Evening star., 1924-08-17
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL KENNEDY.

OF course, the greatest prize of all
is to be chosen as the one man out OF
ali the 110,000,0o0 OF their fellow citi-
zens to represent them before the
world and speak for the greatest ma
ton in the whole history of the
world. and to be general manager OF
the greatest civic trust in all crea-
zion.
+ But co-ordinated with that the
President has many emoluments and
rewards and perquisites, for example
he gets
salary of $4,000 year; travel
ing expenses amounting to $4,000: a
home upon which is focused the at
tention of the world, furnished and
maintained by the Government.
A private Office in the Capitol build
ing within which millions of visitors
to Washington have stood and ad-
mired it's appointments; a flock of
the finest automobiles that American
factories can produce; a private de-
tective force and a private police
force: private art gallery and pri-
vate library: a private yacht and a
private railroad train whenever he
wants it.
A score of greenhouses to keep the
White House decorated and to pro-
vide plants and blooms for dinners
and receptions; the finest brass band
in America; a private flag that none
else may use; personal physician
and naval and military personal aides
picked office force and private
right-of-way telephone and telegraph
wires.
He gets the right of way when
ever and wherever he may go, and
has digest of the leading news
papers of the world made for him
every morning.
cabinet of expert advisers on all
matters pertaining to the problems
of the GoVernment-interna in
tercourse, legal. agricultural, finan-
cial, regarding the public domain. la
Dor, commerce, the postal service,
etc.
The first lady Of the land, who is
the social leader of the country, has
social secretary.
Appropriations made by Congress
take care of the upkeep and main
tenance of the White House, incIud-
ing furnishings, repairs, heat, and, in
fact, everything except what the
Presidents family eats. Since he is
Commanderin-c chief of the Army and
Navy, he can get his pantry supplied
at the Army and Navy commissary at
reduced market prices.
The White House linen is specially
made with the United States
coat of arms woven into the tex
ture of the goods. The china and
glassware have the United States
seal. and the White House is supplied
with 10 dozen of everything to prop
erly set the table for formal dinners.
Nearly all of the furniture is espe-
cially made.
The Presidents flag. because it is
seen only on extraordinary occasions
and because it's design is of more re-
cent adoption than our other flags.
probably escapes recognition or
arouses curiosity of many who do
take particular notice of it.
This flag now consists of the Presi-
dents seal in bronze, upon a blue
background. with a large white star
in each corner. The design of this
seal may be seen in the floor of the
entrance corridor of the White House,
and was used by at least one Presi-
dent in his stickpinS.
The custom governing the uses Of
the Presidents flag and the history
of its adoption are described in
Flags of the World" a compilation
by DR.. Gilbert Grosvenor and Lieut..
Comdr. Byron McChandless, L. S. ".
as follows:
when the President visits a vessel
of the United States the Presidents
flag is broken at the main the mo-
ment he reaches the deck and is kept
flying as long as he is on board. When
the President is embarked on a boat
he usually directs that his flag be dis
played from the staff in the bow of
his barge. When he passes in boat
flying his flag, vessels of the Navy
parade the full guard, four ruf1les are
given on the drum, four flourishes
are sounded on the bugle, the ma
tional anthem is played by the band,
and officers and men salute"
Previously there were two designs
displayed on flags and on coiors to be
used by the Commander-in-c chief of
the Army and Navy. The double dis
play of flags and colors at the Grand
Army review in 1915 caused consid-
cradle comment and as a result the
new Presidents flag was designed.
the President himself directing that
the coat of arms as shown on the
Presidents seal be the central motif
on the Presidents flag.
In these days, when political lead
ers are seriously considering the con-
tingency that the election of the
President may be thrown into the ma
tional House Of Representatives and
the election of the Vice President
may be thrown into the Senate, and
that as a result of q deadlock over
the choice between three candidates
in the House. the Vice President
elected by the Senate might step into
the White House when the Presi-
dents term automatically expires
we have a precedent that merits at
tention.
David R. Atchison. a Senator from
Missouri, by virtue of his Office as
President pro tempore of the Senate,
was President Of the United States
for one day. Gen. Zachary Taylor
was entitled to assume the duties of
the presidency on March 4, 1S49, but
as that date fell on Sunday Gen. Tay-
lor was not sworn in until March 5.
Senator Atchison, for whom Atchi-
son, Kans.. was named, and whose
name, therefore, has been perpetuated
by the great Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad, is thus given his
torical recognition as President in
the Congressional Biographical Di-
rectory:
Elected President pro tempore of
the Senate; -" = this Office made him
President of the United States dur
ing Sunday, March 4, 1849, as Gen.
Taylor was not sworn into Office until
the following day
1t is pointed out that this being
the record in a public document,
compiled under authority of Con-
gress," and the act of 1886 or the
twelfth amendment to the Constitu-
fnft hn~
any right which the President pro
tempore of the Senate might have,
there is authority in this precedent
for Senator Cummins, as President
pro tempore, to become President of
the United States temporarily in case
of a deadlock over the election of the
President, in the event that the cleo