The Harrison times., 1917-02-03

the public and Informed them that In
the late afternoon they would expect
"a statement" TO be released for pub
ilcatl0n shortly, thereafter.
In HIS testimony Secretary Lansing
said he had discovered, since the day.
that he gave this advance information
TO the newspaper men on the forth
coming statement, that three persons
were In the room who were not news
paper men. Later the names OF these
men were given and each one made
separate ayOwal that he had not dis
closed anything that he had heard
during the interchange between the
secretary and the correspondents.
1t has been the custom of the secre-
tary of state to meet the newspaper
correspondents in the big reception
room of the state department. room
into which visitors on sightseeing bent
ordinarily are admitted. There are
a great many newspaper correspond
ents In Washington and not all of them
are known personally to the secretary
of state. 1t would have been a com
paratively easy matter at all times for
an outsider to obtain admission to the
room in which these conferences are
held. 1t is probable that in the fu-
ture the secretary will talk to the
newspaper men under q more ade-
Quate cover.
Former Secretaries More Cautious.
Always in past years 1t has been an
extremely difficult thing for an unau-
thorized person to enter the precincts
where a confidential conference be-
tween the officials of government and
newspaper correspondents is to be car
ried on. Mr.. Lansing is the first sec
retary of state for many years at least
who chose to talk in the big outside
room.
When the president holds his one
day-a-week talks with newspaper cor
respondents there are four checks,
yes, one might say five checks, on ad-
mission. There are secret service
men on duty at the White House Of
fees In the morning when the presi-
dent is there present. These men know
al the Washington correspondents by
sight When the writer's enter the
round Office room in which the presi-
dent meets them they pass by the
secret service man who stands at the
door and scans each face as its pos
SCISSOR walks in.
With the president when he talks to
newspaper men almost invariably are
Joseph p. Tumulty, his private secre-
tary Rudolph Forster, executive
clerk, and Thomas w. Brahany, chief
clerk. In addition there is a stenOg-
rapher who takes down the questions
which are asked the president and the
presidents answers thereto.
Pretty Suffrage Pickets.
Twelve silent woman sentinelS, six
of them bearing banners, have been
standing in front of the gates giving
entrance to the White House grounds.
The banners read, "Mr. Wilson, what
are you going to do for woman suf-
frage?"
The young women who carry the
banners are young and goOd-lOoking.
The banners are yellow, white and
purple, and altogether the thing is
a pleasing picture. OF course the
action of the Congressional Union
for Woman Suffrage, which formulated
and carried through this plan for
bringing Mr.. Wilson's attention to the
cause in hand has been criticized
sharply here in Washington, and let
haste be made to say it also has been
upheld by many suffrage sympathizers.
1t is not the intention Of this news
article to deal with the merits or de-
merits of woman suffrage. Some Of
the dOings of the suffragists, however
can be told with propriety and might
be told with extreme picturesqueness
if the writer's pen were equal to the
undoubtedly picturesque features Of
the movement as it Is conducted In
this town.
The house committee on judiciary
has turned In two reports on the sub
ject Of submitting the federal suffrage
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States. The majority Of the
committee ordered the report without
recommendation one way or the other
The minority members put in report
of their own and it is favorable to the
cause Of the women. The Sufragists
in getting the matter before the house
in whatever form, have won an initial
victory. AS for the future, not even
the women can tell.
Two Organizations, One Aim.
There are two organizations Of suf-
fragists represented In Washington,
ably represented, and in considerable
part, let one who wants TO be gallant
say, beautifully represented. There Is
the National American Woman Suf-
frage association, and then there Is the
Congressional Union for Woman Suf-
frage. Both bodies Of women are striv-
ing for the same end, but each Is TAX
ing a different route to reach It.
1t has been said by some persons
that the union represents militant suf.