Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-13
HOOVER EFFECTS
NOTABLE CHANGES
Alteration of Entire Atmos.
phere of White House
Is Noted. s
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

There's a change at the White House
It has come suddenly, but it has af-
fected the whole atmosphere of the
place. An air of business efficiency. q
complete alteration in the arrangement
of the rooms and the work in the ex-
ecutive offices is the first expression of
the personality of the new Chief Execu-
tive.
It may or may not be better-time
will tell-but it is different. Calvin
Coolidge once said that he didn't ex-
pect his successor to follow his policies
absolutely He thought each man
looked at things differently. So it is
not unnatural to find an organization of
more secretaries a business type of ad-
ministration for the executive Office it.
self and a different relationship with
the press. It's a difference in point Of
view toward the executive side of the
job. Mr.. Coolidge used TO like to come
In at odd times and open the mail with
paper cutter, choosing such letters as
he thought might be interesting. He
worked easily and quietly He could get
rid Of a lot OF mail without getting very
tense about 1t.
Hoover More Like Roosevelt.
Herbert Hoover is more like Theodore
Roosevelt, who felt that the White
House of the Mckinley administration
needed to be rearranged and enlarged
He abandoned the Office in the upper
floor of the Executive Mansion and
built small Executive ONCE. where the
tennis court had been. If Herbert Hoo
yer has his way thereIl be an Office
building some day where the present
Executive offices are He wants nothing
elaborate and is interested in q plain
building. but with plenty Of elbow room
and plenty Of air.
The press has suffered from the
cramped quarters in the White House
Offices. 1t was all right in the old days
when three or four men stayed there all
day to interview callers. Now there are
photographers and movie men on duty
all the time and about dozen or more
correspondents. which number is oc-
casionally increased. especially on con-
ference days, to hundred or so.
More Room for the Press.
Mr.. Hoover has ordered larger room
and better facilities provided for the
press. Lawrence Richey. one of the
three secretaries, has big room in the
front Of the Executive Offices. where the
old file room used to be. He is to be
the contact man with the departments
and also will be the business admins
traitor of the White House office, while
George Akerson on the other side of the
building will handle the press and CALL
ers generally. The third secretary, who
may be Dr. Julius Klein, will contact
Independent establishments and COM
missions. No announcement has yet
been made of the appointment.
Mr.. Hoover has already satisfied the
press that he plans to give them all the
legitimate information available. Rules
for the handling of news have been
drawn UP so that the President may be
quoted specifically when he so desires
and so that information purely as backA
ground may be used by the correspond
ents In their own way. Again it Is not
q radical change-Mr. Coolidge chose
to accomplish it in another way. He
preferred to keep himself out of the
picture. The White House spokesman
dignity rather than an attempt to- issue.
his thoughts on the responsibility of
others.
Mr. Hoover has an Affirmative atti-
tude toward the possibilities Of pub
licity. Before another year Is over his
opponents may be talking about his in
terest In getting things printed instead
OF suppression Of news.
Sees Value Of Advance Copy.
Mr.. Hoover is probably more conscious
than anybody who has been in the
White House in the present generation
of what may be accomplished by pre-
pairing material in advance for use by
the press. He learned it in the Food
Administration and further In his years
at the Department of Commerce The
White House will look more like the
Department of Commerce after a few
years. big business institution gradu-
ally developed to express the business
personality Of the man at the top.
tCopyright, 1921