Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1913-04-04
CORRESPONDENTS FIND THE
WHITE HOUSE CONDITIONS
TO THEIR LIKING.
TUMULTf EASY CT APPROACH
Access to President Wilson Is Not off
neult and His Appointments for the
Day Are Posted Where All May
See Them.
By eEoReE cLlMron

f"a aDOut the White House Offices
since the new administration came in
70 power that the ACKNOWLEDGMENT
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 a little lest some
mishap shall come to set back the
clock and to restore 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, direct notice
came that it was to be closed to men
Who wanted Office. This means 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 If he chooses, can get the ear
Of the president by way OF the cab
met officers, who are willing to listen
70 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.. Tumultys office into the
round room Of Mr.. Wilson.
Easy to Reach TumuIty.
For the first time since eMcKinley's
early days in the White House, it is
possible today to go unannounced to
the desk of the presidents private sec
rotary and there to ask a question,
with certainty Of getting a ready an
swer When Mr.. Loeb was private
secretary one always got the ready an
iswer to question, for Loeb spoke on
many occasions for his chief, and If
he could not speak for him, the mega
tive answer was ready, but even in
Loebs day the private secretary had
to be approached either by the card
route or by the way of previous ap
pointment.
: Private secretaries to Presidents al
ways have held that they must abide
by precedent. When president
smashes a precedent the private sec
Rotary 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.. Tuntuity's advantage from the out
side viewpoint, and perhaps from the
inside one also, is that with easy &C
cess to him he can move among the
numerous callers and get through with
ten men in less than ten minutes, ane
do 1t to the satisfaction of the ten.
Presidents Appointments Posted.
Through four years certainly there
has always been great secrecy OBJ
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
lin the colonels day the list OF ap-
.pointments was kept under blotter
on the secretary's desk. He showed
lii 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
hdents desk. another is on the secre-
tary's desk and another is in an out
side Office, resting on little easel
hike affair placed where all men may
see it.
The prayer Of seekers for informa-
tion. and all those who like to get
things done quickly, is that this JOY
ful condition Of affairs will continue.
Publicity seems to be sought by the
Wilson administration. just as much
AZ II was sought by the Roosevelt ad-
ADMINISTRATION. The methods, however,
are different. Mr.. Roosevelt used to
call the correspondents in to see him;
he would talk with them directly
about matters Of legislation, and fire.
auently he would suggest certain
things which were not in legislative
form and which never had been 50
nroposed. The correspondents would
give the material to the public, and In
few days the president would learn
how the country felt about certain
things
Today such information as 1t seems
n Mr.. Wilson should be given to the
nublic at once is given through Mr..
Tumulty in the form OF voluntary
statement. Frequently the secretary
aeaves his desk to go into an outer
room where representatives of the
nress associations and frequently spe-
ciaI correspondents are assembled he
a often the bearer Of what men in the
nawspauer ranks call sharp news.
~ Tumulty seems to have nose for
news Perhaps it is too grateful an
a,.ranyement to last, but the promise
* Thai It will last until some one not
connected with the White House puts
! stan 10 it. either by misinterpreta-
tion Or BY an inability to distinguish