Evening Star Newspaper, August 20, 1922, Page 51

FICTION Part 4—8 Pages he Sunday Star. WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 20, 1922. President Hears All Sorts of Pleas From Out-of-Town Folks BY JAMES A. BUCHANAN. T has been estimated that more than 100,000 persons visit the White House during the year, afil many of these present re- quests that areto say the least, most unusual. f; Péople from all parts of the nation travel to Washidgton in order that they may visit the home of and per- haps meet the President of the United States. Mnay of them talk for years afterward about having met the Presi- défit, Just what the President said to themr and just what they said to the President. If the speaker Is a poli- tician, his story loses nothing in the telling: in fact, each time he tells the story it grows, and after a year’s time one would imagine, when hearing the recital, that the President had become | sorely perplexed, and sent for the local political boss in order to get his views on many important questions. * * *x % ERE are many other types of visitors that pass through the swinging doors of the addition to the ‘White House, that portion of the Ex- ecutive Mansion which houses the cabinet room, the President’'s personal office. the place where Secretary Christian holds forth and the quar- ters where Assistant Secretaries Forster and Hard do their work. Occasionally one of these visitors, before coming to the capital of the nation, conceives what is, to him, a brilliant idea. He turns it over in his mind for a few days or a week, then dashes madly down to the local ticket office and grabs a train whose destination is Washington. On the journey more brilliant, and he can find no rea- son why the thought should not meet with the instant and hearty approval of the head of the nation. Upon his arrival he can hardly wait for the opening of the executive of- fices at 9 o'clock, and he sleeps but little that night. Long before the city is astir he is up and about. He trusts not to the self-shaving ap- paratus that has been his standby at home, and owing to the fact that his hour of rising is computed not in the terms of the barber shops locally, he proceeds to order breakfast, but remembering the old saying that the mind is more active when one pos- Sesses an empty stomach, he eats lightly, consuming but about 25 per cent of the vitamines that are his| usual morning portion. Next he purchases a paper and pro- ceeds to scan the colemns of the news sheet. more particularly that portion that rélates to the President, for he hopes that this, his day, will find the President with some leisure time on his hands. The barber sheps are now open and he proceeds to g¢t a close shave and thé latest Washington haircut, for in the back of his head lurks the idea that a man must look prosperous if he wishes to ‘succeed. This line of reasoning carries him a step farther, & double tip to the bootblack for an extra brilliant ghine with a good brush-down of eclothing. He then Bogs to his temporary abode and gives & final survey in the matter of sar- torial perfection, rearranging the cravat. He glances at his watch, only to find that there remains an hour before the executive offices are open for business. Never before in his life has an hour passed on such leaden wings. The second hand of the watch, consulted frequently, ap- pears to have been thrown in low gear and to be doing everything it can to delay the minute hand. The latter. in turn, appears to have be- come afflicted with locomotor ataxia. * % % % AT last it is ten minutes of opening " time. Not being familiar with the street car systems of Washing- ton and not desiring to create too much of a sensation by going to the ‘White House in-a taxicab, he starts on foot for the office of the Presi- dent. Despite the fact that he had intended to walk leisurely, his nerve centers have involuntarily quickened thelr cadence and he arrives at the entrance to the grounds at least five minutes ahead of time. This seem- ingly Intermingble period is passed ¥y gazing at the beautiful structure known as the White House, and by speculating as to whether or not he will ever be able to occupy that mansion. Down the winding roadway to the entrance af the offices, where he is met by. Officers Dalrymple and Sea- man, who give him the “once over” and question him as to just whom he wants to see and why. If the re- quest is at all reasonable, af§l more especially if he has brought a letter of introduction from his senator' or Yepresentative, he is passed on to our friend; Pat McKenna, who sits at a little desk just outside Secretary Christian’s room. McKenna scans whatever credentials he may have, talks with him for a moment until 'he mentally classifies him, and if he passes this argus-eyed officer he is ushered into the rooms to meet