THE PRESIDENCY: At Sea

Every President would like to have the Press say what he would like said about himself. Franklin Roosevelt has succeeded better than any President before him in managing the Press. Last week he succeeded even further when he became his own press. Arriving in Jacksonville overnight from Washington he boarded the Farragut, one of the Navy’s newest and finest destroyers, which whisked him off at a 35-knot clip to the Bahamas. His secretary, Marvin Mclntyre, his Relief Administrator Harry Hopkins and his bevy of newshawks proceeded on by rail to Miami. For the rest of the week the only news accounts of Franklin Roosevelt were those he wrote and wirelessed back to the U. S.

His first report (six sentences from Cat Cay, Bahamas) was sent after he had transferred from the Farragut to Vincent Astor’s Nourmahal aboard which were all the President’s old socialite fishing cronies. It stated that the Governor of the Bahamas, Sir Bede Clifford and his lady, and the Duke of Kent and his lady had formally called upon President Roosevelt aboard the Nourmahal.

His second report (two sentences) told of the party’s being joined at Lobos Cay by Son James Roosevelt who flew from Puerto Rico. His third report (three sentences) admitted arrival off Great Inagua Island, 500 miles at sea. His fourth report, equally brief, described swimming from the shore, the safe arrival of two seaplanesful of official mail when the Nourmahal touched at Crooked Island.

This the President thought was enough news for the Press for one week. Newshawks sunned themselves in Miami, embroidered on his adventures, filled up their columns with idle “dope” stories which they could have written just as well in Washington.