The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-03-04
uN-CovERINe
WASHINGTON

white House Correspondent
World BY NNrA)


How do they treat your"
That's the first question every In
terested person has asked me when
ever the subject of my attending
the Presidents press conferences in
the White House comes up. It's
a natural question for Negroes TO
ask because they are aware through
experience and hearsay OF the ex-
tremes TO which any one or them
may be subjected when he timex
pectedly shows up in unusual
places, particularly II those places
have heretofore been exclusively
white
It happens when there Is involved
moving into a neighborhood, riding
in an open Pullman in certain Sec
tons of the country. eating In a
restaurant. or attending meeting.
Either there Is an attitude OF sur
prise and resentment. or there Is
a discomforting. overdone gesture
at making one feel at home"
Well. there was neither extreme
when I attended my first conference
which happened tn be President
Roosevelt's 394th. Through I was
the subject Of manv . gaSe, and
perhaps Of several little group con-
creations. rs well. was not made
TO feel resented. Nor was ~gushed"
over. or 50 VT so CORRESPONDENTS
present. including the widely--ead
Mark Sullivan. only two OF them
came over IN where I sat In the
reception hall awaiting the signal
to head for the Presidents ONCE.
That, think was natural. No
one knew me. I had no sponsor.
I preferred il that way-going in
on nv own and getting the natural
reactions. I was there for bust
ness and so were they. They were
chatting with friends hadn't
made any yet.
Stephen Early. the Presidents
press secretary came out during
the pre-"onference wait. shook
hands with me and chatted for
moment. He. OF course. was really
nv host. He has charge OF aii
,ress relations at the White House.
He made me feel "beloneed" there
nv his gesture. and I appreciated
it.
Then fhe President. himself. at
che conclusion Of the conference,
took notice Of nv presence. extend
cd his hand. SMILED. and with frw
handclasu told me he was glad to
zee me and happv Ia have me- there.
We put me entirely at ease with
his magnetic personality with that
brief. but warm greeting.
Like q schoolbov who knew his
lessons. was anxious 10 go back
the following Friday. When I did.
though. the icy "newness" OF my
being there had not worn Oft. AZ
least was expected. Then the
unexpected happened to break that
ice.
A charming member "f the fe-
male CONTINGENT Of White House
correspondents There are usually
Ave or six Of them there) detached
h.rself from the crowd waiting for
the guards to drop the barrier
which would signal y headlong rush
10 the Presidents office to gain
positions Of vantage around his
desk. She approached me. and call
ing me by name said she had been
seeing me ut the press conferences
of the Secretary Of War and was
happy to see me now nj the White
House.
"Come over and meet some 81
the folks" she said.
Every introduction was gracious
" accented. and no one turned Or
ran awav immediately. A Kroup or
MS spent the balance OF the time
in general conversation.
was struck. however. by the
fact that the young lady who had
made the Democratic gesture in
our White House. as learned later.
is a representative of the Russian
news service. the Tass Agency. not
OF one OF our own American news
PAGERS or wire services.
To to this writing. have attend
ed Ave conferences. and AZ each one
since the second this Tass corre-
spondent has introduced me 10
more Of our colleagues. L have
yet TO NEE. one who hasn't proved
TO be a gentleman or q lady. Some
~ them probably are learning for
the first time that IL Is possible
10 meet a Negro on n plane OF
equality and not have the world
come tumbling down.