Rudolph Forster, who is Secretary Christian’s assistant.” Here he under- Boes another examination, and if his réquests-are at all plausible and will not take up too much of Christian’s time, he is ushered into his room, and s soon as possible is interviewed by the man who for many years has been the. close friend of Warren G. Harding. Becretary George B. Christian, jr., {a. by nature, & kindly person who desires to do the most he can to help somebody get this, that or the other thing, but his time is so_occupled that not every request can receive the-iime and consideration that the maker thinks it ehould have. Per- haps these numerous requests have been the cause of placing many gray hairs in the. secretary’s head since the éth of March, 1921, when Marion's foremost 'citizen took the oath of offiee. -~ A g Should the request that has been shade ‘be one that can be complied * with, without too greats demand upon the President’s time, and if it fs-one that will not cause the Preai- dent to be used as an advertising 50, ~ the idea grows better and | medium, Christian makes a note of the plea and tells” the visitor that the matter will be taken up at as early a date as possible. In fact, upon many occasions where it has been found feasible to present a re- quest to the President his secretary has taken the matter up with him during the carly morning hours or some time after the lunch period. - * ¥ SO a mental condition that calls for an examination by alienists. These pleas are generally caught up by the officers at the entrance door and are handled by them with no pub- licity, unless the person shows un- usual signs of mental derangement, when other steps are taken. If the person is thought to be but slightly “off.” relatives and friends are noti- fled and they usually come on and take the unfortunate one home. It is truly remarkable how many people come to the White House each year with unusual requests, and it is also quite remarkable how many of them carry letters from their repre- sentatives or from politicians of standing in their respective states. From the great deluge of letters that come In each year the matter of se- curing a letter of introduction and indorsement appears to be rather an easy matter. It is probably the easi- est way for some official to get rid of an_ importuning henchman. Some of the requests that find their way into the offices of the White House are of an interesting char- acter and give an {lluminating idea of the numerous mental reactions en- joyed by the public. For instance, there is the man who wants the President to send him an auto- graphed base ball in order that he may preserve it among his personal treasures that he has collected from different parts of the country from time to time. There is likewise the publicity manager for some organi- zation that is going to put on a base ball contest for the benefit of the lodge drill team, his idea being that the fact that the ball pitched to the first batter bears the handwriting of the President of the United States would be a great magnet to those who otherwise would not come o the game. Other requests for simi- larly. inscribed base balls come from youngsters in all parts of the United States. The foregoing, of course, does not include the ball thst the President throws from the grandstand when the local team plays the. first game of the season on the Georgla avénue lot. This ball tossing by the Presi- dent has become a time-honored in- stitution, and the thousands ef fans that gather at the opening game would not consider the ceremonies complete or the season properly opened if such a ball were not east from the dential box by the President of the United States ohto the Griffmen's field. z * ok x % HE sdvance of sclence .has, no doubt, resulted in the lessening of the requests for finanaial ald, ‘whether to-the President personally or'to the government, by those who ME of the requests made indicate’ ACOMMITTEE FROM THE NON - SKID BUTTON HOLE MAKERS ASSN. %D I B M G LML B DA M2 et e S Al R/ ool A A T S B R Man With the Big Idea Runs Gantlet of the Official Staff—Deluge of Letters of Introduction From Persons of Prominence—Request% for Autographed Base Balls—Locks of the President’s ‘Hair Are Sought—Enthusiastic Correspondent Wants Piece of the White House Cake—Requests for Privilege of Painting Portrait of Executive—Opening Speech at the Blankville County Fair. Proffered Gifts Would Fill Stor¢house—Foreign Visitors. \ 3 think that with the aid of a few more dollars they can solve the problem of perpetual motion. Requests of this character are few and far between. Formerly they were Irayierous. Requests for a lock|pf the Presi- dent's hair, either to \\e used as a talisman by some ronlantic young girl or by some con\mittee that wants to raffle it off, are generally made during the first