The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-04-20
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hutchet Out
The Truth
. "OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN"
O MAKES A COMEBACK
. CHEERING NEWS HERE
O EUROPEAN GLOOM

An old fake seems to be trying to
stage a comeback.
Those who remember the Calvin
Coolidge administration will quite
likely recall the "Official Spokesman"
of the White House who delivered
himself of various and sundry COM
ment and sayings.
The Official Spokesman held forth
following a meeting of President Cool
idge and the Washington newspaper
correspondents.
The Official Spokesman was the
great myth of the Coolidge regime.
His spooky, shadowy form was never
seen, was never heard to move about,
or to speak, yet he was quoted at
length.
The Official Spokesman was of
course Honest Cal" himself, but for
long time this was scarcely men
toned in print. The newspapers acted
as if they were afraid of ghosts.
X x X
Finally revolt against the deception
of the Official Spokesman raised its
demand that the President cease his
pretense of talking through the
"Spokesman" and that he talk as Cal
vim Coolidge to the newspaper men.
Then the Spokesman" was ridiculed
in Congress. the nation started to joke
about the "Spokesman" and he sud-
denly vanished, apparently for good.
But he's back in these days, SO far
a cry from the Coolidge regime.
He's not called the Official Spokes-
man any more but reappears in the
guise of sources close to the White
House," "an authorized White House
spokesman" ga friend of the Presi-
dent" and the like.
X x X
So far, the Official Spokesman has
been devoting himself largely to in
ternational affairs.
He is seemingly cultivating scary,
jittery state of mind over events in
Europe.
Remarks Of the Spokesman from
Warm Springs, just before President
Roosevelt returned to Washington,
DfeaCned SplflC OF alarm.
"Persons close to the President"
were represented as saying various
things about the relationships and the
alleged effect of their aggressive
moves on the safety of the United
States.
Roundabout phrases were used to
conceal the fact that the President was
talking, Raymond Clapper, Washing
ton columnist, points out.
x X X
White House Spokesman, in any ad-
are simply devices for
expressing opinions without taking di-
rect responsibility for them.
The Spokesman is a pretty trans
parent humbug and has no place in a
democracy.
In this generation, it runs the dan
ger of being laughed to death.
So it would seem the better part Of
wisdom for the White House to drop
the attempt to revive a ghost of other
days.
Washington Daily News makes an
editorial plea for business and
industry to pay more attention to good
news in America and less to bad news
in Europe.
Constant drumming of war news
from abroad" has affected business
nerves and induced defeatst attitude,
the News says.
There is plenty of constructive and
cheering news right here at home, the
News adds
Exactly. The Cherry Tree has been
saying the same thing for long time.
But why don't the News and other
papers who see the situation in the
same light, play up constructive news
more than they do?
Less emphasis on European gloom
and more emphasis on American cheer
might help business and industry to
do business, to attend to their knitting
and not worry unduly about Europe.
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