The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-01-05
Observations
Elizabeth May
Craig Defends
Fourth Estate
BY HELEN EssARY

kplut lAoN pcaulllul pObl'NuI
world. ! nominate Newspaper Wo.
man Elizabeth May Craig for the
olAce OF Defender of the Fourth
y tate.
There isn't such an Office now. II
didrt exact. come in with the
fourth term. The fourth term has
a llght.hearted way OF blaming
erything on the press Wars and
rumors of wars. Hail storms. Bat
ties lost and won. The cigaret
shortage AMI the price of spinach.
The forth term. meaning, Of
course, Mr.. Roosevelt. long has
been using the press as an alibi
for come what may and might have
been. Especially at his news con-
ferences when anybody asked him
a had question.
recent news conference was a
rather doleful meeting. The Presi.
dent looked depressed. And a III.
lie mad. Out came one of those at
tscks on Newspaper people. This
time it was columnists who were in
L White House dog house. Col
umnists,' said the President, are an
"excrescence on civilization.
Whew-w.wl That was the neatest
thrust TO date. The conference
drew a long breath. All the confer.
ence but Mrs. Craig. May. who
was sitting in a special seat on the
front row, tossed her head, taste.
fully adorned with a piece OF fuch.
g. nonsense, and said:
oh. Mr. President! 49,. Mr.,Presi.
dent. How can you say such
thing? You really ought to be more
careful. You forget you have a
columnist in your own family"
The President hemmed and haw-
ed a bit. Then said a little weak
ly. But she writes diary"
The conference roared gaily, and
stopped short. May Craig made
her way out through the pats on
the back and the choruses OF
"-well. May" OF her colleagues.
Il just had to do It," she said IN
the ante room OF the executive
Offices as she looked for her blue
topcoat. Mrs. Craig always wears
blue. This habit, plus that blue
eyed look gives her lot OF leeway
and is a nice camouflage for as
active a brain as you will find any
where. Il just had to do it. I
just can't let him keep picking on
US ALL the time."
Mrs. Craig recently returned
from the European war theater
where she went to report for a
string of Maine papers. Last year
she was president OF the Women's
National Press Club. She isn't
bigger than two minutes and a
half il she is a doughty grandmoth-
er. Her wit is pungent and she
would answer back to Uncle Joe
Stain, Winston Churchill or even
Hitler II she had the chance. There
Is a saying ION the Hill" which
Mrs. Craig covers faithfully, las
May goes. so goes Maine.
Certainly l nominate her for the
office of Defender OF the Fourth
Estate.
"she is good for the lot OF US"
said one Of the men reporters.
"She gets away with things We
wouldn't dar- say
A WARTIME PRECAUTION the
President has taken at the insist
ence OF tho Secret Service is he
eats no food which has not been
prepared by his own cook. The
preparation OF his food is watched
s.,raF,,I1wr h. fs,,uNah
II the President Is required TO eat
In some public place. such as
hotel. his food is placed in big
casseroles at the White House kit
CHEN. Then the casseroles are
locked and sealed and put in the
protection OF secret service men.
In the kitchen OF the place where
the President has his meal. the
casseroles are unlocked In the pres
ence of the Secret Service men.
The plates OF food are lifted out.
Likewise knife. fork and spoons.
The meal is then conveyed to the
Presidents table as unostenta-
tiously as possible. You would
never know, unless somebody has
told you, that the Chief Executive
WAS not eating food prepared IN
Tho same way as the food eaten by
other, guests. ! sat close to the
speakers table at that famous
Statler Transfers Union banquet
did not suspect that any par.
ticular precautions had been taken
to guard Mr.. Roosevelt's food.
Heads OF governments in other
&C untries take great care to avoid
poisoning. They take even greater
care in making public appearances
II is accented that there are hal
dozen Hitlers and almost as many
Stains and Chang Kai-sheks-
standins made up TO look like the
Big Boss and he a target in case
an assassin's shot should be fired
But we can be sure there Is only
ONE Franklin Roosevelt!
Paris--Allied Commander.ln-chi