Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-29
EAST ROOM M|X-UP
FURNISHES LESSON
White House Feels Impor-
lance of Public Relations
After Recent Hitch.

The mix-up in the east room which
PREVENTED the microphone from carry
ing over the radio to the outside world
the words of President Hoover, in his
proclamation of the Kellogg pact, en-
phasiZed the new problem OF public
relations with which the White House
is confronted.
It took a long time for newspaper re-
rorterS first to get recognition at the
White House, as well as facilities for the
men stationed there, and it took even
longer to arrange regular press confer
ences.
Then came the battle over the rights
Of the photographers, VINO not. only
edded their own presence, but apparatus
SIS well. Next came the motion picture
ccmeramen with even larger instru-
r1ents which took up space. Now have
Ccme the movietone machineS with glar-
ng white lights And on top Of all OF
these there have been added the micro
phones, with control operators and
Equipment and, of course. the broad
casting announcers themselves.
An Element of Noise.
All these things introduce an element
% noise at official ceremonies. The
voices of the broadcasters cannot be
nluffled unless a telephone booth or
some other Enclosure is provided. Mo-
body arranged anything of this kind
for the radio the other day at the
White House; in fact, the microphones
- the speakers table were not con-
rccted and the outside world lost much
o. the effect of the dramatic ceremony
which was to have been relayed not only
through scores of stations throughout
the United States, but abroad. 1t was
f. have been the big international event
in radio.
The principal difficulty in officialdom
+ that tradition holds sway. The group
G. workers for the press, photography
E I'D the radio is still regarded as more
q: less intruding. The old-faShioned
jdea prevails, for example, that such
sig affair as the proclaiming of the
cnti-war treaties was especially gotten
- for the so people who sat around the
resident in the east room. instead of
for many millions who we're represented
~ the 80 or 40 workers who were at
t-mpting to get an accurate reproduc-
ton of what was happening for the
benefit of the entire world.
Hoover Uses Desk Phone.
President Hoover is of such a prac-
teal turn of mind that he will hardly
allow any repetition of what occurred
il the east room last week. He has
zone further than other Presidents in
permitting apparatus of one kind or an
other to be used inside the White House.
Eie uses desk telephone, for example,
m his own Office. Connections for
nlicrophones will probably be made in
different parts of the White House so as
% permit broadcasting at short notice.
Part of the difficulty this week was
hat while the ceremony for proclaim
!lg the treaties was arranged many
r'eeks in advance nobody notified the
l,"oadcasting companies that the affair
Guild be broadcast until just "a hours
,1efore the event itself, making neces-
airy all sorts of feverish operations to
ct myriads, of wire and conduits in
--,ork was rendered valueless, either
through the failure of the White House
gt5aff to tell the President that he was
- pause two minutes to permit the
rlicrophones at the speakers table to