The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-03-24

whose work is along these lines are
not admitted to the press gallery.
The press galleries. under the rules
of congress, are under the control OF
the standing committee Of correspond
ents, subject to the approval OF the
speaker of the house of representatives
and the supervision and control OF the
senate committee on rules. 1t Is not |
once in decade that either house or |
senate tries to effect any change In |
the system OF government Of the press
galleries which has been established
by the standing committee OF newspa
per men.
Getting the News.
Thus far this year President
Wilson has not resumed his form.
er semiweekly conferences. or bet
ter, perhaps. conversations with
Washington newspaper correspond
ents. II was the custom of the cor
respondents to call on the president
on Tuesday morning and again on
Thursday afternoon to get from him
such impressions as they could con-
corning matters of national moment
The war problem is responsible for
the fact that these meetings between
| the writer's and the chief executive
have not been renewed.
In times of diplomatic anxiety when
the task of great nation is to main
| tain it's neutrality, it is almost ineV-
| table that questions should concern
4 al
the minds of the people. Diplomacy
is delicate subject, and 1t is probable
that Mr.. Wilson came to the conclu-
sion that it was better to call the con-
| ference off rather than to make 1t pos
s:ble that some misunderstanding OF
the governments position might De
made possible through an interna-
tiona' misconstruction of what was
said.
When Mr.. Wilson first came into OF
flee he was guarded and apparently
fearful lest he be misauoted he
gained confidence after while and
talked more freely to newspaper men
giving them an insight into the WORK
ings of his mind and a certain init
macy with his plans for forwarding
legislation to which his party was
pledged. He always was careful, how
ever, not to say anything in propose
form which. as coming from MN
would, in newspaper parlance. make
the first page"
Get Tips from Tumulty.
Every morning of the year excep
I Sunday ten or fifteen newspaper col
| RESPONDENTS drop in to see Secretar.
Tumulty at an early morning noui
! These correspondents represent altei
!. noon newspapers. Later in the ia
! | about an equal number of correspond
4 ents call on the secretary to get sue
: information as they can concernin
I matters for publication in the morr
I ing papers of the next day. IN
i White House information today is thu
q given out.
President Wilson on one occasio
gave the afternoon newspapers o.
r story. He. not being newspape
II man. perhaps did rot realize how va
liable from a news point of view IN
information that he was giving real
h. was. The correspondents, howeye
,r did not allow him to remain long
D. ignorance and it took the presldei
a. only moment to realize that ne ns
ir started something.
81 One morning at White House CO
d. ference at which some thirty corr
lie spondeuts were present things we
b. drifting along rather aimlessly wn'
e. the president suddenly said that pc
3. nicious lobby was at work IN was
r. ington. Then he added that he n'
II, daily evidence of the existence OF SUI
n a lobby, and he also said in enc
that it was useless for interest,"
ee ones to say that evil influences we
10 not being exerted to defeat perfe
re. " proper legislation.
so Virtually this was the first time tn
We Mr.. Wilson had given the correspoI
in ents a real story. 1t was early in
in administration. When the preside
&C. had said what he did. it was insta
M ly suggested to him that II ne Wo'
is allow himself to be quoted It wo'
at help things much. Then Mr.. WIS
zee turned to a stenographer and dicta'
nd . statement on the lobby matter a
Ss gave II TO the press
40 Started Big Investigation.
- When the charge that lobby
- been at work and was at work v
published, many of the senators 6
- representatives made light of the
-, cusation and said that Mr.. vii!
- would have to work to prove what
had said. Within a few hours
9 president undertook to prove
~ charge and the lobby investigation
~ comparatively recent history was
az. 1t is not too much to say that
old-time lobbyist. the pernicious ty
has been absent from Washington
some time. although he keeps up
one work from a distance.
in GOOD deal has been written fl
: IL