The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-12-23

These Gridron banquets gener-
ally are recognized as exceedingly
important events and it's consid-
cred quite an honor to be invited
TO them. Probably the honor's the
other way around when the invitee
is as big an individual as our pres
ident. For all that, our presidents
always have been glad to come.
ever since the clubs been in exist
ence. F. D. r. himself invariably
has accepted enthusiastically hith-
erto.
To be sure. at each succeeding
feast the clubs management
makes It practice TO put on a
program In connection with which
the country's public men are LAM
pooned terrihcally, though good
naturedly. Maybe few of them
have been a trifle stung OCCASION
ally, but. II so, they've been too
good sports to show 1t, F. D. R. in
Guided. Indeed. victims of, the
joshing never could have afforded
to manifest resentment II would
have made them 49,. rs to do II.
But the general impression in
Washington's news circles Is that
President Roosevelt has been pref
ty sore at the press since the last
campaign. He doesn't say so. but
his manner, at his conferences with
the correspondents, has indicated
1t. In number OF instances he's
been decidedly snappish in answer
to questions they've put to him.
Papers Opposed Him
It's understandable. The evil
dence was overwhelming that the
newspapers predominantly were
against his third election. Perhaps
a newspaper is somewhat imper-
sonal However. the papers Wash
ington representatives also were
against him, and they're individ-
uals. During the campaign / had
occasion to estimate that the Ma
tional Press clubs membership,
with which I'm very familiar, was
so per cent pro-Willkie. Practical
ly everybody agreed with me that
it was a conservative guess. The
administration evidently thought
so, too, for it assigned State Secre-
tary Hull to attend a club dinner,
make a speech and convert US.
That dinner was a flop. The en-
tertainment committee had an aw-
full time getting the auditorium
filed. Absentees said they would
not put up So apiece for the per-
Torrance.
After election, F. D. r. being a
winner. he himself attended a din
ner at the same club and drew a
satisfactory crowd. The piece de
resistance, though, was a huge car
toon, displayed on an enormous
easel, depicting F. D. R. holding up
before him a tremendous cham
pionship cup representing the
United States, and underneath was
the legend. I've won It three
times. Now, don't keep it?"
They say that this specimen OF
art work annoyed F. D. r. exceed
ingly.
Press Club NIiIder
Now the National Press clubs
Jokes are mild in comparison with
the Gridiron clubs.
So IL the presidential goat was
driven seni-astray by even the
former organizations little pic
torial quip, it's imaginable that the
critters owner may have been
downright hesitant to risk his pet
at the Gridiron affair.
1t likewise was advertised In ad-
vance that Wendell Wlllkie would
be a Gridiron guest. And Tom
Dewey and others.
In short, there was promise OF a
performance that might strain
T. D. RS sense Of humor consider
ably II he were In the audience.
And, had he been there. he would
not have been exactly in the audi
ence. either Ex-offcio he'd have
been one Of the performers simply
by looking on and listening.
The Gridironers had a grand
time, anyway. It may be that they
enjoyed It all the more because
they reckoned that they'd scared