The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-03-23

inc 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 a 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 Nsws.
Thus far this year President
Wilson has not resumed his form
er semiweekly conferences, or bet
ter. perhaps. conversations with
Washington newspaper correspond.
ents. 1t 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 a great nation is to main
tain its neutrality, it is almost ineV-
table that questions should concern
themselves with the matters most in
the minds of the people. Diplomacy
is delicate subject, and it 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
sible that some Misunderstanding Of
the governments position might be
made possible through an interna-
tional miscOnstruction of what was
said.
When Mr.. Wilson first came into Of
fee he was guarded and apparently
fearful lest he be misQuoted. He
gained confidence after a while and
talked more freely to newspaper men.
giving them an insight into the work.
ings of his mind and certain inti-
macy with his plans for forwarding
legislation to which his party was
pledged. He always was careful, how
ever, not to say anything in proposal
| form which, as coming from him
would, in newspaper parlance. make
the first page"
Get Tips from Tumulty.
Every morning of the year except
Sunday ten or fifteen newspaper cor.
respondents drop in to see Secretary
Tumulty at an early morning hour.
These correspondents represent after
noon newspapers. Later in the day
about an equal number of correspond
ents call on the secretary to get such
information as they can concerning
matters for publication in the morn
ing papers of the next day. The
White House information today is thus
given out.
President Wilson on one occasion
gave the afternoon newspapers a big
story. He, not being a newspaper
| man, perhaps did rot realize how val
liable from a news point of view the
information that he was giving really
was. The correspondents, however.
did not allow him to remain long in
! ignorance and it took the president
only a moment to realize that he had
started something"
One morning at White House con"
ference at which some thirty corre-
spondents were present things were
drifting along rather aimlesSly when
the president suddenly said that per-
nicious lobby was at work in Wash.
ington. Then he added that he had
daily evidence of the existence of such
lobby, and he also said in effect
that it was useless for interested
ones to say that evil influences were
not being exerted to defeat perfect
ly proper legislation.
Virtually this was the first time that
Mr.. Wilson had given the correspond
ents a real story. 1t was early in his
administration. When the president
had said what he did, it was instant
ly suggested to him that IL he would
allow himself to be quoted 1t would
help things much. Then Mr.. Wilson
turned to stenographer and dictated
a statement on the lobby matter and
gave it to the press.
Started Big investigation.
When the charge that lobby had
been at work and was at work was
published, many of the senators and
representatives made light of the ac-
cusation and said that Mr.. Wilson
would have to work to prove what he
had said. Within few hours the
president undertook to prove his
charge and the lobby investigation of
comparatively recent history was on.
1t is not too much to say that the
old-time lobbyist, the pernicious type,
has been absent from Washington for
some time, although he keeps up his
work from a distance.
A good deal has been written from
time to time about Hobbies. 1t has
come to be recognized and proof has
been adduced this winter of the fact
that the letter lobby is more efflca-
cious than a personal lobby, and ordi-
narily it has little that is pernlcious
about it.
The letter lobby consists in the re-
ceipt of letters and kilograms by sena.
tors and representatives from their
constituents urging them to support
this bill or that bill or to oppose this
bill or that bill. When the letters
and kilograms come in In huge num-
bers, as frequently they do, they have
marked effect.
The canteen was letter written
out of the army; the Dure-foOd Law
was passed largely by aid OF letters
written to senators end representa-
tives, and good many other acts have