The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-23

Washington, Feb 23.-Ever since the days when that eff cient Irishman, Joe Humility, di- rected White House red tape for Woodrow Wilson, there has been friction and jealousy in the White House secretariat. This is only natural. The power and prestige attached to the person of the president is such that there is constant rivalry to be the man closest to him.
 This rivalry has been intense, at times bitter, among the three secretaries around Franklin Roosevelt. So intense has 1t become that shakeup of the secretariat is impending. 1t is in the cards that one secretary will resign.
 UNIQUE RACE
 Which one this will be de- bends on a unique race. Con- testants in this race are:
 Louis NJ. Howe, always called Louey, for years the chief con- fidant, friend and secretary of Roosevelt;
 Stephen B. Early, secretary for press relations;
 Marvin MacIntyre, a Kentucky colonel, secretary in charge of appointments and from the of- ficial viewpoint, chief secretary of the president. :.
 Between MacIntyre on one hand and Howe and Early on the other, there has developed bitter feeling. On the surface they get along beautifully. Un- derneath they do not. Howe and Early are the best of friends, cooperate completely, but with MacIntyre they do not. Some bad slips in presidential matters have occurred as a result.
 CLOSEST TO ROOSEVELT
 Of these three, Louey Howe for years has stood closest to Roosevelt. Louey was young newspaperman in Albany when Roosevelt was member of the New York senate, later came to Washington as Roosevelt's sec retary when Roosevelt became secretary of the navy.
 But it was when Roosevelt was stricken with infantile paralysis that Louey Howe cem- ented friendship which never will be broken. Roosevelt was suffering agonies. At one time he scarcely cared whether he lived or died. And it was Louey Howe who, with Mrs Roosevelt, sat up all night reading poetry to him, encouraging him, con- vincing. him that he could come back. Later when the disease Slackened and life began to creep into the atrophied limbs, the pain was comparable to that of a frozen limb being thawed. And again it was Louey Howe who read to him, rubbed him, and helped pass the long and sleepless nights.
 Roosevelt has forgotten the suffering of those days but. he will never forget Louey Howe. BUDDHA APPEARANCE
 In appearance Louey resem- blcs d shriveled Budha. His face is deep-lined, his eyes sunk en. He is in and out of the White House with the silent sangfroid of @ cat. During a conference in the Lincoln study, Louey may stroll in, curl up on a leather lounge, or sit cross legged on stool like 8 tailor. For half an hour, an hour, he may sit there, apparently asleep, and then suddenly after the dis cussion gall over, he'll come to and tell the ssembly-includ- ing Roosevelt-why the decision they have reached cannot be car ried out. And Roosevelt usual ly follows his advice.
 It is automatic in all personal feuds surrounding Roosevelt that Louey Howe will win. No man ever has got the inside track with F. D. R. and kept it. Molcy did for a while, but even he lost out to Loucy Howe.
 Now, however, Louey is rac- ing against another factor be- yond his control. His health, never too good, is failing. Some times in the middle of a con- ference he has to lie down. Every day after lunch-which is only an apple and ice water he sleeps for an hour. Unless he can stage a physical come back, Louey may have to resign. THE COMPETENT EARLY
 Close friend of Louey Howe is Steve Early, secretary for the press. Early covered the navy department as a newspaperman when Roosevelt was assistant secretary. Later he became Washington publicity agent for Paramount, left the movies for the Roosevelt bandwagon during the campaign.
 In handling press relations, Early is big improvement over his predecessors, and on the whole competent operator. His