The Washington times., 1917-08-22
MAKES
WAR VISITS TO
OFFICES OF AIDS
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as he still kept the receiver to his ear
without turning. The Individual at
the door paused. The young man At
the telephone finally swiveled around
"Is this-is this the PresidenSr he
stammered, and the telephone, receiv-
er and all, went Gathering TO the
fioor as though q high voltage had
suddenly been sent through the wires.
The President went to hnd Herbert
Hoover. He climbed fve stories Of
the Hotel Gordon, wound his way
through a maze of corridors. and hnal-
ly discovered that Mr.. Hoover was at
another department. But the food ad-
ministrator came back in . few min
utes In response to a hurry call.
Mr.. Wilson drops In early and late.
He found the Secretary of War at his
desk at o'clock on Saturday night,
and remained there nearly q half
hour. He visited at nearly . O'Clock
one afternoon recently the Federal
Trade Commission. and talked about
the cost of coal production. The COM
mission had moved all its furniture to
another building. There were just
enough chairs left to give the Presl-
dent seat With the coHaEnIsainn-
The President calls often at the De-
partment Of Justice, and, too. at the
state, War, and Navy building. He
hasn't called on Secretary Lansing
yet.
Some of the Cabinet secretaries
have a way of leaving their offices
on Saturday afternoons and also early
on week days.
Calls Unexpectedly.
Mr.. Wilson serves no notice IN ad-
vance, nor does he say anything II he
finds his Rubordinates not at their
desks. But II IN itinerant boss 70
about, employees usually find II good
thing to be around. That's the effect
of Mr.. Wilson's latest innovation.
He's going to keep 1t up because he
thinks it Is going to be q tlme-savinE
device.
When a Cabinet officer or member
Of the numerous commissions now
working on the war program Is called
to the White House. he can't bring an
office full of papers. He can't call
on subordinates for information then
and there. Whereas, II Mr.. Wilson
goes TO the Navy Department, for In
stance, and wants to find out what
progress has been made on certain
phases OF the navy program, Secre-
tary Daniels can touch a button and
get the naval officer In charge OF that
particular task. The President in
that way gets into personal touch In
stantly with the numerous tasks for
the execution of which he IL respon-
sible.
The Federal Trade Commission.
too, had all its data in the Depart
ment OF Commerce building. While
the conference with the President
was on, the members Of the COM
mission frequently sent out to their
clerks in adjacent rooms for papers
and documents. The President found
when he began visiting the Capitol
that he could save the Senators much
time by seeing them In his room be-
hind the Senate chamber than by
summoning them to the White
House, which involved a loss OF
time from the proceedings.
Similarly Mr.. Wilson Is now finding
II worth his while to visit the execu-
tive departments. But he probably
will save himself much time by tele-
phonIng in advance, because inter-de-
partmental conferences take the Cabi-
net officers away from their desks q
good deal these days.
To Washington, however, the Presi-
dents way OF experimenting his
army OF subordinates is a novelty. No
other President did II. Which is prob
ably one OF the reasons why Mr.. WILL
son does II. But precedent and Gus
tom are being broken right and left
to wage effective warfare.
And Mr.. Wilson has long ceased to
stand on ceremony.