Roosevelt greets reporters with word on how to read
By Merriman Smith, United Press staff writer
Washington (UP) –
“How did he look to you?” was the question on many lips after President Roosevelt’s first news conference since his return from a month’s vacation in the South.
Three press association reporters had accompanied the President on his holiday at Bernard M. Baruch’s plantation on the South Carolina coast. They came back to Washington with the word of Mr. Roosevelt’s doctor, VAdm. Ross T. McIntire, that his health was back up to par after a winter of nagging illnesses.
Washington correspondents in general had their first chance to see the President late yesterday. One hundred and seventy-three of them, plus 16 out-of-town visitors, packed his office for a news conference – during which he criticized press and radio for not having given what he considered complete accounts of the Montgomery Ward case.
Ready for a fight
Afterward the United Press polled a representative group of correspondents for their answers to the “How did he look to you?” questions. The replies:
- Bert Andrews of The New York Herald-Tribune:
I thought he looked good, much better than on April 7, when I thought he looked ghastly. I thought his face was perceptibly thinner, but clearly a lot of lines of care in his face were gone.
- John H. Crider of The New York Times:
I thought he looked very much better than I have seen him for many months. His voice seemed natural, he looked rested and he had a good coat of tan.
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William H. Mylander of The Des Moines Register and Tribune: “The champ is back spoiling for a fight.”
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Elisabeth May Craig of the Garnett papers in Maine: “He looked swell.”
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Fred Pasley of The New York Daily News:
I think he didn’t possess the high physical buoyancy and abounding vitality that hitherto have marked him at the conclusion of a long respite from the cares of office. He seemed a rather tired man, going through the paces of a… magnificent attempt at verve.
- Walter Trohan of The Chicago Tribune:
I though he looked tanned and had some of the heavy lines out of his face. He was much more spirited than he was in the press conferences before he went away.
- Thomas F. Reynolds of The Chicago Sun:
His health is apparently pretty good, but his temper definitely very bad. His return this time is quite reminiscent of his return after the first war plant inspection tour in late 1942.
The President was ready for a question about the Montgomery Ward case yesterday. He ruffled a two-page memorandum in front of him and pitched in to recite its history. He made it clear that he did not feel the press and radio had presented the full account to the public.
A reading lesson
When he was through, Mrs. Craig brought the Chief Executive up sharply by telling him that she had seen and heard most of what he had said many days before in newspapers and over the air.
Mr. Roosevelt stuck to his criticism of press and radio.
He told Mrs. Craig that he had specialized in reading newspapers; that she ought to read papers like he does.
President expected to emulate sphinx
By Lyle C. Wilson, United Press staff writer
Washington –
President Roosevelt’s latest refusal to discuss his 1944 political plans was accepted today as meaning he would not disclose whether he will accept a fourth term nomination until the Democratic National Convention meets in July.
An identical course of action led in 1940 to his third nomination. It is regarded as virtually certain to lead to a fourth this year.
The President was asked at his news conference yesterday about the New York speech in which DNC Chairman Robert E. Hannegan predicted that Mr. Roosevelt would be renominated and reelected.
The President replied that he was not going to talk about it, adding that he had not read Mr. Hannegan’s speech but that when he did read it, he would still not talk about it. That is the third time in as many months that he has parried news conference fourth term questions.
Reminded that the Democratic National Convention is only 10 weeks away, the President replied only that he had not been counting the days.