The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-11-03
CAPITAL
SP TLIG n 7
Nv LOUIS LAUTlER
For the NNPA News Service

Presidential press conferences
vary little in form, regardless 81
Wnom the White House incumbent
n The questions change from
o. ference 10 conference ss the
plblic Interest shifts from one -
sue 20 another \ President .gkC
the late Franklin y Roosevelt
may add pJrsCccy - these con-
fercrces by FrcSoC'rS IN Iron
Cross - rCWSIaptT iINe
JOIN ODoNHcli 81 nc Ne" YORK
DAILY News or ~ telling some re-
porter 20 PIT ou Ounce cap and
60 ard 50 ,H q caTrCr
The idea that Harry Nc Alpin
Was the first colored newspaper
man 10 be- admitted Ia White
House press conferences u erro-
neous when Calvin c coolidge
VA president. & RasCom >tcmp,
his secretary. arranged for the
admission 81 the first ONE
Iucian skinner skinner at
tended the conf erenees for
while and later joined him
RULES FOR ADMISSIONS 90
WI "a House press g. fcrCntC> 81"
those DAYS 0NCrC virtually the !.m'
s. they a~e UoR aid virtually NO
same - those soNcrrl"e he Ser
Hie ard House press SalicrcS.
S.Irrc. vas not 2 bona 6dc news.
papcr man and phcu the Wtltc
House CORE, pondcrts ASSocla-
tior wanted - sc' I'd ~ skinner.
T. SIMPLY invoked trc rules, with
Nh4ek -ft4the4 81 Absolutely
coTc.ed 4, tie 'Uc GEORGE
Darro. = corrC>popdcn, tor me In
observation-disclosures Service. VAS the
president ~ Tho ASSOCIATION Dunno
roW Is = major m the army and
Wss ass -ncd - handle public re-
'alors tor Hrcsidcr' Roosevelt on
~, visit 20 Afr e.. which included
s'opover IN Liberia.
In the davs Of Coolidge the
only credentials necessary for
admission To the White House !
pres. conferences was letter
from the secretary To the PreSi-
dent Nowadays. after your APP
plicatiOn is submitted and APP
proved by the Presidents press
secretary, the Secret Service
checks you. When you are told
Ia pick up your credentials. you
are finger-printed.
OF COURSE. 10 pct into the
White House grounds. you must
present your White House pass at
W., 4
again at the outer door OF The eX-
ecutive Offices The newspaper and
radio reporters-theyr the cream
Of the gather IN the
lobby and chatter until they're
told the President is ready. As YOU
80 into the Presidents Office, you
must show your pass twice
There is now none OF the leeer-
domain OF the Harding and Cool
idse administrations when no state
ment was 10 be attributed 10 the
President but statements Of the
President had TO be attributed to
ghost. commonly referred To in
the newspapers OF those days as
A White House spokesman" Nor
do questions now have TO be SUBJ
mitted In writing prior to the con-
ferehce, with the President exer-'
cising his privilege OF answering
or ignoring them entirely. The
President answers or sidesteps il,
as he chooses.
President Truman answers ques-
tions without any hesitation. Some
OF his wsllAwishers fear that this
may get him into difficulties. The
impression he gives is one OF hon
esty and sincerity. A studied an
xwer might be more tactful but
the American people are entitled
20 know just what goes on in their
government and newspaper folks
appreciate an executive who does
not hedge.
THE SENATE and House press
galleries have not yet been cracked
by any colored newspaper man.
But now is as good a time as any
10 do il. Every rule can be COM
piled with The National Negro
Publishers Association is ready 10
make the fight
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