Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-03-03
Early's article Ans,vers Joslin
By Denying Press Censorship
Claims Newspaper Men
an'tBeFOoIed by " hite
House Propaganda.
ROOseUelt's Secretary
Says Hoover aide
Shocked by Inter.
view Plan.


welt, replies at length to an article
in the February Redbook by Theodore
Joslin, who was private secretary to
President Hoover
Joslin in his article declared free
dom Of the press will be one OF the
issues confronting the new Congress. J"
At the same time, he dwelt on what
he termed the wholesale hiring" Of
Washington correspondents, editors
and publishers by the Government
and sought to show that the New
Deal was trying to effect and had ef-
fected a virtual censorship OF the
press In the National Capital.
Early, In his article, endeavors to
controvert the representations Of
Joslin. He makes light Of the idea
there is any censorship or anything
resembling it. and contends 1t Is i'm
possible to "fol newspaper men with
propaganda"
Talking Through Hat.
In the course of his article, Early
says:
IF there is a censorship, I ought
to be mixed up in it. II there is a
plot to curb the press. must be one
of the plotters. Besides, am partly
responsible, at least, for the fact that
number of former newsmen have
come into the Government service as
public relations officers OF various
agencies. In my Secretarial capacity
it seems to be my plain duty to say
that Mr.. Joslin Is talking through his
hat; and speaking as one secretary to
another, I know that he must have
at least one tall silk one.
1.-THE second reason Is that as q
newspaper man Of many years expert
ence in Washington know something
about the Washington corps OF corre-
spondents. From that standpoint !
defy any administration to fool them
with propaganda, or even undertake
such a thing. Believe me, they are
not babes in the woods.
They Know Government
MANY of them know far more con-
corning the processes and philosophy
of government than some offlcials.
All of them are keenly alert to any
threat to their freedom of action.
They are instantly aware Of any at
tempt to flatter or cajole them. In
their impersonal view. presidential
secretaries are but passing ships in
the night.
From this standpoint. again I say,
that Mr.. Joslin Is reveling in bunk.
In general. about the most con-
crete charge the author makes is that
President Roosevelt permits himself
to smile, thereby mourning great dan
ger that the press will be bewitched.
But there are some things In the
article that should be treated in the
light of setting the record straight.
First. however, let me go back to
an incident which involved Mr.. Joslin
and myself, and which, according to
my notion, fairly warrants recount
ing as a way of establishing the back
ground of his approach to this matter.
Named Press Secretary.
"In December, 1882, I was called
to Warm Springs by Franklin D.
Roosevelt-then President-elect-an
for the first time, acquainted with
Mr.. Roosevelt's desire that become
his press secretary I accepted,
and the handling Of press relations
under the new administration was
discussed. Returning to Washington.
I was invited by Mr.. Joslin, then one
of President Hoover's secretaries. to
confer with him. did so. Mr.. Joslin
graciously offered his cooperation. He
asked me what plan had in mind for
handling the press.
Bear in mind that presidential
press conferences under Mr.. Hoover,
by that time, had faded almost mo
the limbo of forgotten things. For
long period before the change Of ad-
the semi-weekly ses-
sions with the press had been all but
abandoned. Weeks went by when,
time after time, notices were posted
in the White House press room to the
effect that a session had been called
of or postponed.
when sessions were held, the sys-
tenn was the old one Of the newsman
handing In written queries before the
meeting. An individual who wrote
a question did not always confide to
his fellows. The others were In the
dark. So rarely were pertinent ques-
tons answered that many Of the cor
gave up the idea Of sub
hitting them. Toward the close OF the
Hoover administration there was
any direct link between the
President of the United States and
the public, so far as the majority
members of the correspondence corps
were concerned.
Plan Horrifies Joslin.
I'm response to Mr.. Joslin's ques-
ton, I told him frankly that MIR.
Roosevelt meant to throw open his
press conferences to direct verbal
questions. That meant that any
of the press eligible to attend
could fire queries at him at will. It
meant that the President, facing 200
or more newspaper men, would ex-
pose himself to crosS-examination on
subjects possibly involving delicate
considerations. 1t meant that hostile
could do their worst.
The only reservation was that the
President could talk "oh the record"
or for background"
"Mr. Joslin was Mortified.
"He said in substance: You cannot
do that. Suppose the President made
a mistake. Then he would have to
take the blame for It himself. A
President cannot do that. That is
what the Presidential secretaries are
for-to take the rap when it Is neces-
sary to ease the President out Of
tight spot.
zone could not help recalling the
Hiram johnson incident. That was
when. during the visit Of Ramsay
Of Great Britain to this
country, President Hoover gave q din
ner to the Prime Minister and was
called upon to invite an appropriate
company to the affair. Naturally,
the Foreign Relations Committee Of
the Senate was included. But Sena-
tor johnson, a member Of that COM
mittee, it was well known, long had
been at outs with the President. The
list given out on the afternoon of the
day preceding that Of the dinner did