Evening star., 1935-02-10
DEAR BILL" POLICY.
ROOSEVELT.
First.Name Greetings En-.
pIoyed to Promote Friend.
Iy Feeling.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

DhN1D n1ANSE.
This administration may come to be
known In history as the "first-name"
President Roosevelt's letter to Will
liam Green, president Of the American
Federation of Labor, addressed to the
latter as Dear Bill" occasioned some
surprise outside of Washington, as 1t
indicated that Mr.. Roosevelt and the
labor chieftain were on terms OF great
intimacy and friendliness.
That's true, and 1t Is also to be
noted that hardly q member Of Con-
gress comes into the executive ofhces
who doesn't find first-name greeting.
1t is whispered that the President even
keeps a handy reference list OF first
names so that when a member OF Con-
gress is ushered into his presence ne
will not forget the customary greeting.
To some people this may seem like
stretching things q bit for political
purpose, or rather to keep Congress
and other groups In line, but 1t Is
really Mr.. Roosevelt's desire to carry
on the affairs of Government in a
human way and not with the cold
austerity of q machine-like institution.
Disarms Directors.
Perhaps Mr.. Roosevelt would be less
able to turn down those who ask him
for things II 1t were not for his per-
sonal charm and the way he has Of
keeping his callers on a basis of vir-
tual fellowship. When he rejected
Green's proposal about the requested
resignation of Clay Williams Of the
N. r. A., the letter with the Dear
Bill" Salutation must have created the
impression on the mind Of the recip-
lent that there was nothing personal
or prejudicial about it, but that Mr..
Roosevelt simply had different point
of view and was expressing 1t.
The President has been cordial to
callers from all walks Of life. Even
the utility executives, who have been
as much the victims of the crusades of
the administration as any other group,
find Mr.. Roosevelt calling them by
their first names if they happen to be
individuals he has known before he
came to the White House
Newspaper correspondents are
greeted by their first names when they
come to the press conferences. All
this is in contrast with the habits of
other Presidents. The man who car
ried it to the other extreme was Presi-
dent Woodrow Wilson. He might on
occasion use a first name but his way
was to drop the Mister" and address
4tH hy, lo Ine
his private secretary was more often
called "Tumulty" by his chief than
Joe" and this applied to others
around the White House, no matter
how close their relations were with
the President. Members Of the cabi-
net were almost never greeted by first
names and at no times in official cor
respondence.
Hopes for Harmony.
Mr.. Roosevelt has such a gracious
manner with callers that it is one
reason that those who differ with him
find 1t hard to attack him personally.
The American Federation Of Labor,
for instance, preferred to criticize and
blame Donald Richberg than to point
the finger of blame at the President
himself.
If Mr.. Roosevelt could have his way,
he would create an era of good feeling
in America comparable to that of
President Monroe in the early days
of the republic. He would like to act
as the conciliator Of conflicting in
terests and rival forces. He would
like to develop a sense of greater and
greater social responsibility on the
part of all elements without at the
same time destroying the American
system of private initiative. That's
his hope and his ambition.
(Copyright. 1881