The Ordway new era., 1921-05-13

uS(NkNIU these days. He Is tne
pGSEs&Yl head of the biggest busi-
ness concern on earth.
And probably his secretary, George
B. Christian, Jr., is the next busiest.
Moreover, Mr.. Christian is as i'm
portant as he is busy. Really, you
know, there are few more important
jobs in Washington than that Of the
secretary to the President. Some peo-
pie go SO far as to say that the Pres
idents secretary is in reality more
important official than any member of
the cabinet. They argue that if the ex-
ecutive departments were left without
heads they would run along just
about the same, whereas without sec
retary a President could not get along
at all. This is the kind of picturesque
eXaggeration that we Americans like
because it is mighty near the truth.
Anyway, the discriminating reader
will have noted that the press of the
country gave Mr.. Christians appoint
ment quite as much space as it did
some of the cabinet appointments.
MIR. Christian has been with Mr..
Harding quite long time-long
enough to have gotten well acquainted
with his chief and to have proved his
own abilities: As secretary to Sena-
tor Harding, he had chance to learn
Washington. And he won his
spurs during the trying days of the
campaign.
The Presidents secretary is the
mouthpiece of the President. When
he speaks it is ex cathedra. If a COM
munication is to be made to the pub
lie on any subject not so important as
to require a formal proclamation, it
is the secretary who utters it, usually
through the medium of the newspa-
pers.
Every letter that reaches the White
House, is read and a rule requires
that to everyone courteous reply
shall be made. A dozen clerks attend
to this business. They even read and
answer the letters addressed to the
Presidents wife; for multitudes of
strangers write to her also. Private
letters, recognized as such by a sort
Of instinct" alone pass unopened.
His future? That remains to be told.
Many of the presidential secretaries
graduated from the White House office
to fame and riches.
Simply "White House."
The official residence of the ma
tion's chief is called in the laws the
Presidents house, and with this name
much of the old silver and china be-
longing to the establishment is
marked. When Mr.. Roosevelt arrived
on the scene he found large stacks
of note-paper and letter-paper stamped
with the words Executive Mansion"
"a title adopted by Mr.. Cleveland.
who delighted in big words. ''Throw
out that junk!" said he to his secre-
tary; and, by his direction, all of the
stationery was thereafter headed sim
ply "White House"
Up to Mr.. Roosevelt's time the busi-
ness offices of the White House were
in the mansion proper, directly over
the East room, so that visitors came
in at the front door and climbed flight
of stairs to reach them. Across the
main corridor on the second floor was
placed screen to shut off the offices
from the private quarters of the Pres
ident's family.
The arrangement was certainly de-
plorable. Sofas along the walls of
the corridor. into which the Presi-
dents own office opened directly, pro-
vided seats for persons anxious to
see him or his secretary. The secre-
tarys room adjoined that Of the Pres
ident, and on the opposite side Of the
corridor were rooms for clerks and
the telegraph room.
Mr.. Roosevelt tore the mansion lit
orally to pieces. spending for the pur-
pose $555. 900, or nearly twice as much
money as 1t originally cost. AS one
result, the former office quarters in
the White House are now five bed
rooms, and all executive business is
transacted in small one-story annex
couple of hundred feet to the west