The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-22
PRESIDENT TAFT
 LIKES REPORTERS Calls Them Into Consultation
 Once a Week HAS FREE DISCUSSION But Will Not Allow Them to Boost Him. He Is Poor Press Agent for
 HimseIf-Rooseyelt
 COntrasted
HAS FREE DISCUSSION
By RoDERICK CLIFFORD

Washington, January 21.-There is vast difference between the Kitchen | Cabinet" Of the Roosevelt regime and the Fourth Estate Cabinet that now convenes at the White House on Tues day afternoon. In the Roosevelt days this famous cabinet was a close corpora ton and only representatives of certain pa pers were admitted. For this reason its members were dubbed ''Cuckoos' by | their less fortunate brothers.
 The genial Taft temperament, however, | has done away with this favoritism and now there Is a standing invitation to all Washington correspondents to attend the Tuesday meetings. regardless of their political creeds.
 President Tafe likes to know what is really going on. Then. too. he likes his hour with the newspaper men whom he knows. and seems to enjoy the, grilling that he receives when the cabinet is in session.
 While there are only nine places at the cabinet table, places that are occu- pied by the regular White House report CTS, there Is always an overflow of
 
 available chair in the large room.
 At the last cabinet session Vice-Presi- dent Sherman and Judge Parker, once a democratic candidate for presidential honors, were waiting to see the president when the hour of 4:30 arrived-the time for the cabinet meeting for newspaper men to assemble. President Taft made ct aI engagement with the press is considered very important by him, and he will not let anything interfere with it. When the President enters the cabinet room the members arise with a Good after noon, MT. President
 The Taft smile and the Taft Glad to see you alp is instantly on tap, and as the president takes his chair at the head of the table, he jokingly exclaims, Gentlemen, be seated.'.
 Instantly a question is fired at the pres ident. It may be Are you going to have tariff war with Germany over the pot ash question:" Cant you make the State Department lift the lid on the Can adian reciprocity negotiations;' Do you stand behind the fight on Senator Lorimer?"; or come other question that Is uppermost in the mind of the cores pondents.
 One by one the president takes up each query and answers. It is thoroughly un- derstood that the president Is not to be quoted, but the newspaper men are given at first hand his ideas and views, and are therefore able to write upon the legisla- tive situation without fear of going far | astray.
 The serious business of the session over there is no abrupt adjournment Presi- l dent Taft is whoesouled and likes com pany. He begins to tell interesting | experiences, and enjoys the stories on public men that are going the rounds. l At one of the sessions he was asked If a certain judge in the middle west was going to resign. There is talk about his resignation" said one of the "Cabi- et'' members President Taft was long member of the federal judiciary. He knows the federal judges and their ways. He asked his questioner if he had ever heard the opera of the Pirates of Pen zance. The hero, the president contn- ued, sings long and loudly; T go, I go." and the chorus comes back in refrain, But why don't you go." Federal judges he said, are like the hero. He made 1t clear that he will never and has never placed any confidence in rumors of resig- nations unless he sees resignation in black and white, and the letter in his possession.
 Not only do the White House report CTS have their weekly session with the president, but twice daily they are ac- corded an interview with Charles D. Norton, the presidents secretary These daily sessions are held on schedule time. and no engagement GOT press work is con | sidered hindrance by the secretary, who receives the reporters and talks over the new developments of the day | President Taft Is a hard master to serve, especially when it comes to being the bearer of news concerning him or his administration He dislikes personal notoriety. Therefore Secretary Norton has his hands full in trying to keep the reporters in a good frame of | mind and to prevent them from giving out too much personal matter concerning | the president.
 Secretary Norton not only furnishes l news, but considers the newspapermen | his best advisors outside of the White | House. He declares emphatcally that | the newspapermen have the best light on political legislative situation, and there- | Tore says he receives more information | daily than he imparts
 | Any Washington newspaperman will | say without reserve that President Taft IS the hardest man in public life from l which to get personal news. It is con- sidered one of his drawbacks by his friends, who have been the signal success | in political life of men who are good press agents for themselves. but trv as | they may President Taft refuses to | boost" himself by spectacular perform- | ances, or ntterances, and what his trlends consider just as bad, will not permit them to boost" him either.