year or two of his administration. Just why a lock of the President's hair is more valu- able during the first or second year of his term than in the third or fourth year s a question for psy- chologists to answer. % Other requests have come from different parts of the United States stating In each instance that the writer of the letter would greatly appreciate having a plece of cake from the White House mailed to her, so she ocould put it under her plllow at night, confidingly stating that she had been told that with such a piece of cake under her pillow for ten nights a proposal would occur. dur- ing the year. Numerous persons, some of them absolutely sincere in their intentions, and others merely desirous of having the President’s name for the purpose of attracting others, write in, asking if it is not possible to have the chiet executive of the nation accept seme stock in an enterprise and be an honorary president or director. Many of those who make requests of this character do 80 not for the advertis- ing value it gives, but because they, as “Americans, want to take this means of showing the high regard they have for the office that the oc- cupant is filling- Others make the request, without doubt, for the cold, selfish purpose of inducing others to purchase shares in a company. At the beginning of a President’s first term, he_recéives many letters from people who would like to be the official tailor to the President of the United States. Some of these letters deHcately intimate that there will be no charge. for the President’s suits, it they can but serve him. Others mildly suggest a reduction in price, While stiil others are content with claiming that they can give him a perfect fit and that_ they use only the finest goods in their finished product. * ok %k HIS same condition obtains as to ~ the President’s other needs. The artistic temperament, in the past, did not prevent certain persons from ask- ing the privilege of painting the President’s portrait. ‘Some of these requestd have been granted and othérs necessarily have:been réfused.. Some of,_the artists, {n_fact, one’ would be safe ‘In saying .that many of ‘those OF COURSE IF THE PHOTOGRAPHERS INSIST @WW{ I [ - f o , A el W o A reply the President makes one can- not say, for it is not considered gond form to directly quote the President of the United States, * ok k% JEXT you think you see an army of little soldiers, but looking a second time you find that it Is a com- pany of Boy Scouts—clear-eyed, clean-limbed youngsters that wear the uniform with the ease and grace of seasoned troopers. While these FEW VISITORS TO SEE THE PRESIDENT: who make the request, have been actuated by motives entirely unselfish. Of course, some of the pleas havel come from students and painters who have not yet “arrived.” Then again, there are the hundred odd requests for an autographed photograph that some one wants to have raffled off at some fair or bazaar. Those who make this request are gen- erally sincere in~ their motive and trankly honest as to the reason they desire the picture with the President’'s signature thereon. Requests have flitered in from, time to time, asking the secretary if it will not be possible to have 'the President accept a new make or style of golf club or golf ball, and while. of course, the proposed donors state that no advertising matter will be issued apprising the public of the fact that the President uses their products, the communications contain no promises that the salesmen for the firms will not confidentially whisper it in the ear of the dealer that “this is the kind the President uses.” Neither do the letters promise that some pald golfer will not visit dif- ferent courses throughout the country and casually remark that he and the President both use the same kind of a club or golf ball. 4 ‘While figures are not avallable, one can easily imagine that if all those who want to give golf clubs to the President could have their way about it, the .Hon. Warren G. Harding ‘would have enough sticks to build a picket fence around both sides of the speedway. Another form of request, made both by letters and the presence of dele- gations, is that Secretary Christian use his good offices in securing the President’s promise to make a speech at this or that gathering, and many publicity men throughout the coun- try herald, during the summer months, the momentous news Which runs in screaming headlines through- out the local papers as follows: pr; “President Harding asked to make opening speech at the Blankville county " fair.” % “1It is & one daiy’s news flash. * % % * A REQUEST that may come in at any moment is the one asking if it 1s possible to secure a list of the weekly menus used at the White| House, so that & “Harding dinner ‘week” may be put on by the organi- zation-as’a drawing card in its