The Washington times., 1937-01-01
INTIMATE AIDE,
SONS JOB FOR
PRESIDENT
By EARL GOODWIN

President Roosevelt neeoS tne
sort of an aide or secretary who
has the nerve to break right in on
the President while he is shaving
If need be-to get the public
retarial assistant. That is why
the President has brought his son,
James, from Boston, to act as
aide. Whether or not
he is to be a full-plumed secretary
is yet to be divulged.
There are many in the Admins
tration who think the young man
will be the third Cor maybe the
firSt) Secretary-but no one can
pry that bit of information out of
the President. And the rest of the
White House official family simply
does NOT know. That is one
White House secret which rests
with the President-and possibly
with James Roosevelt.
Needs Close Friend
The way the President lives and
works is the reason why he needs
a close intimate friend for his sec
retarial assistants. That is why
he chose members of the famous
cuff Links Club" for his three
secretaries in the first place.
These were mainly men who
worked with him in the Navy De
partment or were assigned to cover
the department while the Presi-
dent was Assistant Secretary of
the Navy in the Wilson admins
tration and later campaigned with
him in 1920. "Steve" Early COW
cred the Navy Department for
press association; Marvin McIn-
tyre was a successful Navy Civil
ian employe in the press contact
work which was developed to a
high degree at that time. Col.
Louis Howe was a Roosevelt aide
and, as everyone knows, probably
his closest confidante and friend.
To these and others Mr.. Roose-
velt presented cuff links after the
1920 campaign in which Cox and
ran against Harding and
Coolidge. There had grown up
very distinct loyalty to the man
a loyalty which carried with it an
intimacy which has been of
character in his subse-
quent career.
Then, off and on during the
years that followed, these Cuff
Linkers stuck together, had din
ners, meetings, birthday parties
with the Chief; and when the
Democratic party nominated
for President, Marvin
just naturally walked
into the campaign as a sort of
personal business representative
of his chief. Steve" Early was
in the campaign, too. but not so
closely connected with the organ
there was no surprise
to those who knew the inside
story when the President selected
him, along with Louis Howe and
Colonel Mcintyre.
Recently, when rumors we're rife
around Washington as to whom
the President would select as Sec
retary to fill Colonel Howe's place,
those who really knew about what
was happening put no faith in
the positive statements that were
being circulated mentioning vari-
Gus newspaper men or Govern
ment publicists for the job
Talk of His Son
In fact, even the White House
secretariat was in the dark. 1t
was apparently too intimate a
matter for them to question their
chief. He had not spoken about
it to them, at least. Those who
know the White House inside out
were inclined to scott at the idea
that the President would appoint
his son James-but admitted there
had been some talk of it several
ago.
Those who work close to the
say that a successful aide
or secretary to Franklin Roosevelt
must be one who is not at all afraid
to break right through the wall
Of official austerity naturally
thrown around the office anu per-
son of the President. While the
President does not invite familiar
ity and insists on perfection Of
detail in executive work, neverthe-
less the successful close associate
Of this President seems to be one
who can actually break right
through to the President and do
businessmen while the President
is at breakfast. The late Gus"
Gennerich had this ability to a
marked degree.