Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-02

public matters. Despite his long expert
ence in public life he had not become an
adroit manipulation of the public mind
through the newspapers.
1t was Col. Roosevelt, Mckinleys sue
cessor. who put into useful practice the
view that to get to the public first with
your own opinions and facts was equiva-
lent to hitting the other fellow the first
blow in a personal encounter. And the
colonel left many political corpse in the
arena by beating the other fellow to the
newspapers and getting his side fixed IN
the public mind. When the opposition
the public was tired, too tired to read
much The coloneis "first-blow tactics
had done the work. Col. Roosevelt was
the best posted man ever in the White
House on the preparation and puphca-
ton of material he wanted to get to the
public through the newspapers. He knew
then as he does now, the best days III
the week to get the most into the papers,
the days when they have the greatest
amount of space. He was an auepl AZ
writing the material to be printed SO
that II would get under the hides or the
people in just the right way, and accom-
rlish Just what he wanted to accomplish
In making a certain impression
Col Roosevelt was always courteous
and kindly to correspondents at the White
House except in two instances Wnere ne
he did not like something that had been
written and brought about the recall OF
the men. He had habit OF senolne Ior
a large number of correspondents at
siven time to enlighten them on some
Subiect before Congress and the country
He would talk freely, not mincing WORDS
hut would often wind up with the oec-
laration that he did not wish any or sne
Information used at that time, simply oe-
string to post the correspondents as 10
what was going on. When the coionei
did not want to talk. however, wnen ne
nreferred to keep secret certain ueFetop-
I..,x IN do
t,on. Correspondents could not draw any
thing from him with their most direct
questions. fo,,r ,r+,-
mate friends among washington cor
RESPONDENTS, men he liked to talk with
and whom he favored In many ways with
important information not ready to be
given to all the correspondents. These
NOR, had access to him almost any hour
and kept his condolences.
Col. Roosevelts favorite time for tak-
ing with the newspaper men was when
he was shaving for luncheon, just after
, he had finished his days program OF
callers and conferences. His daily hapit
was to send for William Dulaney, MS
colored messenger, and be shaved abont
i: 80 o'clock, before going to join guests
at luncheon Sitting in special chair
Dulaney had for him. the colonel talked
xnyly to his press friends. His face
iathered and we1-ing one of his famous
arins, he VIZ an unusual hsufe as ne
talked animatedly and Interestingly.
President Taft did not profit by tne
successful advertising methods OF Col.
Roosevelt. He did not do any OF the
things Roosevelt had done. He was on
friendly terms, though. with newspaper
men, and saw the press boys as often
as his work would permit. He, too, had
., few intimate friends among the wash
ington writer's, and they enjoyed an IN,
Innate friendship with him. They could
not prevail upon him to get to the news
papers in better manner with his views
on public affairs. He detested the de-
liberate use of the press to accomplish
his own popularity. and seldom appeared
In the newspapers until long after the