en- deaver to ralse money to pay off & mortgage on the edifice in which the soclety,_club -or what not holds its weékly or monthly meetings. This| request . emphasizes the fact that there (are. nurherdus people ‘through- 'out. the Jlen#th .and bresdth of ' the land who appear to have nothing to do but think up different things for the President to do when he is not busy with international, domestic, political or a million and one other problems that daily confront him. Now and then a person writes to the White House = letter that could be properly classified as a “cheeky” communication. For instance, there is the one who wants to know if the President cannot be persuaded to let the writer play a game of golf with him, boldly but honestly stating that such a procedure on the part of the President would help the sender of the message politically and socially. He probably proceeds on the assump- tion that the oddity of his request and the honesty of his statement will ald in securing the result he desires. In European countries those Who furnish food and drink, especlally to the royal familles, take great pride in advertising that they are purveyors of this or that to his or her majesty, and many requests have been received by sellers of foodstuffs, asking if they cannot supply the gastronomical de- sires of the President by sending on their products. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas time there are numer- ous offers of great, fat turkeys that have been fed upon the choicest bits of food, in order that when they ap- pear on the White House table they may tempt the palate of the Presi- dent and his good wife. * ¥ % % HERE are dozens and dozens, yes, and agaln dozens and dozens of offers made to send-on presents to the chief executive and to Mrs. Hard- ing, and if the master and mistress of -the White House were to accept all of these proffered gifts, the gov- ernment would have to provide one of: the ‘largest storehouses in the country in which to keep them. In all fairness, however, it should 'be sald that the majority of those Who make these offers do it bacause they want fo show their appreciation, or perhaps merely for the satistaction of being able to say to their neighbors that they had sent on.presents to the President and had recelved letters fussed up with formal calling gare ments and “two-gallon Hds,” the same being the term by which expo- sition officials designate silk hats. As a rule they understand but little English, and upon being presented to the President stand like a miniature army on review. When the moment comes, however, for them to shake hands with the President they bow 1ike jackknives from the waist line and then back off. At the time of their departure they bow individually and collectively, personally and offi- cially. It is a splendid exercises for reducin. * ¥ %X ¥ HE next visitor in line is very likely to be the bronzed and very often bearded person who is on an around-the-world hike. He usual- ly carries with him an autograph book, a knapsack and & gnarled walk- ing: stick. Followihg him may be two fair young hikers, sometimes in knickers, who are walking from coast to coast with a message from the mayor of Portland, Me., or of New York to the mayor of San Francisco or the mayor of Los Angeles. These fair walkers are confiddnt that the President will give them an extra warm handclasp, because they have read how fond he s of all athiftic sports. Generally, as they emerge from the room in which the Presi- dent receives them, they pause for a moment and jot down just what Pres- ident Harding said to them, and as they leave the executive offices they hesitate just a moment, not that they desire the waiting army of camera men, both movies and stills, should be given the impression that they de- sire to be photographed, but of course if the camera kings insist, why they would not be rude enough to refuse. The next in line may be a dancer from a vaudeville house, and snugly ticked under her arm is a yip, yip- ping little dog that she probably brought for the purpose of introduc- ing it to Laddie Boy, the canine king of the White House. Wiil she be in- terviewed as to what the President sald to her and what she said to the thanking them for their thoughtful- ness. < If the Whits House automobile were to be equipped with all of the funny and foolish devices that have been suggested by inventors and manufac- turers, they would be so weighted down that even® their powerful en- gines could mot move them out 4f the garage. Punéture-proof tires, liquid ocompounds guarianteed to prevent punctures,.. auxiliary springs, perl- scope attachements and goodne: knows what .all are among the few things that would clutter the White House garage if the would-be givers were permitted to have their way. ‘With the exception of . Sundays, -there