Alger. Walter A. Russell.
Mayor William b. Thompson and Sec
Rotary Lucius e. Wilson. of the Board
or Commerce.
Just before the president left his
car, TO be escorted TO the Detroit
Club for breakfast with 90 Detroit and
Michigan newspaper men, II began TO
rain and there was a rush to the auto
mobiles for umbrellas. President Taft,
however. wore the famous smile as
he emerged from the rear door. dress
ed In the conventional Prince Albert.
dark striped thousers, glistening silk
tile and dark blue four-in-hand tie.
He paused for a moment on the rear
platform and removed his hat while
the newspaper photographers turned
their batteries" on him. Then he
walked to the roadway on the south
side OF the station grounds, parallel
ing the track reserved for the special.
A crowd OF perhaps so people, most
ly workmen from the station yards
and neighboring factories, was gather
ed on the steps of nearby building
or ranged along the platform and they
cheered the president as he passed,
the latter bowling gracefully In ac-
acknowledgement. An instant later the
auto shot forward and a squad of
mounted police fell I'm behind.
In the machine with the executive,
besides Mr.. McRae. were Maj. Archie
Butt. the presidents aide: Charles ID.
Hills, the presidents secretary, and
JameG Sloan, Jr., the secret service
man who will be at the presidents
side throughout HIS l5,000-mile tour OF
the nation. Two other secret service
men. r. l.. Jarvis and Joseph Murphy,
rode In the second machine, which
also contained DR.. Thomas l.. Rhodes,
the presidents physician. and Wen
dell w. Mischler, the presidents stem
ographer.
Other cars were occupied by east
ern newspaper men and representa-
tives of press services. who are GOV.
ering the presidents tour, and others,
c. f. Colony, of the Boston
q Albany railroad. and local newspa-
per men.
Trip Without Incident.
The trip to the Detroit club was
without incident, the route chosen be.
ing up Third-st. TO Fort and down
Fort to the Detroit club, at the cor.
ner Of Cass-ave., which was reached
promptly at 1880. as per schedule.
In spite Of the rain and the early
hour, the streets were well-filled with
people. who cheered the executive as
he passed.
The police arrangements were per-
feet. Police Commissioner Croul per-
sonally supervised the arrangements
at the station. Three department
autos Of the flying squadron led the
way and mounted police rode both in
front OF and behind the presidents
car. At every corner policeman
and, at the more important intersec-
tons, two or more were stationed.
The Detroit club literally swarmed
with bluecoats, who formed a double
line at the entrance, through which
the president and his party passed.
At the club, an informal reception
was held in the parlors and five
minutes fster President Taft and the
assembled guests sat down to break
fast.
Mr.. McRae presented the president
narQnnal frfnnA ~ 9n
years standing, and as former news.
paper associate.
When the evening paper with
which Mr.. Taft was connected had an
assignment which called for young
man OF ability and character, II Sc
lected him for the task" said Mr..
McRae. In all my long acquaint.
ance with President Taft have never
known him to do thing that or any
man would be ashamed Of"
The Presidents Scoop.
The president, after congratulating
Detroit upon acquiring Mr.. McRae. ad
mitted former relationship with the
press in Cincinnati, when he was at
tached to the courts as reporter OF
decisions. He recalled one scoop that
he scored when he gave the decision
In litigation growing out Of Archbishop
PurcelPs obligations Numerically OPP
posite what the judges announced next
day as their finding. This was the
nearest he had ever come TO contempt
Of court, Mr.. Taft added:
In France statesmanship is linked
with newspaper control" he said. The
man in politics has an editorial ex-
We may be getting upon
somewhat the same basis here. as I
heard some Of your Detroit newspaper
owners discussing this morning the
difficulty of having people you must
defend and the advantage OF not be-
ing obliged to defend anybody. am a
sort Of brother-in-law TO a newspaper,
and want TO observe that IL states
m-> are an embarrassment to news
paper, newspapers are also an embar-
to statesmen.
We have set out on a long trip
that 10 going TO test our endurance.
II 70 not a case of malice aforethought,
but something we have drifted into.
thank the press for this greeting and
ask you for your best wishes for our
physical and spiritual welfare
when the presidential party left the
Detroit Club at S:45 and boarded the
special d. u. r. cars, No. 1900 and the
Yolande, for the trip TO Pontiac, the
rain had stopped and the sun was
with every indication that the
weather would be fair for the rest or
the day. The same police arrange
ments that obtained earlier were car
ried out on the trip out Woodward,