Evening star., 1934-08-11
The Presidents Vacation. "

President Roosevelt has returned Ia
Washington from his seven-weeks va
cation" He has travelled about four
teen thousand miles. mostly by sea,
visiting one foreign country In the
course OF his voyage. as well as Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands. the Canal
Zone and Hawaii. He also paused
at Cocoa Island for q bit of fishing.
He met hundreds Of thousands OF
people. made a number of addresses
saw some important projects Of con-
servation in course Of development,
and altogether had what his cousin
and predecessor In once, Theodore
Roosevelt. would have called bully
time" II was q wholesome change
from his routine OF official duties,
But 1t was not. In the sense Of COM
plete relaxation. a recreative respite
from the cares OF his ONCE.
No President can take q true va
cation, In the sense Of cutting loose
from the responsibilities that attach
10 his position. His current OF con-
tact with headquarters must fiow
without interruption. He must keep
In constant communication with
Washington. His White House" is
the railroad train, the motor car, the
ship on which he travels, or the tenn
porary lodgment where he may dwell.
for q day, week or a month. He
cannot cut the wires that connect him
with the great machine of Govern
ment. II he goes into the woods,
MS did MFR. Coolidge and Mr.. Hoover,
he carries star Of workers with him.
A squad Of press Representatives ac-
companies him, to keep the country
Informed Of his doings and his de-
cisions.
Such is the penalty of the high
ONCE to which an American citizen
Is elected every four years. He sacri-
fices his privilege Of complete rest
once q year from the cares OF his
responsibilities, He may 60 into
comparative hiding from the multi
tude, but he may not lose touch with
the organization of which he is the
head. To him flows q constant stream
Of information regarding happenings,
not only in Washington but through
out the country. To him are referred
Tor action questions that cannot
wait for his return to be definitely
answered. He may shift some of
the burden Of decision TO the shoul-
ders Of his cabinet officers, but he
remains responsible for their actions.
and If they are uncertain of their
course they may consult him by wire
before they decide.
All that President gets sit of
his vacation" Is a change Of scene,
and either widening or a narrowing
Of personal contacts. In the case
OF Mr.. Roosevelt on this latest trip,
the longest ever taken by a President
In office, the scope of his communion
with others was greatly expanded
He met multitudes personally. He
saw and was seen and was heard by
lar greater numbers than before. And
IN every such contact the responsible
ity OF his office was present, ines
capable, even increased by reason of
the fact that he was in touch with
groups who had never before seen or
heard a Chief Executive in person
and were eager to measure the man
and to judge his personality.
In one sense the President of the
United States is the prisoner" of the
White House, in that he never gets
away from his Official environment.
1t has been Mr.. RooSevelt's good for
tune that in this voyage of fourteen
thousand miles, more than q quarter
OF the distance around the Earth
Mt the Equator, he has had an ex-
perience such as no other President
has ever had before him, and that
1t has been accomplished without
any untoward happening, any halt In
program, any departure from sched-
ule. Which in itself bespeaks the
remarkably efficient organization OF
the factors that have been involved
In this record-hresking presidential
vacation"