Evening star., 1925-06-24
COOLIDGE TO STOP
TAKING Of NOTES
Rules That Newspaper Men
Must Not Make Exact
Copies of Talks.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

SWAMPSCOTT, Mass, June "a
President Coolidge has promulgated a
new rule with respect to conferences
with the press which applies here as
well as in future relations with the
newspaper men in Washington. 1t is
that no stenographic notes of what
he says shall be taken by the scribes.
There has always been a rule that
the President shall not be quoted, but
the information which he gives out
can be used If attributed to a White
House spokesman. Most of the news
paper men are not stenographers
themselves, and they take notes In
long hand. Some of them who hap
pen TO know shorthand have enjoyed
an advantage over those who do not.
This was offset until recently, how
ever, by the Willingness of the White
House to let the newspaper men see
the official stenographer's version of
the conference.
The custom had prevailed through
out the Wilson, Harding and Coolidge
administrations and was not changed
until a few weeks ago, when orders
were issued that the press We're not
to be allowed TO see the official stenog
raphers notes either. To protect
themselves against inaccurate reports
of what Mr.. Coolidge said, some of
the newspaper men had stenographic
copies made for themselves. This has
been ordered discontinued and If any
notes at all are TO be taken they must
be in longhand.
Statements Not Prepared
Mr. Coolidge's view is that he does
not give much thought frequently to
what he says to the press and that he
doesn't like to have exact copies of
his outgivings made available to any
body outside the White House because
If /She transcript is TO be circulated he
would want to take more time to pre-
pare his utterances. The newspaper
men, on the other hand. have always
taken it for granted that the informa-
ton given out is only for their guild
data can be published provided Mr..
Coolidge is not given as authority
for it.
The difficulty has been that the
President speaks in a low voice and
sometimes at considerable length, SO
that 1t is not always possible for the
crowd Of reporters to catch what he is
saying or to set it down accurately in
long hand as they stand before him.
Yet some Of the most important
national and international problems
been an unusual occasion for several
newspaper men to gather after the
conference and compare their long
hand notes in an effort to make sure
they have Transcribed accurately what
Mr.. Coolidge has given them. The
varying interpretations sent out of
Washington after presidential con
ferences with the press are due
largely to this.
Hope for Prepared Answers.
What some newspaper men, includ-
ing the writer, have hoped for is that
the President would take time to pre-
pare the answers to the questions
asked by the press and that he would
require all questions tC be handed into
his office at least an hour or more be
fore he meets the press. so his assist
ants can have all the information
looked up through the different de
partmentS of the Government and
ready to give out when the reporters
assemble, assuming. of course, that it
is desired to answer the questions
asked.
Frequently the President. for rea-
sons of his own, has declined to an
swer certain questions, and there has
been no criticism of this. because the
Chief Executive is always the Judge
of what shall be given out by his adj
ministration. But on the questions
that he does decide TO answer the
press conferences at the White House
have not yielded the complete infor
nation desired, because the answers
have been made eXtemporaneously
and often without preparation. 1t is
largely for this reason that Mr.. Cool
idge does not wish to be reported
exactly.
Copyright. 1880