Show Round Go By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT S. S ALLEN Editors note The note The brass ring good for one free ride on on the Washington round merry-go-round goes this week weel to the ladies of the Washington press whose colorful conferences with Mrs l Roosevelt are described in the following article WASHINGTON For For real color and sparkle Mrs Roosevelt's press press' conferences have it allover all allover allover over her husbands husband's semiweekly bouts with the capital news corps Naturally the First Ladys Lady's press sessions lack the importance which attaches to those of the president He He- Heis is head of the national government government government govern govern- ment and she is not But although interest in her arises primarily from the fact that she is the presidents president's wife nevertheless Mrs Roosevelt's Roosevelt's Roosevelt's Roose Roose- velt's vivid personality and broad humanitarianism humanitarian- humanitarian ism make her an outstanding rival There are rarely more than thirty present practically all of them adoring friends of the first lady Mr Roosevelt's unprecedented in their informality but the atmosphere of Mrs Roosevelt's Roosevelt's Roose Roose- velt's is more than just informal It is intimate When the president faces the press it is strictly a business proposition The correspondents correspondents correspondents dents are there for news and nothing else But when Mrs Roosevelt meets the press she is up against a far less hard-boiled hard professional en en- Her conferees are her friends first and reporters afterward Friendly Protectors The girls are always on the alert to protect to-protect her from a slip of the tongue or an incautious comment Mrs Roosevelt is an outspoken person person person per per- son and when she feels strongly on a subject she is addicted to a frankness that would blaze headlines across the nation This loving protectiveness protectiveness protectiveness never fails If the first lady makes a statement about a controversial issue that might cause embarrassing headlines one of her feminine feminine feminine femi femi- nine co cohorts orts will break in Can we quote you on that Mrs Roosevelt This in inquiry inquiry inquiry in- in is a warning signal always heeded hastily by Mrs Roosevelt Monroe Room Mrs Roosevelt's press conference takes place in the Monroe room on the second floor of the White House A large sunny chamber it was used for cabinet meetings by President Johnson and the treaty of peace with Spain was signed there Before being admitted to the conference room i the newswomen assemble in the Green room on the first floor They are of all ages and from newspapers of varying size and political faith At a recent press conference attended by 27 women women women wo wo- men 13 were married five were wives of newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- I paper reporters seven had children and three had grandchildren No Tardiness The presidents president's press conferences frequently begin late but not his Promptly at the appointed hour a colored attendant unhooks the plush rope separating the residential part of the White House from that part which visitors isi tors may view and t tie e ladies of the press go ga up the broad stairway to the Monroe room Cha Chairs rs are arranged in a semicircle around a lounge occupied by Mrs Roosevelt As at the presidents president's conference front positions are at a premium and as at his conference also smoking is taboo If any of the newswomen newswomen arrive rr ve late Mrs Roosevelt frequently interrupts her remarks and helps them find ind a chair which h frequently ly j. j is not riot so easy to do The need of new White W hUe House furniture sometimes has come up for discussion during the press conferences and on one occasion occasion occa occa- sion sian Mrs Roosevelt made this observation Captain Lock is in charge of buying for the White House I would never think of buying anything that costs money without getting approvaL ap ap- ap- ap Even things that are given given if if they have to remain definitely in the White House you have not only to get approval of the fine arts commission but you have to have an act of congress It is not a thing you go about lightly Mrs Roosevelt usually begins the conference conference conference confer confer- ence by going over her list of social engagements engagements engagements engage engage- ments for the week Since she is one of the most active women in the world the listing of her itinerary in itself is no small piece of re re- re porting Sometimes Mrs Roosevelt brings rings to her press conference a woman of national fame or one who is doing some important work and asks her to explain that work to the newswomen But the most interesting part of the conference conference conference con con- ference is when the lad ladies es of the press get do down downto n I to examining cross-examining the first lady As indicated above this is a gentle business There are no critical questions as at the presidents president's conference conference conference confer confer- ence but there is unbounded feminine curiosity into every conceivable thing Mrs Roosevelt is doing For instance Mrs Roosevelt once was asked what was going to be her New Years Year's resolution She immediately replied I think Im I'm going to try to resolve to have more time tune to think Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |