The L'Anse sentinel., 1913-04-12
PRESS men REJOICE
CORRESPONDENTS FIND THE
WHITE HOUSE CONDITIONS
TO THEIR LIKING.
TUMULTY EASY OF APPROACH
Access to President Wilson 10 Not DIFF
fieuIt and His Appointments for the
Day Are Posted Where All May
See Them.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

q complete change In the conditions In
and about the White House Offices
since the new administration came in
to power that the acknowledgement
observers have difficulty in recogniz'
Ing the place. 1t might be said that
seemingly the change is grateful to
nearly everybody except him who
seeks an Office. Newspaper CORE
spondents, and some others with
them, are worrying little lest some
mishap shall come to set back the
clock end to restcrc affairs to the old
time system Of procedure.
Much has been written about the
open door at the White House. AS
soon as the intimation came that the
door was to be open. a direct notice
came that 1t was to be closed to men
who wanted Office. This means Il real
open door, however. for nobody today
seemingly misses the office seeker,
and does not feel particularly sorry
for him. because his pokesman, and
himself IL he chooses, can get the ear
OF the president by way OF the cab
met officers. who are willing to listen
TO pleas for office and to carry them to
the White House.
The White House doors are open
not only to Democrats but to Pro-
gressives and Republicans. There are
at the White House two doors, one
open all the time, while the other
swings easily upon oiled hinges. The
open door leads into the Office OF Jo-
seph P. Tumulty. the easy-going and
yet forceful secretary of the president.
The closed door hanging upon its we'll
creased hinges, is that which leads
from Mr.. Tumulty's Office into the
round room Of Mr.. Wilson.
For the first time since McKinley's
early days In the White House. it is
the desk of the presidents private sec
retary. and there to ask a question,
with certainty of getting ready an.
swer. When Mr.. Loeb was private
secretary one always got the ready an
swer to a question, for Loeb spoke on
many occasions for his chief and IL
he could not speak for him. the mega
tive answer was ready. but even in
Loeb's day the private secretary had
to be approached either by the card
route or by the way OF previous APP
pointment.
Private secretaries to Presidents al
ways have held that they must abide
by precedent. When president
smashes a precedent the private sec.
retary does not always follow suit.
Mr.. Tumulty is very much like Mr..
Loeb In his perfect willingness TO
speak for the president with seeming
certainty that he is to speak right.
Mr.. Tumulty's advantage from the out
side viewpoint, and perhaps from the
inside one also, is that with easy ac-
cess to him he can move among the
numerous callers and get through with
ten men in less than ten minutes. and
do II to the satisfaction of the ten.
Through four years certainly there
has always been great secrecy Oh
served at the White House concerning
the appointments which the president
has made for the day. Mr.. Roosevelt
did not make any secret matter Of his
appointments to see people, but even
In the colonel's day the list OF ap-
pointments was kept under blotter
on the secretary's desk. He showed
It or not, as he saw At. Today three
lists OF the names Of visitors are pre-
pared with the hour set for the call
ing of each. One list Is on the pres.
idents desk, another is on the secre-
tarys desk and another Is in an out
side office. resting on a little easel
like affair placed where all men may
see IT,
Open Door Policy.
When President Wilson sent for
Senator LaFollette to have a confer.
ence with him upon legislative matters
1t was believed by many members of
congress that Mr.. Wilson would stop
at LaFollette" and would not confer
on legislative matters with any other
progressive Republicans OF the senate
or with any member of the Progressive
party in that body. Now It Is under
stood that before tariff legislation Is
completed Mr.. Wilson intends to talk
over various matters Of legislation
with Republicans and Progressives
In both house and senate whose views
on certain policies are said to be
much like his own.
The open door policy at the White
House announced some time ago
takes on a new Significance with the
visits OF Progressives and Republic
ans or, perhaps better to say, near
Republicans. Mr.. Wilson does not
know 1t probably but he is following
one OF the Roosevelt precedents. The
colonel used to ask Democrats to
come to see him and then he would
get In his persuasive arguments for
support at a time when support
seemed most necessary. The presi-
dent, however. has one advantage
which the ex-president did not have.
Most of the Progressives. Republicans
and near-Republicans who are invited
to the White House are committed in
advance to any Wilson policy which
leads along the lines which they have
been following for q good many years.
Senator La Toilette has managed to
Impress the old line Republicans with