Evening star., 1939-06-02
Roosevelt Eases
Public Restriction
During Royal Visit
Mount Vernon Road
To Be Closed at l:30
Instead of Noon

President Roosevelt today inter-
vened in arrangements for the visit
OF the British King and Queen next
week to prevent what he considered
unnecessary inconvenience to the
public in traffic restrictions being
! planned by the secret service.
The presidential veto fell first
on plans of the secret service and
United States Park Police to close
Mount Vernon Memorial boulevard
to all traffic at noon next Friday
until after the royal party returns
from a visit to Mount Vernon after
pm.
Stephen T. Early, White House
press secretary, said the President
considered noon was entirely too
early to blockade the boulevard and
was ordering the Park Police not
to close it before 1:30 pm. at the
| latest. "a
Plans to close Arlington Cemetery
to non-official automobiles all day
Friday, to clear the way for the
royal visit there at 3:25 pm, will
be brought to the Presidents at
tention, Mr.. Early said, indicating
he believed Mr. Roosevelt would
order the plan changed. Mr.. Early
described such extreme precautions
as "boloney.'
Writers Make Protest.
Encouraged by this White House
attitude, the White House Corre-
spondents' Association sent to the
President formal protest against
limitations being planned on news
paper coverage of the visit of King
George and Queen Elizabeth.
The correspondents protest ap-
pealed particularly for local papers
to be given full opportunity to cover
the activities of the royal party
here. Under present plans, space
for reporters at some places, such
as the actual reception of the King
and Queen at Union Station by the
President, will be restricted to rep
resentatives of press associations
because of space limitations. f
Capt. P. j. Carroll of the United
States Park Police said at noon he
had not yet received the presiden-
t1al order to change the time of
closing Mount Vernon Boulevard
He said the plan for closing it at
noon originated with Col. Edmund
w. Startling, chief of the White
House Secret Service detail, who will
bear responsibility for protection of
the royal visitors.
No Parking Allowed.
1t was believed necessary to close
the boulevard to ordinary traffic -
far in advance of the royal party S
journey over it to Washington in
order to make sure no one would
park along the boulevard, Capt. Car
roll said.
Mount Vernon itself will be closed
to the public all day next Friday.
Plans also call for the White House
grounds and that section of the
mansion usually open to tourists
to be closed all day Thursday and
Friday. The Capitol will be closed
Friday morning until after the King
and Queen meet members of Con-
gress in the rotunda at II am.
Final plans for the royal visit
were gone over at meeting this
morning of Secret Service. State
Department. police, Army and other
officials with Capt. Patrick H. Tan
sey, assistant District Engineer
Commissioner and co-ordinator and
chairman of the Commissioners Re-
ception Committee.
Arrangements for admitting the
general public to the space back of
the military lines in Union Station
Plaza Thursday morning, when the
King and Queen arrive at II am,
were approved. No one was al
lowed in this space when Nicara-
guam President Anastasio Somoza
(See ROYALTY page A-3)