The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-04-09

of an armed guard, says the Kansas
City Star. The president, whether
at work or at play, at home or ap-
pearing in public, asleep or awake, is
constantly watched over by band
of men whose sole business is to pro-
tect his august and precious person
from harm. The vice president,
senators, cabinet members, repre-
sentatives in congress, Supreme
Court judges are left to shift for
themselves among the perils of Off
cial existence, but the president
moves, breathes and has his being
under the watchful eyes that seldom
are off him and the persons about
him for one minute of the waking
day. He may or may not like this
insistent caretaking-it is said that
Mr.. Roosevelt sometimes chafed un-
der it-but the attention continues
just the same.
The responsibility of protecting
the president rests on the secret SER
vice department of the government,
a charge given it by congress. The
number of men detailed to the duty
varies with the time and place, but
the president never appears in public
that there are not at least two such
guardians always within a few feet
of him, and there may be as many as
a dozen in his immediate vicinity.
If he goes for a walk, couple Of
secret service agents will walk be-
side him or few PAGES behind him.
If he rides in motor car or car
riage, they will have seats in the
vehicle with him. If he attends
formal dinner at which there is a
large company, his caretakers have
seats at the table near him. If there
is a public reception, guards stands
at his elbow and other guards mingle
with the crowd. When he abandons
the capital in summer, the grounds
about his hot weather residence are
constantly patroled, night and day,
by vigilant watchmen. Even when
he goes to church armed men slip
into the rear seats in the house of
worship and keep their eyes on their
charge.
The business of guarding a presi-
dent of the United States might
seem highly enjoyable, as compared
with other forms of police duty, and
in some respects it is; but 1t is not
one continual round of stimulating
experiences for all that. In the first
place the secret service agent assign
ed to watch over the president is con-
stantly oppressed with the serious
ness of the responsibility resting on
him, made more harassing by the
necessity for perpetual self ehace-
ment. He feels he must remain al
ways at the chief executives elbow,
yet he must not annoy his charge
by obtrusive attention. He must be
always there, yet never there. Presi-
dents understand they must be
guarded, but they are like other
human beings in their dislike of con-
slant surveillance. Also, presidents
sometimes manifest eccentricity of
mood and movement, when it is no
simple task for the protectors to
keep the charge in sight. And, fur
thermore, acting as buffer between
the president and cranks, fanatics
and other unwelcome visitors is
Job requiring tact, diplomacy, firm
ness and patience.
Fred NJ. Tate, now in charge of
the government secret service de-
partment at Kansas City, is some
thing of a veteran among preslden-
tai guards, as he had protracted ex-
perience in that duty in two admin
istrations. One summer he was at
Oyster Bay, Mr.. Roosevelt's summer
home; another summer at Beverly,
Mass, where Mr.. Taft had his sum-
mer capital, and he saw service as
travelling companion and home
guard" in Washington. The task OF
watching over Mr.. Taft at Beverly
was comparatively easy, as the presl-
Dental residence was in a private
park, protected from public intru-
sion, and Mr.. Taft's habit of life
was extremely quiet and regular.
Conditions were less serene at Saga
more Hill. Mr.. Roosevelt was restless.
strenuous and rapid in his move
ments, scorned the idea of danger
and kept the corps or watchers ''on
the jump" in their efforts to remain
in his immediate vicinity.
Visitors, invited and unlimited,
were numerous, and there were fire.
quent occasions, day and night, when
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