is hardly a day in ‘the week but what the executive offices -are filled to overflowing with persons from every part of the world. For instance, there will be a delegation of people from Kurope or from the orient, who -are in‘.the United States for the purpose ‘of .studying condi- tigns of this or ‘that ‘branch of in- ai Each’ of thsse. bodies is usu- ally’ accompanied by 3 niember of the legation. of ‘the country: from -which it cairie. : Nearly y President? No, a thousand times no, for she is the greatest dreader of publicity the world knows. The next to be presented is a dele- gation that has come to poy its re- spects and also to leave with the President a memorial for the abolish- ment of smoking in the rear seats of an open trolley car, or perhaps the printed request may contain the statement that they are violently op- posed to the use of suiphur matches on. Thursdays. But no matter What the memorial may contain, these per- sons are sincere in their belief, and after they have presented the cocu- ment to the head of the nation they feel, to a_ Ereat extent, that they have performed heir®abors -and dis- charged: their .duties faithfully and well. A The next picture on the reel is that of a senator bringing in three leading politicians of his atate, one of them “gelf-groomed” for a job in the con- sular service. The temptation is too great; he just simply can’t hold it in any longer; and he finally blurts out that he was the man in his state dels- gation that' first urged thié momina- tion of Warren G. Harding for Prosi- dont of ?w States. Just what boys are not abashed. forward. They are merely cofindent and know the President is hedrtil; in sympathy with their movemer:, and besides, that he, too, is a soldier. for is he not the Commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy. The President's eyes light up. It is a pleasing relief from the group that has just passed, and politics disappears from his mind. He sees before him honest, upright, unselfish Americans. The troop passes. Do your eyes de- celve you? Has a complete transi- tion taken place? A moment before and you saw the uniform of the scout; here again you see the uni- furm, but this time the scouts are girls. The President pauses; a word to one of his aides and the Boy Scouts are halted before they leave the building. The President turns and ‘welcomes the little misses, tude like that of a great big brother. He chats with them and seems loath to have them pass. Another whispered word and e of the attaches takes them®o where the Boy Scouts have been halted. Word is sent over to the White House proper—the place where Mr. and Mrs. Harding live—and the troops of scouts, boys and girls, are on their way to meet the first lady of the land, who incidentally is an honorary member of the Girl Scouts. Then comes an old gentleman with long, gray hair and a beard of the same hue reaching way down upon they ars not Translated by Will Y DEAR master, we come to ask your assistance. Your goodness agd your generosity, all Paris knows, are as great as your talent, and it is with the certainty of being well received' that we have ventured to disturb you.” The painter Destranges made a polite and benevolent gesture of pro- test. They didn't disturb him at all He invited his visitors to take seats in a comfortable corner #f his big, sumptuous studio. They were both art critics—Sergy, Wwith an estab- lished influence, and Belt, younger and less able, but still highly useful. They were people well worth culti- vating. He offered them cigarettes, took one himself, lighted it, leaned back in his chair, and, looking at Sergy, who seemed to be acting as spokesman, asked: *“What can I do for you?’ €6 “My dear master, our errand con- | cerns a case of suffering which must be relieved at once. An artist, a vet- eran, who twenty years ago was do- ing very interesting work, 1s now in desperate condition —sick, almost blind, stripped of everything. “e has not already starved—I am aat exaggerating, my dear master—it is due to the wonderful devotion of his wife, a heroic creature, who, to keep the wolf from the door, has accepted the roughest sort of worx. “But human forces have their lim- its. - This unfortu: woman s worn out. The husband’s condition is get- ting worse. She can no longer leave him and there iz nothing more in his atti-. nis chest. He has shaken the hands of a dozen or more Presidents and he comes to offer his good wishes and to pledge his allegiance to the Ppresent occupant of the White House, Twisting. turning in a sinuous stream, led by the member of Con- gress from their district and the female principal of their school, is a delegation of senfor high school girls, who have for a year or two saved their nickels and dimes In or- der that they may come to Washing- ton some time during this summer and call