The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-11-30
CORRESPONDENTS CALL ON
THE PRESIDENT


der an arrangement initiated by Mr..
Wilson, the Washington correspond
ents call on the President periodical
", and he answers their questions.
The meetings are intended to put the
administration in Immediate touch
with the newspapers, and correspond
ents are expected to print the gener-
al impressions they receive. On the
other hand, they are not expected to
quote the President directly, and if
correspondent should attempt to
quote the President directly he would
be excluded in future from these
meetings.
The custom was initiated by Pres
ident Wilson, but was discontinued
before the end of his administration.
AS will be remembered, even an ar
rangement of this kind was not
satisfactory means of bringing that
administration in touch with the
Press.
Mr.. Harding revived the practice
with such success that Mr.. Coolidge
has continued it. The questions are
now submitted in writing before the
meeting, and it is understood that
the President occasionally takes this
opportunity of answering questions
which have not been formally asked
on matters on which the administra-
ton desires to sound out the country.
This meeting Tuesday was at 1880
and at that hour the correspondents
assembled in the reception room of
the executive offices located in the
long low building which extends
from the White House west toward
the great building in which the Sec
retaries of State and War have their
offices.
These meetings are arranged by a
committee of correspondents, and
under the regular rule only represen-
tatives of daily newspapers are adj
mitted. Under special circumstances,
however, representatives of weeklies
come to occasional meetings, and I'M
der the escort of veteran CORE
spondent | was taken into an inner
waiting room adjoining the Presi-
dents office, meeting the secretary to
the President, and the Colonel in
charge of the Secret Service.
At half-past twelve it was anc
nounced that the President was>ready
and we trooped into mis- office, seven
ty or eighty of us.
This is a large circular room with
windows on the south looking out on
the White House lawn. The President
was seated at a flat mahogany desk
in the middle of the room with his
back to the light, and behind him
were two tall athletic young men
who might have been correspondents
but that we knew that they were
there as bodyguard. =.
The van of the correspondents
crowded up to the Presidents desk,
each with note book in hand, while
we took our position on one side so
that we saw the President in profile.
He rose with sheaf of papers in his
hand, and without preliminary began
to answer the questions IN a clear
low voice.
The President is very like his pic
lures, but he looked very tired. He
wore dark gray clothes with a sacl
coat and black cravat. His hair is
sandy and lighter near the neck. }
thought that this was because it was
shorter, but my escort told me that
it was slightly gray.
We were there exactly twenty min
utes, and the President must have
answered as many questions. Occa-
sionally he would ask a. question
himself of one of the correspondents,
and once one of the correspondents
asked him question which was re-
lated to one which had been submit
ted before.
Usually the President looked
straight ahead in answering his
questions, but on several occasions
he turned so as to face US. his eyes
are very bright, and in answering
some of the questions he showed
real feeling.
As we went out one of the younger
correspondents stopped and had
short conversation with him, and this
time only the President frightened
up and smiled.
Lean not, of course, repeat any
thing the President said, but gain
ed The distinct impression that the
Administration will maintain its po-
&tion in world politics as explained
BY Mr.. Hughes.
It will help the Germans this win
ter if there is real need, exactly as
it helped Their ussians, and probably
there will be such suffering IN Ger
many that we will have to help them.
We shall keep our army and navy
efnclenL, DuC we SHdl HVt cnAoAsS
any of our establishments and GER
tainly we win not establish q. new
naval base.
The administration will probably
not take a new stand on the railroad
y question, and it will certainly consult
the leaders in Congress before 1t
takes any stand on this Subject.
Tle final impression is that the adj
ministration of the country is in the
hands of a man who WI spare no eff
fort to find the right answer to every
question that comes before him, and
when he's has found the real answer
he will stick to it.-A. H.