Evening star., 1950-02-17

esident Tells Off
ted Conference
entered the oval study the next
morning.
1t is not permitted to quote him
directly-it's a White House rule
which is a pity because only
the abruptness of the @. and A.
conveys the Presidents attitude
fully.
All in Dead Earnest.
The scene would have had its
comic side for disinterested OBJ
server. But the angry, emotional
participants were in dead earnest.
The President had the advan-
tage of respect for the presidency.
Mad as they were, the reporters
sensed their peril and their voices
fairly throbbed with objectivity.
The first to take the gloves off
the President said yes, he had au-
thorized the interview. Then he
pitched in.
The reporters, he said, seemed
to be in kind of a disgruntled
mood. The President is his own
free agent, he continued, he will
see whom he pleases when he
pleases and say what he pleases
to anybody he pleases and he is
not censored by reporters or any,
body else. He said he had tried
his best to be polite and courteous
but he didn't like the reporters
attitude that morning so they
should just cool off.
Being the aggrieved party, the
reporters who are allergic to being
lectured, too. paused for breath
and one of their elder statesmen,
Earl Goodwin, radio commentator
sought to pour oil on the troubled
waters. Every bureau chief and
reporter in Washington considered
the story reflection on them, he
said soothingly.
The President replied that 1t
was nothing of the kind. He said
he didn't intend for anybody to
edit his actions; be was a free
agent.
After some skirmishing in which
the President again exclaimed that
he was free agent, the question
was put whether or not interviews
would now go by favor with the
no-interview rule discarded.
Will Do as He PIeases.
The President replied that there
was custom and that they would
continue that custom and that he
would do as he pleased in regard
to interviews.
Asked If this somewhat contra
dictory statement were his answer,
he said it was. He added impa-
tiently that he would like to an
swer some questions that had a
bearing on the present situation.
Some of us think our business
is very important, sir" a reporter
said.
The President replied that some
times he was not so sure.
A really ominous pause ensued.
Some reporters weighed giving the
signal for the end of press in
terview-"Thank you, Mr.. Presi-
dent" How many then would
have walked out is question.
Probably the President would
have retaliated by ending the
press conferences for good.
But other questioning began.
none of it very fruitful.
The President remains the
President. He has lost personal
ground, however, that he cannot
regain.
Previous Exclusive Recalled.
Many people are convinced he
means to run again. The opera
tions of his temperament are such
that incidents like these will make
him want to do just that. It is
probable, for example, that he
really didn't intend to put the
rest OF the press in the hole, ex-
actly as he told his political Wis
itor. but that when he got pound
ed he could not refrain from tell
ing them where to go. That is Mr..
Truman.
Mr. Krock also got an exclusive
interview with President Roose-
velt on the Supreme Court pack
ing plan. Mr.. Roosevelt always
claimed he. was betrayed" by Mr..
Krock; nobody who knew him well
took that seriously. Mr.. Roosevelt
thought New York Times inter-
view would help him, so he con-
niyed at it but bruited his alibi
about.
Mr.. Truman has no such guile
in his makeup. He probably did
not realize that such a storm
would ensue or that his pals would
turn on him. And Mr.. Krock is
a very plausible reporter. If this
is the situation, Mr.. Ross is the
one to blame.
It's probably good for the Wash
ington reporters to have put not
your trust in princes" driven home
to them again. In this city, re-
porters have social standing, they
are sought after and catered to.
Many Democrats now in power
are singularly beguiling people.
But reporters need to write on
their hearts Lord Actons dictum,
Power tends to corrupt and abso-
lutte power corrupts absolutely"
- SATURDAY