Evening star., 1944-02-25
Roosevelt
Continued From First PAGE

presidential secretary, reported that
Mr.. Roosevelt was keeping in closest
touch with the White House, ano
that while he is away he is strictly
OH the record"
The Presidents health is good. Mr.
Early replied to questions, and he
Is entirely all right, but he lust
needs rest.
The subject was opened at Mr.
Earlys press conference as reporters
asked questions concerning a story
written by John H. Crider, White
House correspondent of the New
York Times, which appeared in to-
days Times. That story was date
lined With President Roosevelt
and reported that the President had
made himself incommunicable with
respect to correspondents. and that
1t seemed reasonable" to suppose
that one reason he was awav from
washington lis the state of his
health"
Acted on Doctors Advice.
Mr.. Crlder noted that Admiral Nc
Intre has insisted that Mr.. Roose-
Velt leave Washington from time to
time for change, even when he is
not actually i'll.
Mr.. Early said that the dateline
on Mr.. Orders story was incorrect
because the correspondents were not
with" the President, but actually
miles from him. He then took up
the statement that the President
was "lncommunicado" as far as
correspondents were concerned
1T can hardly be said" Mr.. Earlv
commented, that the correspond
ents deserve any great credit for
going near the President. They were
told by this Office in confidence
where he was and they knew, there
lore, where to CO. They were also
told that if the President had any
news to give out it would be given
out by this office and not by the
stan accompanying him."
Mr.. Early added that Mr.. Cride,
might have said the correspondents
left Washington strictly on theil
own with the knowledge that the
news would mot be there, but here
(Washington)."
The news has been given out in
the Capital Mr.. Early said, appar-
emily referring to the release of
such matter as the Presidents tele-
gram urging Senator Barklev OF
Kentucky to continue as Senate ma
1orlty leader, and an executive order
setting up Retraining and Re-em
ployment Administration.
Cites Censorship Code.
Mr.. Early said the correspondents
also were told that the President
had no appointments where he was
going, and that there would be nc
news there. He also cited provisions
OF the voluntary press censorship
code which require an appropriate
authority for disclosing the Presi.
dents movements or whereabouts
Mr.. Early added:
IF when the correspondents had
arrived there, the President or Has
sett white House Secretary Will
liam D. Hassett had made a state
ment to them, that statement would
have been from a competent au-
thority. 1t could have been printed
and the Presidents whereabouts
revealed. That is the reason why
nothing has been said to the cor
respondents there and nothing can
be given to them by the President
Secretary Hassett or others.
Let's not forget that this is war
time and that there are questions
OF security involved. The news
paper code recognizes those ques-
tions of security and at least we
will comply with the code and give
the President the security he is en-
titled to-
Mr.. Early said it was only right
for him to bring out also that the
correspondents who left Washington
and travelled on their own to a
point nearby the Presidents pres
ent abode did not advise this Office
in advance of their departure. al
though they were told before the
President left Washington that he
was going there for a rest and would
have no aDoointmentS