Evening star., 1934-09-04
TRADITIONAL GAME
OF CHESS GOES ON
Contest Started With Match
Between British and U. S.
Legislators.
NV the Associated Press.

ny the Associated Press.
One of the nobler White House
traditions Is the chess game Of the
press room-a game that has been
going on for 80 years.
When executive Offices moved into
the White House proper a few weeks
ago the chess game was transferred
right along with desks and telephones.
At the foot of the winding marble
stairway, between the spacious, gilt
terin9 east room and the pillored
lobby, 1t quietly continues. When the
Offices move back into the rebuilt
executive ofiices the chess game will
60 too.
Reporters, Secret Service men and
two old-time telegraphers play. as the
spirit moves them, when activity lags.
The two old-time telegraphers, now
members Of the White House staff,
are w. Z. Doc) Smithers and Jules
Rodier. They really started the game
going. Their interest in chess was SO
deep as to be definitely historic.
Challenged British.
"Smithers and I were telegraphers
at the Capitol Al years ago." Rodier
recalled. 1.-THE House had passed the
Wilson tariff bill; the Senate had
emasculated 1t with the German bill;
there were conferences on the Wilson,
German bill, and legislation had
reached that stage where the House
was merely marking time for the
Senate to act, meeting and adjourn
ing, meeting and adjourning.
80 the House challenged the Brit
ish Parliament to chess game by
cable. Five members Of the House
played five members Of Parliament,
and Smithers and worked the tele-
grab on a circuit so direct that We
sometimes sent a preliminary move
over and got reply in less than a
minute.
1--WE sent Morse to Newfoundland.
The move then went by cable to
Lands End, Ireland, and then conti-
mental code right into Parliament.
Pillsbury Was Coach.
"Pillsbury, one Of the outstanding
chess players Of all time. coached the
Congressional team, and 1t was mar
velous to me to watch his mind work,
9, 10 and IL moves ahead.
Each side won two games, each
side drew a game. so the final result
was az games apiece-we called it a
moral victory for our side"
Right then and there, Rodier, a
mere youngster, won fame as chess
player which continues to this day.
He beat all five of the Congressman
who played against Parliament.
Rodier remembered the beginning
of the present White House press room
game.
In McKinley's time there wasn't
any press ROOM" he said. "His Of
fees were on the second floor Of the
White House, but Theodore Roosevelt
had to have an Office wing built to
give his big family sleeping room-and
he set aside small room for the
newspaper boys.
doc Smithers and I liked chess,
and started playing with the press.
Bill Price Of The Washington Star
was one Of the first recall. And the
game just kept going. Dick Jervis,
head of the White House Secret Serv-
ice. used to get up tournaments, with
prizes, extra nice chess men and chess
boards.
'The best player we ever had was
Albert Fox, then of the Washington
Post, now an attorney here-one of
the 8 or 10 best chess players in the
world"
In the present game, direct de-
scendant Of that cable contest, Rodier
and j. Russell Young Of The Washing
ton Star, are rated top. Young has
been playing ever since T. RS time.
More than a dozen others play a
clever game.