The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-11-09

Press Conference
Of President Not
Well Planned
BY HsJsn Essary
A personal letter TO- the Presi.
dent OF the United St&es.
My Dear Mr. President.

My Dear Mr.. President
There's little something /
want 10 say 10 you about your news
conferences. ou'ye probably seen
them mentioned in the papers ne.
fore But This is a new angle on
an old story.
Dont YOU think you could mane
them a lille more pleasant than
they are now More like the news
conferences held al the British
embassy by the British AmOassd-
dor Lord Halifax You've prob.
ably heard all about Lord Halifax :
conference shouldn't be SUI.
prised II you Know what it would
he like before IL happened In
case You missed some OF the de-
tails. ! hereby put them down fol
your editcatiOn
The British ambassador did his
conference 10 an atmosphere OF
soft answers. chrysanthemums tea.
SCotches and sodaS. chicken sand
witches. chintL chairs and cream
cake ] mention especially the SOFT
answers They were meant TO
run away lend-lease and postwar.
sir-bass-couuol wrath ! must ad
init they did this job beautifully
You don't go in for soft word
al your press conferences. Mr.
Pre-, dent Not TOO often NOI
sc more lkely 10 he-let me see
what is The word Well, call 10
prov oGatiYe suppose this a.
Nude OF yours IN the middle OF
war IS indicative OF the audaCity
OF our Young nation When We
have been on the map a few hun
dred years longer We. too. may be
smooth n the English way.
Your news conferences are not
ss easy on the press as YOU might
think First. We have TO stand
in the snteroom, jammed n a ssr-
dine row waiting heaven knows
how long-foT you 10 notice thai
its 4 p m on Tuesday or II q
m on Friday. Lord Halifax got
to his conference ; minutes ahead
OF time. Nice change. II ! may
say so.
When your come ahead signal
IL finally given. We find ourselves
being rushed and rushing ike =
football squad-trying TO get ahead
without being trampled ON We
hold our Identification passes high
as We gallop into your oval study
aud up 10 the bargicade OF chairs
which the Secret Service insists
must be kept before your desk al
such times
There you sit facing the crowd
with your Presidents flag behind
You You are generally reading
q letter or a treatise OF some sort
and pretending that running the
world is casual sort OF business
Beside you, is the usual vase OF
flowers Before you those desk
knick knacks - donkeys. paper
weights and the ike Gifts from
loving friends and public.
Al your right and our left in
neat row, sit members OF the
CLOAK Room Cabinet -Lowell
Mellett. Jim Barnes. Laughlin
Carrie or maybe Elmer Davis
Elmer always looks as IL he wishes
he we're still working with the
press instead OF against it. Nice
Marvin Mcintyre is generally pres
emit SO is Steve Early, half sitting
on table steve gets TO look more
like you every day Behind you
are TWO stalwart Secret Service
men The press keeps coming
Then someone calls An IN The
conference begins
It's always swfully hot in the con
ference room Since you have
gone in for lectures on journalism
and other eNtraneous matters the
standing time il long and tiresoma
] expect some body 10 faint az each
conference Nobody ever does.
It's probably your inspiring per-
sonslity that keeps US on our toes
As said before. al the British
ambassadors press conference
things ware quite different The
embassy as you know. = a mighty
swanky place After We had trod
it's deep carpets slithered across
IT'S polished inlaid marble floors.
glanced at several msiesties on it's
walls and been directed this way
10y a FIRST footman and that Way
by a second footman We mad &C.
quired a useful respect for the
trappings OF empire
The atmosphere in the ballroom
where the conference was held was
soothing 10 aesh and spirit Black
mirrors reflected hauntingly IN
lighted crystal chandeliers and
bowls OF yellow and rust chrySan
1hemums and autumn leaves The
ChintI-coyered chairs We're deep
and relaxing Gold screens caught
the late afternoon sun. u was sort
OF dim and coy IN the big room
with now and then flash OF match
flame a. Cigaret was lighted
Lord Halifax. whom ! admire as
a man OF integrity and ability. II
] do feel tls- We must keep our
eye on the postwar plans OF he
British Commonwealth talked
easily. confidently purpoSefully
You knew that although II was not
yet the moment 10 90 IN for hys.