Omaha daily bee., 1914-03-19
The White House as
a Source of News
Told by Robert D. Heinl to the
Pulitzer School of Journalism.

PART l.
The White House is easily the most interesting
source Of news. Each year the reading public de-
mands more knowledge regarding the personal atti-
tude Of the president Of the United States great
questions, and in every succeeding administration
added pressure has been brought TO bear upon the
chief executive Of the nation TO his intimate
views. And yet even to this day the president may
not be quoted without his personal consent. No
matter what he says to a newspaper in private.
the latter is not expected to the comments
batim, or to credit them to him, without explicit
authorization.
Mr., Lincoln saw all comers. day night, but.
with the enormous growth Of the country since then,
the task OF gaining the presidents ear has become
increasingly difficult. Mr. Cleveland seldom never
met the newspaper in person. Indeed, in those
days regular assigned to cover" the
White House as they at present, and public men
had not been trained to meet the approach Of
respondent in the informal manner Of today. Even
recently Mr. McKinleys time provision
made for the newspaper representatives. II states
man had been held UP he was leaving presiden-
tal conference he would undoubtedly have expressed
his displeasure. Today II the prominent senator or
cabinet officer is not stopped he departs from the
executive offices he is apt to glance in the direction
Of the press room, or wonder why he is sighted
President Roosevelt seldom invited the press in
body when he had anything to give out in IA gen.
eral way. the invitation personal TO each cor
respondent. Secretary Loeb checked off the who
to be called and gave the list to the White
House telephone operators clifford Pinchot got his
big conservation congress movement going in this
way Mr. Roosevelt called in forty fifty corre-
spondents and after few minutes talk he switched
them to Mr. Pinchot
II half a dozen 30 newspaper men happened to
be slfted down to the last few minutes in the cabinet
where congressman and senators had. assembled
to consult with the president Mr.. Roosevelt, as he
his spectaces and stepped into the anteroom
where the barber in readiness always exactly
at 1 o'clock. would wave the correspondents in and
around him with facetious remark. While the
barber lathered the president, the correspondents
would direct questions.
The correspondent who didn't know what he was
after-who just looking for news-seldom got by
SecHetary Loeb for presidential interview; but the
man who could outline the bones of a good yarn
he knew was the air usually certified to the
doorkeeper for seat in the cabinet room. there to
take his turn with the other callers. Often two or
three correspondents allowed to get In line with
twenty thirty "handshakers the president saw
at Il O'Clock. On reaching the president they would
signify their wish for chat and drop aside for a
scat in the cabinet As Mr. Roosevelt went
! about the room dlsposing OF the politicians. he
left these correspondents until the last or
whispered to quietly to step into the inner Of
| fice to be seen later.
Mr.. Roosevelt possessed infinite skill in separating
the sheep from the goats He came to know the COR
respondents what Of story each was likely to be
after and just how their respective papers would
produce the stuff. This naturally led TO many ex-
! pedIents for giving them the few moments they
needed-such the shaving hour. OFTEN he would
slft out the crowd until he found himself alone with
the correspondents OF the New York or Chicago
papers and perhaps one or two others. Then he
! would sit down with them, and for twenty minutes
would be talk Of the frankest sort mixed with
hlarity and takeoffs on the men who were mixing
things" with the president.
MY friend, Arthur c. johnson Of the Denver News,
told me OF gathering of this sort in which one OF
the correspondents called attention to criticism In
certain papers OF that morning wherein as proof OF
the charge that Mr.. Roosevelt intended to rule the
United States a car, cited dispatch he hao
sent 10 the president OF South American republic
congratulating him on his birthday anniversary and
using the expression ''me and my people MT
Roosevelt laughngly called attention to the fact that
Alvey A. Adee second assistant secretary OF state
wrote and sent all these dispatches, and gany re-
marked that he would have to call Alvey across the
road daily to have his dispatches signed In person
1.-THE fact of the matter is said MT KooSeVelt,
''I am compelled by precedent and custom TO send
kilograms of this sort throughout the world every
day" .
Then the president suddenly bethought himself of
a document that had been sent him from the State
department that morning which he had showed into
his pocket, He drew 1t forth and looked over
curiously.
| Here gentlemen have an address which am
70 deliver at o'clock this afternoon to WI Ting
Fang whom ! TO welcome back to the United
states as minister from China. II begins reading)
| TO His Excelency. the Honorable Wu Ting-Fang
| Envov extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Near the United states-I never could understand why
dignitary of that should be addressed as nea'
| the United states! l don't care, however as long
| as he does not get too darned near!
q, course Mr.. Roosevelt gradually came to have
his nets in the newspaper world The correspondents
| Of the papers who stood by the administrator oil
who had become close personal friends OF the pres'
dent through previous associations In the navy ue
! partment Or in Cuba or New York, seldom had any
difficulty in getting to him. But correspondents o
papers which persstently criticised MT hooseVen
found It harder and harder to get into the capine
| room, with any degree of regularity. Soon they
ceased trying. The small fry never got In at al
unless they could demonstrate something MI Loet
himself couldn't produce. Indeed for these smaller
respondents. It often halt-days worA 10 se
an interview with MIR. Loeb.
Mr. Roosevelt not long in finding out that
there was thin picking on news in Washington OF
s,r5a, evening and he held over many story fol
the Monday page II usually in the form OF
niece of hand-out. The telephone operators an
.,,..oa a. n fev of the biR offices including the