Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-19
HOOVER PUBLICITY
CURB IS FEARED
Correspondents Alarm e d
Over Possibility of Scarcer
White House News. =
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Will White House news services under
Herbert Hoover be subjected to stricter
control? That is the nut the corps of
Washington correspondents is busily
trying to crack 1t Is the question
which chiefly stirs their emotions, now
that the President-elect is in Wash
ington to stay and on the eve of enter
ing the White House. Fears are wide
spread among the political writing
craft that Mr.. Hoover may be an even
more communicative President than
Mr.. Coolidge. These anxieties are based
upon the President-elect's press prac-
tices during the 1928 campaign and
particularly his methods since his
election.
The correspondents reaching Wash
ington today with Mr.. Hoover are prob
ably the most disappointed brigade of
newS-gathererS who ever covered" a
big story. They admit that their dis
patches from Florida, with few excep-
lions, were distinguished by their news
lessness. Several men who accompanied
the Hoover party to Miami abandoned
the assignment after they'd been there
a while, having reported to their edi-
tors that 1t wasn't worth expense ac-
counts for them to telegraph from day
to day that the wells of information at
Belle Isle resolutely refused to yield
even an occasional bucketful of news.
The correspondents found themselves
unable even to extract morsels of intel
ligence from the persons who gained
access to the President-elect. They
came to the conclusion that visitors
were placed under an embargo to say
nothing to anybody.
Tightening Of Rules Feared.
There is no reason to expect that Mr..
Hoover will abolish the so-called semi
weekly press conferences which were
held throughout the Harding and Cool
ldge administrations. But an intima-
ton has become current that even the
infiexible rules now prevailing at press
conferences are to be frightened to the
newspaper mems disadvantage. 1t has
been suggested. for example, that writ
ten questions will have to be handed in
full day in advance, instead of q few
minutes before the Tuesday and FRIDAY
conferences. as at present. The ex-
PLANTATION for this alleged prospect is
that Mr.. Hoover, being strongly addicted
to preciseness of statement, desires to
have ample time to supply information
on given occasions
Until he was nominated for Presi-
dent. Herbert Hoover was probably the
Washington correspondents favorite
news man" He not only received
them at fixed intervals in the Depart
ment OF Commerce, but was always ac-
cessible to any reporter who wished To
see him privately for some specific news
purpose. The Capital writer's acquired
a fondness for Hoover because the
stun" he gave them was always i'm
portant. interesting and up-to-the- min
ute. Eight times out of ten it was
front page stuff" Hoovers publicity
assistants in the Commerce Department
generally selected Monday mornings as
release dates" for the Secretary's out
givings. The result was that Herbert
Hoover made" the conspicuous place
in the newspapers of the country oftener
than any otter man in the administra-
ton. not excepting the President him.
self.
May Have T. x. Plan in Mind.
The President elect. it is suggested.
mays have in mind the usefulness of
reverting to the news system which
President Roosevelt had. 1T. r." was
accustomed to send for certain favored
Washington correspondents on occasion
and supply them with scoops Of the
first magnitude Hoover includes several
leading Capital political writers in his
inner circle of friendships. just as
Teddy" did. This writer doubts whether
the incoming Chief Engineer is seri-
ously considering any such procedure,
for in his past dealings with the local
news fraternity Hoover has been
punctiliouSly fair all around He has
never been very strong for the direct
quotation system, and Is not likely, on
the record OF the past. to allow very
much latitude in the use Of the ON
cial spokesman" idiom.
Be these things as they may. q little
perturbation fills the souls of the men
and women who make their living at
by reporting the Nations
business from hour to hour. Amid their
qualms they are consoled by q belief
that Herbert Hoover realizes. as all
Presidents must, that the fourth estate
is very vital factor In the White
House scheme Of things. For the
present, they are waiting to see.
(copyright, 1920