The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-13
By II. T. S.

SCopyright, 1929, by The Age Heraldl
 Washington, February 12. - The executive offices at the White House are becoming distinctly shabby in ap- pearance. Some distinguished visit ors recently have commented quietly upon the fact, but the shabbiness has been only too apparent to all. The executive offices, occupying the lit- tie single-story structure just to the west of the White House proper. are not palatial affairs at best, and Tn their present rundown condition they are particularly unprepossess- ing.
 It is difficult to believe that mo- tives of extreme economy can be re- sponsible for the neglect of the of- fices. because to freshen them up would require the outlay of but a few hundred dollars in paint and labor.
 Unfortunately, the shabbiness Is most aparent in the general recep- ton room, through which every visitor to the offices must pass. The sidewalks of this room are decidedly dingy to say the least. The ceiling is discolored and does not seem to have had a coat of fresh paint in years. The big blue green rug in the reception room also Is much the worse for wear. The executive of- fees have been crowded every day since President Harding came to the White House and the evidences of seen. Even the Presidents own of- flee could be touched up to great ad- vantage.
 The care of the White House and the executive offices is not under direction of the President. It is in the hands of the engineer officer of the army in charge of public build ings and grounds. It may be that he is waiting for the summer before giving the offices a thorough over hauling. but with the snow of the last blizzard still impeding traffic on some of the capital streets, summer seems long way off.
 The exterior of the White House was given a fine new coat of paint just before the arms conference be- gan. The executive offices were added to the White House by Presi- dent Roosevelt
 President Harding has been hailed as the first newspaper man to oc- cupy the White House. But that is not precisely true. William Howard Taft at one time was a newspaper I6pOIleT. IT6SlueHl JOuT- ney from journalism to chief execu- tive authority was a little more di- rect. He was only six years on the way, via the United States Senate. It took MT. Taft just 2S years to leap from cub reporters desk in Cincin- natl to the White House in Wash ington.
 It isn't blazoned in letters of fire on the chief justices biography, and 1t almost has been forgotten in the glamor of his great public career, but none the less and notwithstand- ing, he began life as a newspaper man.
 It was after he had been gradu- ated from Yale in 1878, and had studied law for two years, that MT. Taft late in 1880. obtained position on the old Cincinnati Commercial and was assigned to "do'' the courts. The man who was to be President worked at this task for nearly a year. He says he doesn't know whether he was much of a success or not. "At any rate" he confided to tho writer. T didn't have much diff culty in separating myself from the job" Will Hays apparently has no great
 
 believes in patronizing home indus tries--the postoffice department. The Postmaster General has written hun dreds, if not thousands, of letters to friends and near-friends all over the country conveying to them the startling news that he Is going into the movies. It is true, the recipients of the letters may have read a piece or two in the papers giving approxi- mately the same information, but Will is taking no chances as to that.
 What the postmaster general has been very particular to impart is the fact that he is going into the movies to uplift them. to be a sort of nov ing picture Atlas.
 T assume you know of my gratitude for the help which you have given to our efforts in the post office depart ment," the letter read, "and just as earnestly desire your advice and CO.,. operation in this new field. The mo- ton picture industry is a, big insti- tuition of far-reaching importance.