The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-02-04
Observations
Democrats Find
Big Demand For
Press Seats
BY Helen Essary

Washington-And now hear
that the rush Of foreign cores
pondents for seats at the not too
far away Democratic national con-
Yention in Chicago Is embarrassing
ths White House. Chicago Is def
initely the middle west. More. II
is the center OF America for many
Americans.
However agreed the delegates TO
the convention may be as to the
importance Of supporting Presi
dent Roosevelt, the convention as
a whole will have to take an Amer
ica.for-Americans policy. II too
many strange writers pop into the
convention picture. the convention
may give the appearance OF being
for most any part of the foreign
world except the United States.
Correspondents from as far away
as China. Australia. the remote
Latin Americas. uncertain France.
South Africa. New Zealand-meu
and women representing all areas
not AXis-are now pushing hard
lot seats dL NultdsO.
Here is an International compli.
cation which the Republicans may
turn 10 their own use.
While we are talking about jour
ralistic attitudes there are many
people in Washington who believe
that the President Is now engaged
In tapering the White House press
conferences down 10 nothing at
ALI Many recent White House
press conferences have been skip
ped for one reason or another.
Even the least-krowing Washing
ton writer wonders what this pres.
idential withdrawal means. Sure
" il must be a compass that indi.
Gates conferences are over for the
duration.
Woodrow Wilson, whose path
Franklin Roosevelt seems 70 be
following in a somewhat enlarged
way. suspended his press confer
ences. during the second year of
World War l. He said issues
had arisen upon which he could
not speak "eyen informally and
without quotation"
Wilson's successor, Warren Hard
ing. revived the press conferences
Immediately after his inauguration
President Coolidge followed Hard
irg's' lead the day he returned
from the Harding funeral.
Before Harding came 10 the
White House. no president OF the
United States had ever mentioned
out loud the proceedings OF a cab.
met meeting. Hardinss' predeces.
sors had thought cabinet meetings
were sacred. What went on there
was not the affair OF the public.
To return 70 Warren Hard!nys
precedent-breaking way report
ing on cabinet meetings. before
Harding II was considered shock
ing TO ask about a cabinet meet
ing. Woodrow Wilson, who though
an advocate Of peace had his sharp
moments. would have been enrag-
ed II anyone had mentioned a cab.
met meeting in his presence. To
him. the conservative professor.
such audacity would have been al
most punishable.
President Harding. generally
more trusting personality than VIII
son as history unfortunately has
revealed. talked with cheerful free
dom about the questions that had
come up al his council table,.
President Wilson got no fun out
Of his meetings with the press.
He almost never told anything OF
importance. He was civil and
spared ACCIDENTALLY with his Wis
itors. He was never personal.
Supposedly silent President Cool.
idge. so the old.timers around
Washington say. was 40 converse
tional about things Of no import
ance that he was practically COS
kipy. Imagine that
The first Roosevelt-Theodorc-
had many a mood and tense. He
alternately roared and joked with
whomever might be near by. With
much anguish il was arranged to
have a press conference for him
following the wildly exciting an
rouncement that he would run for
a third term against his old friend
William Howard Taft. The eager
correspondents were ushered into
the Rooseveltisn conference room.
There stood the colonel ready TO
shake hands with his callers. What
would the Great Man say. Every
writer was tense with anticipation.
Suddenly. Colonel Roosevelt no
ticed his old friend. Edgar b.
Clark, who combined writing for
the Chicago Evening Post with a
flair for ORTHODOXY.
Calling out, Ed, want 20 talk
to you the First Roosevelt took
Clark by the hand and rushed him
out Of the hand-shaking line.
Hurrying him off to a far cor.
ner he began a lively conversation
complete with gestures. Not about