Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-03-03
Continued from Page i

Continued from Page
sparkled with relish as he
dreamt of the forthcoming fight
against Senator Taft which he
has promised himself.
David Lawrence, the very able
Mayor of Pittsburgh and Demo
cratic national committeeman
from Pennsylvania, Is close
personal fsiend of the P esident.
Daveand Harry could, and prob
ably have, drawn many a poker
hand together. My regard for
bot hthese men has increased q
great deal after watching the
two men sit around conference
table and chat about everything
from flowers to Federal appoint
ments.
1t appeared that one sad ap-
pointment to the Federal Branch
in Pennsylvania had been made
recently, and we discussed how
everyone got into the mess, since
the FBI and others had screened
the candidates so closely. Dave
said, Harry, you know very
well how that happened, and 1t
wasn't my fault!"
The President recalled it as a
favor to the liberal forces. Then
he added, well, we've got to
have young men on the Federal
Bench who can serve at least
twenty years, and we've got to
have intelligent Democrats. And,
Dave, I'm telling you we are not
going to have any scalawags In
this most important branch of
government"
AS we talked about scalawags,
we got around to j. Parnell
Thomas, the Republican congress
man VIII is now up in the Federal
penitentiasy at Danbuhy, Con-
necticut, for defrauding his gov
ernment, who was an old heck
ler of mine. We joked about
Bob Taft's sure attacks on any
thing of this century as being
socialist inspired" We looked
around the White House office,
built back in 1917, and realized
that the strength of America
grew from our ability to enlarge
and strengthen our economy.
The President told me that he
hoped the people of Ohio would
remove Senator Taft from the
Senate to that 1t wouldn't be
necessary to have the nation
confronted with him as the Re-
publican nominee in 1852. Later,
when l told the White House re-
porters about the Presidents
forthcoming visit to Pennsylva-
MIA and Ohio, Taft, Congress
man Hall and various Republi-
can candidates around the coun-
try screamed that / was "en-
gineering the Presidents inva-
sion"
The $5,00,000 renovation job
going on in the White House has
upset much of the routine in the
executive offices. The caller on
the President arrives five or ten
before his appointment.
Our taxicab drove right up to
the outer door of the White
House. A lot of cameramen are
stationed there and the usual
pictures are taken showing the
guests entering the rather we'll
worn portals. Probably a dozen
are lolling around the
outer office, but they know that
the visitor doesn't have a story
until he leaves.
A large, portly gentleman
greets the visitor, offers his
hand, intoduces himself and asks
to take coats and hats. He escorts
you into large anteroom where
there are one or two secretaries,
many comfortable lounges, and
other guests.
Wheer are the uniforms and
all the secret service men? / ex-
pected lights or signals when one
went into the inner sanctum,
but all the secret service men ,
and guards seemed to keep
themselves conspicuously out of
sight. We didn't see a person
who even looked at us twice.
And when we entered the Chief
Executives hugh office there
wasn't soul around.
After the introduction, we /,
1idn't take a minute to get in :
% the weather, the newspaper :
headlines of the day and the
gossip which anyone
would toss off in his nearest gas
tation. Z
The President thought that / :.
vas a rare bird" among news =
'aper publishers. To even have !
friendly word from the Amer :,
can press Is something very un- 2
sual, and he expressed his =
.ind1v eaction 7 told him that
Iorace Greeley was one editor . !.
+ my newspaper and that we :
ave kept the Erie Dispatch a
officially independent newspa-
er. 4
He said that keeping ones pa
ence and god humor with the I