Evening star., 1928-02-05
PRESIDENT STRESSES POWER
AND OPPORTUNITY OF PRESS
Executive Dwells on Need for Public
Service in Address at Dedication
of Club Building

President Coolidge spoke as follows
at the dedication OF the new building
OF the National Press Club last night:
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow Members OF
the National Press Club;
While l have been member OF this
club ever since I have been in wash
ington, 10 Is seldom that ! have had
the opportunity To visit its quarters
Although have not done much on your
stan az reporter, / have acquired a
fairly good. record as contributing
editor, and. though ! have not written
many stories. / have nevertheless had
some success in the making OF news
Even with all the ingenuity that char
acterizes the press OF the present day,
most writer's are dependent upon some
real news as a source OF inspiration for
their reporting
these accomplishments might be as
s,imed to be some warrant for askir.
me to participate in the dedicatory
exercises OF our new club build
ing We are located here on one of
the most important corners Of the
business section of the City OF Wash
ington. This site is historic ground
For considerable time 1t was associated
with the journalistic profession The
eaSterly side OF Fourteenth street, be-
tween F. street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. was formerly known as Newspaper
Row. The building on the corner was
used by newspaper men from shortly
after the Civil War until the early
seventies when ii was torn down 10
make room for the famous Ebbitt House
In that hotel lived many eminent men
who reached national prominence dur
HiiPraaHtn0 hat
old house and some of its neighbors
gave way to provide the location for
this magnificent building 1t has
frontage OF 270 feet on street and $50
leet on Fourteenth street. and occupies
nearly whole acre The corner stone
was laid in the Spring OF 1926. and this
great structure OF composition lime
stone. steel and concrete, as near fire.
proof as possible. rising IA stories. was
completed late last year. It has a large
moving picture theater and there are
stores and offices around the auditorium
and the stage.
Notes Growth of Press.
In the rest Of the property there are
located 1000 individual ONCE units
Already more than 400 newspa pers are
represented In this building although
some or the correspondents are con.
Iecteo with more than one publication
ihe national Press Club occupies the
| larger part OF the thirteenth and all
OF the fourteenth floors. giving il a
moor space OF $1,000 square feet The
club has large auditorium with a
seating capacity Of close To ffo
spacious dining rooms. and a library
capable OF holding 5000 books The
sr., .an'.., IacHiues are such as are charac-
1erlstic o! first-clsss club,
A. noped by the management that
600. may be free from incun,hysnc..
within Is years. It's income viii then
oe devoted to the benefit of the National
Fress Club, which will be in possessior
oI more than $500.000 OF income each
year. 1t is planned 10 give awards for
journalistic achievement and use she
surplus profits Of the property for The
promotion OF the general welfare OF the
newspaper business. The Journalistic
PROFESSION as 1t is represented in the
City OF Washington lends itself especial
~ 10 movement OF this kind Like
everything else connected with the Gov
ernment OF the United States i, has had
very remarkable growth.
II Is said that II vas not until ,-os
mat any newspaper was published here
A'ter struggling along little more than
year with his semi-weekiy. BENJAMIN
More. bookseller, who was the mo
prletor OF the enterprise announced
The Washington Gazette will not be
published again until the publication is
attended by some profit to the pub
Usher. In October az 1900 tri-
weekly, called the National Intelliren-
Ger vas started. and 3 years later be-
came daily. Ever since that time the
disputes between certain members OF
the Congress and those reporting It's
proceedings have been chronic. The
Evening Star was founded In 1882 and
the Washington Pos, In 1877. The
Herald, Times and News are of much
more recent date.
but this organization exists not 81
mucn on account OF The local and DOW
erful press Of this city as because Of
me large number OF correspondents who
are here from all parts Of the Nation
70 report the doings OF the Federal
Government This, too has been a re-
mar1aole growth. In 1852 the Senate
press gallery listed only l3 correspond
ents. In that year Whitelaw Reid
managed the Washington bureau OF one
of the New York dailies, II vas more
tne praclice In that time for one man
10 De employed by nu .er of papers.
Al the present day there are about 500
correspondents here. connected with the
press ali over the world Some OF the
metropolitan dailieS have as many as
nine on their local stan.
Former Clubs In Capital