Evening star., 1945-04-14


sented to the world. The face is
that OF the man whom his associates
could call nothing but Boss. The
huge freckled hand, doubled in a
strong fist, capable of rattling all
the varied nick-nackS on his i'm
mense desk when he slammed il
down as his final word in a pro-
longed argument, was the hand that
always held the reins.
What he had written for me
above his signature, however, was
not in that mood. 1t read, -
from his old associate at the city
desk. Good luck!"
Mild Reflection.
This related to a constant SUBJ
ject of jest between the President
and those of his friends who were
or had been neWSpapermen. To
understand you must know that the
one sure way to annoy newspaper
man, If you are a public official, is
to tell him that you used to be a
newSpaperman yourself. The re-
porterS unSpoken reaction is that
II you were any good you'd still be
a neWSpaperman; either that or a
mid reflection that you never could
have been real neWspaperman. 1t
was the latter in the case of the
President, for reporters knew he
based his claim TO membership in
their profession on the fact that for
one year he had been editor of the
Harvard Crimson. The President
knew they knew this and he also
knew how they felt about it. But
he never dropped the pretense, since
he did it to tease.
The Presidents relations with
the press as a whole formed a para
doX. No man ever has been more
warmly praised and hotly con-
demned by the same newspapers. In
recent years the praise had grown
less and less, except as to the PreSi-
dents leadership in the greatest of
wars and in world politics. And
personal admiration on the part of
those reporters who covered the
news he created or helped create,
more and more gave way to irrita-
ton because of the news he failed
or refused to reveal.
Over the years Washington COR
respondents had come to expect the
impossible Of the President, to eX-
pect him to furnish something eX-
citing whenever they met. On the
occasions when he failed to do so
they did not forgive him. They
resented his evasions, his turning
their serious questions aside. They
could not see themselves from his
side of the desk.
Twice a week he faced them and
beneath his debonair manner he
was tense. He knew so much he
could not tell, so much that might
be fatal to tell. QuarrelS within
the administration that he was
seeking to heal, quarrels that might
have disastrous consequences if not
recOnclled and that could not be
reconclled if they became public.
DiSagreementS with foreign govern
ments that, in his opinion. must
be diSavoWed lest they become more
serious. Myriad matters of impor-
tance to the peoples welfare, con-
corning which he had to accept
the responsibility of determining
how much or how little could be
told.
Ear Always Alert.
And among the men facing him he
could be sure there was always one
likely to know more than it was
comfortable for the President to
have him know. So. while he
chatted cheerfully on subjects that
could be discussed safely. his ear
was alert for the fatal question he
wished to avoid. Even when the ques-
ton never came, he was Wearied
by the strain. And. although more
often than otherwise his press con-
ferences ended in laughter at a
Wlsecrack of his own or a Wisecrack
from one of the correspondents
the press conferences never were
fun for the President.
That is his side of the story. The
correspondents, pursuing their duty
to run down the news wherever ii
can be found, have their side.
But that is all passed. Every irri-
tation has been forgotten. The cor