The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-11-09

All sorts Of questions have been
fired at the President, and he
has given all sorts of lodges in
return. 1t has become a game.
Newsmen now get together in ad-
vance to press conferences to de-
wise new and more artful ways of
getting an answer, or at least try
ing to get an answer from the
President.
First newspaperman to put the
blunt query to Roosevelt was Rob-
ert Post of The New York Times
in June, 1887. Post minced no.
words. "Mr. President" he said,s
would you accept nomination
for a third term?'
1t was one OF the few Ques-
lions ever to get under Roosevelt's
skin. go off In the corner and
put on the Ounce cap" he shot
back, hardly batting an eye.
THE OUNCE CLUB
The next few third term queries
brought exactly the same answer,
with the result that group Of
Washington correspondents got
together to form the Ounce Club.
Discouraged, they did not try
to draw the President out again
until December 8, 1888, when one
of them reminded Roosevelt of a
pro-third term statement BY
Senator Guffey Of Pennsylvania
and asked the President whether
he would accede to Guffey,s wish
es. This brought good laugh
from Roosevelt, but nothing more.
Six months later, the boys made
another effort. This was in June,
1889, by which time Jack Garner
had made 1t quite evident that
he was going to run for Presi-
dent.
"That sounds as II II should
be answered by Question No.
ST." shot back the President.
Nobody knew what that was UNI
less he was referring to pickles.
STERN REPRIMAND
Next question was fired at
Roosevelt on June 10, just after
Harold Ickes had written an ar
ticle in Look Magazine proposing
a third term. Crosse examined re-
garding this in a White House
conference, the President main
tanned a stony silence. He said
he had only read the headlines.
Some commentators, for want Of
better clues, seized on this par
ticular answer as being milder
than the dunce-cap reply, and
proceeded to write "think pieces"
representing Roosevelt as virtually
back in the White House again.
This brought a stern warning
from the President at the next
press conference. Undue signi-
ficance had chen attached to his
failure to rebuke the newspaper
man who asked that question, he
said, so now he would ask the
man to ego stand in the corner"
McNUTT FOR
VICE PRESIDENT
A month later, July 10, one Of
the newsmen quoted syndicated
column which said that Roosevelt
would run for another term with
Paul McNutt running for vice
president. Asked for comment,
Roosevelt chided: "Would IL be
fair to label that a newspaper
story"
Ten days later, July %, ingeni-
GUS newspapermen thought up a
new scheme to smoke out the
President. Gan you say" queried
one of the conspirators, when the
country can expect a statement
from you on the third term?"
To which Roosevelt feigned sur
prise, chuckled and said NO.
The best third term question
asked of Roosevelt came from Fred
Perkins of The Pittsburgh Press.
who on August ! uttered this
pretentious statement:
"Mr. President, would you
care to say a few fitting words
regarding the important 0eca-
sion which viii have lis 18th
anniversary tomorrow"
Here newsman Perkins paused
dramatically, then continued,
II refer to the occasion when
Calvin Coolidge made his state
nent. 4 do not choose to rum"
The entire crowd laughed, in
GLIDING the President, who could
think OF nothing better at the
moment than to ask II this meant
he was being invited TO spend
his summer at the Black Hills.
Most recent effort TO smoke out
Roosevelt on the third term came