Evening star., 1926-09-27

These are trying times for the Fed
a,s1 Roard Of Parole An exception
alIv large array of persons of note
Nth powerful social and political con-
nections are now behind the bars IN
Federal penitentiaries. IneH aIe
c,a nooring for release. Their fr1enos
sre active. Final decision in parole
cases rests with the President MI
coolidge has never issued paroie eA,
cent upon the recommendation OF Ire
ATTORNEY General. The latter mas
never sent such a recommeiiudlloii,,
~ the White House unless and untll
the board of Parole favored the pa
role anplication. Usually, but not al
ways. if the Parole Board dld y. n;
tho annlication. it successfully passeo
through the succeeding stages, ana III
due course the release was ofoereu.
So the board bears the brunt OF lhe
pressure from the prisoners 1rlehos
and connections
Former Representative John w.
langley of kentucky, in Atlanta
after conviction in prohlb1tlon con-
sniracy case, tops the list of this spe-
cial eroup. and his release on parole
q anrears near at hand. At its meeuns
This month the Parole Board voted IA
yorablv on the Langley appncation.
At the same time 1t temporarI9
turned down the application OF Charies
r. Forbes. former director OF tne We
evans Bureau. now in LeavenWoftn.
| THE Forbes application was deferred
until the next meeting. six montns
hence. The board failed to act with
reference to the Jones brothers OF AL
lanta- now serving two-year sentences
in Atlanta Prison after convlcuon Oh
cononIicity in illegal alcohol withdraw
ais hv a Baltimore drug firm. lndors-
ers Of the Jones brothers parole ap'
plication included several Senat tors'
| host Of Representatives, Anu'SaIooi,
League leaders, jurists, bishops ano
other churchmen. representatives oA
bir business. civil uplifters. etc. An
imposing assemblage. Former GOV.
Warren McCray Of Indiana. now in
Atlanta. is another problem In his
case the board fixed August 81 or next
wear as the date when he Will be
eligible for parole. But it may come
sooner on a plea. OF Ill health Dr'
Frederick Cook Of North Pole 1ame,
| in I,eayenworth for a long term after
conviction Of mail frauds IN promot'
ing fake odl stocks. Will De ensloe
| for parole in March, 1880. He. TOO
has q. large following hard at work 10
secure his freedom
r **
Ellen A. Riley, the Massachusetts
woman who came from the Boston
store of Frank W. Stearns to the
White House last June to assume
the post of housekeeper for the Cool
| idges. has Just received promotion
and an increase in salary. She Will
continue her duties as housekeeper.
hut. in addition. will be offcfal Gus
F. todian of the White House silver.
linens. furnishings and other treas
ures in the mansion. This post was
made vacant by the recent death OF
Mai. Arthur Brooks. the President
valet The old colored retainer was
official property custodian. too. There
will soon be a new valet. but Miss
Riley gets the custodian appointment.
She will be placed under $4,000 sur
ety hond. as has been customary. Her
salary for the combined jobs will be
$3.50 a month besides maintenance in
the White House, where she has a
suite on the third floor.
- -
The senni-weekly meetings of the
Washington correspondents win tne
President, fan1iliarly known as the
White House press conferences, are
once again under fire." Some editors
deride the presidential spokesman"
device as a medium OF presenting
Mr.. Coolidge's views to the country,
and assert that direct quotation
now under the ban-of the Presidents
answers to questions propounded by
Representatives of the press" is pref
erable to the Interpretation method
now employed. Some correspondents
complain that the Presidents answers
and comments are so guarded and
"unresponsive" as tn make them of
slight informative value. and guessing
and surmise is the inevitable ccnse-
ouence. Mr.. Coolidge has recently
stated his own views on the subject.
and ud-aDShis-anstsucshaA in lneEuitted