The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-03
. NATIONAL
 SPOTLIGHT
State Dept. |NewSpaperman'S
 Valhalla These Days
BY ELEANOR RAGsDALE Waterbury Democrat washington
 Staff Correspondent


 toTpedolng, or what it is doing to short-clrcut NaN plots, Not that the state Department itself ever screams; its far too dignified and weli-bred for that, It's the news paper correspondents covering this august institution who translate the often obscure and diplomatic state- ments of Secretary Cordell Hull and his spokesmen Into down-to-ea earth language,
 Eight or nine reporters regularly are on hand Co watch every state- ment or report that comes from State Department sources. They are employed by the various wire service es and leading American newspa- pers, A score of others drop in daily to keep abreast of the high spots of the news. Among these are feature writers, radio men and representa- tives of the Chinese, Japanese, French, British, Russian, and Ger man news agencies, who make the press room resemble League of Ma tons meeting of happier days.
 At first glance 1t seems 0 sort of sleepy place, this old.fashioned or- nate Department of State building, Just across the street from the White House. Usually 1t doesn't get really going of Q morning much before i0:30, NewSmen stroll up the long, broad flight of steps sometime after that leisurely hour, walk down Q pill laster-llned corridor, past curvsng staircase and enter their own sanc- tum behind e slated. wooden door marked PRESS ROOM.
 General practice IS to poke 6 nose Into the Division of Current In. formation office across the hall first thing, and have chat with Michael MacDermot, veteran chief of that division, or one of his assistants, Mae" will talk over any press re- leases his office has put out, and tell the boys what's on deck for the day. If they want to know where to find out something like the terms of the Russo-JapaneSe trade pact, he'll guide them to the right expert if he himself doesn't know offhand.
 NEVER SKIP HULL
 One steady date for State Depart lnent reporters is the daily confer ence with Secretary Hull, usually held ct noon. Shortly before than a stream of newsmen pours Into the Secretary's waiting room, and stands around e long mahogany table awaiting Hull's entrance with con- elderable decorum. The gentle-faced, white-haired statesman greets the gathering with c courteous, Good morning, gentlemen. Have you got any questions2" Then the floor is open.
 The going gets thick and fast at times. Null, clasping and unclasping his long hands, has to parry ques- tons with caution, but seldom loses his southern composure. Sometimes he will break the tension with Q quiet joke. Privately, Hull often throws aside his press conference re- serve and cuts right through the maze of diplomatic phraseology, pulling no punches, Tt can go to hell in 6 minute" was his reply to one query about the general foreign situation.
 After c chorused "Thank you, Mfr, Secretary" has terminated the inter- Tview, there is pell-mell rush for the press room phones. Many State Department reporters are old-timers with all the prestige and dignity in the world under normal circum- stances, but they run with the best of them to get flash on the wires.
 Unexpected things are always pop- ping tip to keep the afternoons busy, State Department men must keep tabs on the various embassies and legations scattered all over north- west Washington. Frequently am- bassadors or ministers call to see Hull or Undersecretary Sumner Welles about current business, and, of course, the recent talk with the Japanese envoys provided red-hot news.
 Sometimes 1t may be French ain- bassador Henri-Haye, hot under the collar because American newspapers have called him Nazi stooge. Then the reporters who waylay him in the corridor are shown offending clip- pings and cartoons with bitter re. bukes from the Scotch looking die plonat.
 Sometimes it's Lord Halifax re- gently back from London with first- hand reports for Hull, and friendly but guarded comments for the press.
 Too often in the past two years it has been the chief representative of a Nazi-conquered state, come to in- form the United States officially of his country's fall.
 GAME OF SHUTEYE
 There are minor crises, too, when diplomats from hostile countries pass each other in the hall. Down-cast eyes avoid a Automatically embar- raising situation. Envoys have been known to send a messenger back for Q forgotten hat rather than encount- CT 6 diplomatic foe in Hull's waiting room.
 Tn the press room, however, these tensions between men from Warning nations do not exist, or, if they do, are carefully hidden under a veneer of good -h,lsnored badinage. Chinese and Japanese representatives rub shoulders. A hard-boiled humor is vented on the most delicate subjects. Take this colloquy for instance:
 American reporter to Jap reporter (vsrv pleasantly: And how is your governments campaign of killing women and children progressing to- day?"
 Jabanese (srniling amiably): "Very satisfactorily, old man, very satis- factorily."
 Although foreign representatives can not indulge in heart-to-heart discussions of their country's policies with Americans, there is a sort of deep-in-the-bone reportorial train- ing of objectivity which disposes most newsmen to respect the other | AafH A R.ea