upon the President of the United States. Giggles cease, and as each miss steps forward to place her little hand in that of the Presi- dent of this great nation, a blush steals over her cheek and the little formal salutation which she had been carefully composing for the past two vears disappears, while the conven- tional “I am pleased to meet you, Mr. President,” takes its place. When i this aggregation of young American women is finally shooed out again into the grounds surrounding the White House, there is a “class mob” meeting. Kach undergraduate must simply at once give vent to har feel- ings and say what she thinks of the President, or else she will “bust” right then and there. * ¥ ¥ X T this moment Secretary Christian brings in a man of just beyond middle age. He is one of those among the crowd of “higger boys” !that lived in the same town that | Warren Harding did. The Presiden:, ge memory remarkable, membebrs him .and they chat for a |few minutes ahout the earlier and perhaps happier dayvs. He is quite | unlike another style of person. who | perhaps has met the President once in Ohlo about thirty or forty vears ago. and who loud!y proclaims, when he comes to the White House, that there will be no doubt about the President secing him. He generally i phrases it in a manner like this “OMh, just tell Warren 1 am here. We | know each other so well he will see me at any time."” The President, who really dislikes to hurt any one’s feelings, generally lets this kind of individual do most of the talking, and treats him cour- teously, but You can bet vour last simoleon that the White House at- taches mentally index the man who claims to be such an intimate friend, and if he becomes a frequent visitor to the executive mansion, generally shunt him off to one side Along come another member of the | House of Representatives. He ha {two constituents in tow, one of them a bitter partisan who never has and |nevgr will vote anything but the {democratic ticket. When the Presi- dent grasps his hand he gets all flus- tered, and, not knowing what to say, blurts ou: “I didn't vote for vou last time, Mr. President, but I'm going to vote for you the%hext time you run.” When this party passed into the open, his old-time democratic conscience gives him a twinge. and he mutters “I wonder if he will remember that promise.” His friend from back home vs not a word, but is simply biding his time until they get back to their native city, and then at some poker gathering he will tell the story of how “Ed" turned republican after he met the President. Then there comes the near-leader of society,” who gushingly informs the chief ‘executive that she has been sent down here as a special repre- sentative of the Ladies' Civic Im- provement League to invite the Prosi- dent to attend a meeting of their organization on Thanksgiviug day of this year, and that she simply can't return home until the President has promised that he and Mrs. Harding will visit their city on that date, * X *x ¥ 7THESE and numerous others cou- stitute, in part, some of the visitors that come to the White House each workday every week. They come from far and near, and whether or not their mission is crowned with success or dimmed by failure, they return to their native heath with the impres- sion that the President is a genial, human American. In this opinion they are correct, for Warren G. Harding, like Willlam McKinley, does like to mingle and to grasp the hand of his fellow countrymen. re- Defeat. By Frederic Boutet. iam L. McPherson. their miserable lodging in Montrouge to sell or to pawn. But both of them are too proud to ask assistance. “Some knowledge of this pitiful drama came accidentally to my friend and confrere, Belt. He was muca touched and consulted me. Thess people must be helped without delay. We ask your aid in doing something for them. We were thinking of or- ganizing a sale of this poor fellow's works, and that sort of disguised charity would not offend his pride. But for some years he has produced almost nothing and, little by little, he has sold " all his canvases at wretched prices “to nobody knows ‘whom.” “I am entirely at your service," Destranges answered, with the same polite benevolence. “And believe me, gentlemen, I am grateful to you for calling this unfortunate case to my attention. But don’t you think that some immediate relief- o “Undoubtedly. We have collected a little money, but only in the form of loans. 1 must go tomorrow to Montrouge. But I have neglected to tell you the name of our protege, who?will now have in you a much more powerful protector. Perhaps you remember him? = Some ‘\of his canvasses, | repeat, attracted notice twenty years ago, about tha same time that yeu Taurseif were making your mark. His name is Louls Chan dier. Do you know him, my dear master?” (Continued on Sixth Page.)