The Washington times., 1920-06-10

he won't do II. What's more he won't
let anybody else do it, The whole
thing was stalled. all on account OF
that telephone wire and those tele-
graph wires that run to this sick
mans bed In Philadelphia Those
wires are holding us In leash, like
rope holds a pup.
Send Penrose story.
Pretty early yesterday ran over
to Room Ell in the Congress Hotel
where the wires are anchored. to SEQ
what was doing. John T. King sleeps
and works and meets the little bosses
and talks to Penrose dozen times a
day from that room. At the Phila-
delphia end OF the wire Penrose was
getting a late morning sleep; 1t was
o'clock in Philadelphia. John T.
King was debating a long statement
to a stenographer; the telegraph was
clicking.
1T is a statement for the press?" l
asked.
mo! No" said a secretary. ITS a
story of the situation for Penrose. It's
for him to read as soon as he gets
up"
l would like to have had that
story. 1t would probably have
saved me trip to the Coli
scum. 1t was time for the con-
vention to open so i went to the
Coliseum. We folks there found out
what Penrose, away off in his bed
room in Philadelphia, already knew
that the resolutions committee was in
a fight and that there wasn't going to
be any convention yesterday.
Talks To Penrose Aide.
There was some singing. and the
bands played and the delegates voted
on a few things. and Chauncey Depew
made speech: / suppose Penrose
told the folks in Ell to entertain us
and keep up happy, though this wasn't
any great shakes Of an entertain
ment.
Just as soon as I got away from
the, convention I went to a telephone
and asked to talk to the other end of
the" Penrose wire in Philadelphia. It's
about 800 miles away, and 1t makes
costly talk, but it seemed to me as II
Penrose would be worth watching,
even IL the job Is expensive. ! wanted
to know il he really is bossing us.
The Philadelphia central that has
Penrose's big house on her switch
board put in busy day of it. Three
times the long istance girl told me
that the Pcnrose house was busy.
But at last 1 got the Penrose man.
II am Mr.. Penrose's secretary" said
the man at the other end.
I'm a newspaperrnan," I said. land
we want to know here in Chicago
whether Senator Penrose is keeping
his eye on this convention" ..
. >'Ths is no interview, you under
stand" said the secretary, but l
should say he is He knows as much
as possible. He has talked to a dozen
different men in Chicago today. by
telephone, and he's either reading tel
egrams or talking to somebody all
the time"
Talks With Leaders. D..
I'VE thought out here he was pretty
sick. Is he in bed?'
ma No! He isn't in bed He's sit
ting up in the next room this minute.
There are several men waiting here to
see him right now, and he's not too
sick to talk to them, in addition to
Ill his Chicago work"
Folks seem worried about him
here at the convention" insisted.
mo one here has any apprehension
about his condition." said the voice.
could you get him to come to the
phone, then, to answer some questions
for the international News Service?"'
Lord, no. said the voice. 81
couldn't let him come to his telephone |
It's in another room. you see.
Besides" added the secretary, 81
don't think he has anything to say
personally to newspapcrmen. Why |
don't you go and see John King there
in Chicago, where you are? He's got /,
a private telephone line that runs
right to the Senator's bed, so that he |
)nly has to move his arm to reach it. |
Talks on Line All Day.
THAT would be more convenient |
for the Senator. If he wants to talk |
The Senator talks over that line all |
day"
III had held the line a little longer
The secretary would have given me |
4 short statement which Penrose had !
issued through this same secretary |
10 the press. but this statement had |
been telegraphed to King in Chicago |
md II was cheaper to get II from him |
than by telephone. This statement, |
found, was Penrose's boost for |
SproulN II ran: |
at i3 generally understood Senator |
penrose is entirely favorable to. the |
aspirations OF Governor Sproul. and |
there is no question about his loyalty |
In this respect. He, of course. recog-
nizes the weighty consideration Of a |
general character that prevails at the |
in Chicago"
There you are: II you were here al |,
n dead standstill. as we are, you'd ,
feel as II Boies Penroso's dinged teIe-
phone and telegraph wires had Iassoed |
you. They give you roped and |
branded feeling.