Strike in the Doghouse

In the days when Franklin Roosevelt first flashed his magic smile in the White House, newsmen adored him because he was accessible, usually answered their questions. Nowadays Franklin Roosevelt lets White House Secretary Stephen Early arrange his audiences--but Steve Early, a onetime Associated Pressman himself, sometimes gets in wrong with the press.

One morning last week Steve rode into Washington with the President on a special train from Hyde Park, sent word to the six photographers on duty at the White House that Mr. Roosevelt would pose for a newspicture while he swore in Frank Comerford Walker, successor to Jim Farley as Postmaster General. Steve, who loathes train rides, was in no mood to be tactful. He gave orders that one photographer was to be admitted, no more. That one must share his picture with the other five.

Presently, in the President's oval study a Bible was laid out on the desk, the principals sat waiting. An imperious call was relayed to the "doghouse," as photographers call their little White House cubbyhole, then another and another. Nothing happened. The photographers were on strike against Steve Early.

It was a flare-up of a long-maturing feud. (Fortnight ago, for example, Early tried to exclude all cameramen while Jim Farley paid his last call on the President.) If there had been a crowd in the White House study last week, said the photographers, they would have taken Early's orders meekly. But no one was there except the President, his new Postmaster, and Associate Justice Stanley Forman Reed, who was to do the swearing. If all six could have snapped pictures each would have had his picture in a few minutes, but if one took a picture and distributed copies to the others they would have to wait for several hours. They sent word to Steve Early: "All or none."

No sooner had old A. P. Man Early heard the cameramen's ultimatum than he picked up a phone, called William Beale, acting chief of A. P.'s Washington bureau, demanded that A. P. do something about this "affront to the President's dignity." A. P.'s Beale spoke to A. P. Photo's Robert Walton, who promptly called his own boss in Manhattan. Then in the doghouse, good-natured, unassuming little A. P. Photographer Charles Gorry got a call from Steve Early. Said Steve: "Your boss says to take that picture or else. ..."

Thunderstruck Charles Gorry was ushered into the President's study. The ceremony was snapped. Then Franklin Roosevelt jovially remarked that since Gorry was the only cameraman in Washington willing to take the picture, maybe he ought to be Postmaster General. Said pert Photographer Gorry: "For $5,000 it's O.K. with me."

The President chuckled, forthwith pulled a gag. While Steve Early manned the camera, Gorry took Postmaster Walker's place, was snapped receiving his "commission" from the President (see cut). Then back to the doghouse trotted Charles Gorry, elated. To his colleagues went copies of the official picture, but the gag shot was A. P.'s exclusive.

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