Evening star., 1941-12-24
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

sharing the star parts in a world
drama that will be read and studied
for centuries to come, played
sparkling and unique scene at the
White House yesterday.
They were President Roosevelt,
debonair and facile as usual, and
Britain's Prime Minister Churchill,
jaunty and ruddy. Their audience was
composed of 200 hand-picked Wash
ington correspondents. described by
Mr.. Roosevelt as the wolves" of the
American press. and including about
a score of foreign journalists.
The setting was the spacious oval
ONCE OF the President In the execu-
tive wing Of the White House, its
floor length windows and the lower
ing skies outside giving a somber
background that contrasted with the
animation and the electric at
mosphere within the room.
The scene being played, but in
earnest rather than in fun, was a
press conferences free-swingtng
exchange of questions and answers
with the two top men matching their
presence of mind easily and amiably
with inQuirers who were sometimes
f1accid and sometimes pointedly
persistent. 1t was democracy in
operation, and a characteristically
American version.
Built Up During Day.
1t was a show that had been built
up, Intentionally or otherwise,
throughout the day.
From morning on, the first in
quiry among the Capitals news
papermen was whether Mr.. Church.
ill was going to appear at the Pres
ident's customary Tuesday after
noon press conference.
At 1890 am. White House Sec
retary Stephen T. Early answered
the question-very adequately-by
saying he couldn't tell and then
pointing out that the capacity Of
the oval office is limited. BY noon
notice had appeared on the White
House preSSroom bulletin board that
attendance at the days conference
was to be limited to three men for
each press association, two for each
accredited newspaper and two for
each radio chain. Some were
pleased to note, too, that Govern
ment press relations departments
were to be limited to one man each.
During the morning the President
gave Christmas presents to the Of
flee staff, did some telephone and
paper work and conferred briefly
with Moderator William H. Davis
of the labor industry conference.
Mr.. Churchill, meanwhile, saw his
governments Ambassador here and
four Dominion Misunderstanding
them in working quarters set up for
him in the White House proper.
In the early afternoon it was
announced that top-ranking strate-
gists and military advisers of the
two Government leaders were being
summoned for o'clock consulta-
tion.
May Be Called War Council"
That group may be called the
British American War Council" a
White House spokesman said, and
the imminence of this full-dress
pooling Of international brains
completed the atmospheric setting
for what was to come.
BY 1925 O'Clock, IS minutes ahead
of time, reporters began to crowd
around the corridor entrance which
leads into the Presidents office An
augmented secret service detail,
plus a quota of uniformed White
House police and the usual Capitol
Press Gallery attendants who stand
by to identify the newspapermen,
faced the gathering crowd.
A few minutes after the slow
filing past these various guardians
began, with most of the White
House regulars" moving in first
and taking their places across the
front of the Presidents desk.
Seated at Mr. Roosevelt's right
was the pink-complexioned Prime
Minister, half-smiling as he watched
the correspondents move in and
listened to his hosts explanation
of why the operation was taking
so long. Between the fingers of
his right hand was one of the
oversized cigars which have be-
come such a familiar mark: on his
left hand glistened a delicately
scrolled gold ring.
Dressed in formal striped trousers
and dark blue coat, he was wear
ing polka dot blue and white bow
tie. Smartest touch to his apparel,
however, was tiny lapel decora-
tion-a Distinguished Service Medal
awarded to him by this Government
for his Allied services in the first
World War.
Other Officials Present.
Mr.. Roosevelt was dressed in a
familiar gray and white striped
suit, a black band of mourning for
his mother still on his left sleeve
He wore black tie and matched
Mr.. Churchins cigar with several
cigarettes, smoked through a long
holder
In the background were those
who customarily attend these con-
ferences, plus some added players
Among them were Harry L. Hop
kins, supervisor of the lease-lend
program; Lowell Mellett, admins
trative assistant to the President
Secretaries Early, Marvin Mcintyre
and William D. Hassett: Sir Gerald
Campbell, British press relation.
officer; John Martin, secretary tt
Mr.. Churchill; and two Secret
Service men.
Quickly Mr.. Roosevelt movee
through the preliminary stages o.
the conference n ing tn,
newspapermen he had described
them as wolves" announcing ere
alton of a new Office of Defens,
transportation, and briefly review
ing the British american meeting
as a step toward complete unity o
wartime action in the Pacific.