| Show Mobile White House Hits lits the Trail Again Veteran Staff Runs It Like Lile Clockwork x a 4 y A y N r rf f a 1 1 y f I t If 7 I IS r 1 S r SNAP Arriving TALK TALK Arriving atT at T t Los LOl Angeles Angelel on one of his 1 cross cross- erO t 1 country tours toun Pre President dent Roosevelt Roose I 4 Pelt velt steps ste to the tile back hack platform t i f to 10 greet reet an estimated fr awaiting him film at Central station I Presidents President's as Near to Washington ashington T as Nearest Telephone Pole on Ills His Cross Cross Country Country Journeys ournes Work Proceeds as Usual By JAMES HAMMOND Il Released by Western Newspaper Union This summer a plain-looking plain train is pulling out of Washington Wash Wash- ington bound for the west coast Along the rails calls it travels at every hamlet crowds stand five deep to shout hail and farewell Some places it stops and the band plays while a gentleman steps to the observation platform and waves his hat hand in in hand as only Franklin Delano Roosevelt can The Chiefs Chief's traveling again this time from Washington I to San Francisco and up to Alaska on the Houston for a sailing Roosevelt's vacation would not be complete without ocean and salt air Nothing unusual about this trip though Calvin Coolidge I or Herbert Hoover might have lave thought so Today's White House is mobile soused so soused soused used to being packed in an overnight bag and whisked across the country that need merely press the button and away we go His years in n the harness have put to shame William Howard Tarts Taft's record rec ord for miles by the time resident President Roosevelt returns from Alaska hell he'll have established a White House travel total of some miles nor miles nor is s the end in sight Close as a Telephone Pole role In six years of gad gad the nations nation's nerve center has evolved s such uch a letter perfect system of communication communication com com- that efficiency has suf gut feted ered not one whit the White House louse on wheels Is no farther from Washington Washington Wash Ington than the nearest telephone pole pale along the railroad track to which a line may be plugged In one minute The Presidents President's sig signature nature and Great Crest Seal Is no farther away than then the nearest airline where transcontinental planes will swoop down at any time to pick up the presIdential residential pouch and rush it ft to Washington Why travel Theres There's something to tobe tobe toi be i e said for critics who point out that the President cant can't get a very accurate picture of a nation which dresses up to meet him Yet who can deny that the presidency carries carries carries car car- ries something akin to a moral obligation ob the man in to the White House should go on parade for his public every now and ana then One other reason less legitimate Is that the presidential visit may turn an election tide overnight When In doubt its it's good politics for forthe forthe forthe the Dig Big Doss Boss to visit a doubtful t bailiwick and shake hands on the observation platform with its local party leader Trips Not Expensive Presidential junkets re re not a great expense to the taxpayer contrary contrary con con- to popular belief belle The Chief Executive can easily stay within his year a travel and entertainment enter allowance because the railroads rail roads whose legislation Is being tabled ta tabled ta bled this year to get congress out of Washington in time for the Presidents President's dents dent's vacation absorb the loss There are usually about 20 in the official White House party Each of these these IncludIng Including the President President-Is Is assesse assessed l one first class class fair plus Pullman and that's all except for small extra charges for special Newspaper correspondents correspond and political hangers on on who ride from one end of the state to the other in hope of seeing The Chief must also pay regular first class fare Ordinarily a private citizen would pay 75 tS a day for exclusive use of a aar atar tar cat such as ns the Presidents President's old Pi Pt Pioneer On a car 10 Ira train In this would mean and in addition the railroads rail roads usually charge a minimum of ol fares for tor the special train But Dut the White While House is exempted from I such uch regulations which Io amounts to toa a neat saving savine for tor John Public I Ia i Old Stun Stuff for the Stiff Staff In his private car th the President Is just as comfortable yet works Just as hard as If it he were seated behind his hll desk in Washington As described by Eugene Warner in a recent issue of Colliers Collier's magazine the presidential junket has hili evolved evolve l t t into such a simple ample formula of at effi em efficiency clency that every member of the staff knows his post the Instant a trip Is s announced E E. E M. M Smithers sometimes WhiteHouse WhiteHouse White WhiteHouse House telegrapher and at other times tomes chief of transportation picks pocks routes arranges the train and prepares pre pares an intricate mimeographed schedule which keeps the special spade running not on the minute but on the second throughout its journey from coast to coast This facilitates contact between Washington and the train permit permitting ling the White House to ascertain exactly where the President PresIdent President Pres Pres- ident can be reached by phone at any given moment Up front Is a baggage car where I secret service men guard files mimeograph machines boxed typewriters typewriters type type- I writers and all other office omee paraphernalia para which the Presidents President's staff may need en route Just behind this is the club dub car for newspaper newspapermen men photographers newsreel men and radio announcers followed by compartmented Pullmans in which the visiting firemen lobbyists politicians poll poli and seekers favor will ride The diner alner is always supervised by Steward Joseph whose orders are always transmitted to Chef Richard Hardaway They're permanent permanent perma nent fixtures Mac 1 Rules The Office Next comes the office where Secretary Sec Marvin McIntyre bosses a astaff astaff staff which usually consists of five people First theres there's Henry Kannee McIntyre's secretary who himself has a secretary in Miss Roberta Barrows Darrows Since the President can canI often I keep three stenographers busy Miss Barrows Darrows often supplements supple ments Miss Marguerite confidential secretary to the President President dent and a good friend of his wife Throughout the trip the President seldom budges from his ancient Pioneer parlor car a special job conla containing be bedrooms offices pantry a dining room and an observation room fitted with comfortable furni furni- ture It Is here Mr Roosevelt does most of his work en route dictating dictating ing reading reports checking up on local history or just looking at the scenery with an occasional wave of the hand at a farmer |
