European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Agazine in 1s79� professor discovered non Lunga til Lane Olin noun a Roe Teeth  conversations a de during 1940 in tha Oval Offles 1940 recordings reveal private world of for by Steven  new York times he Day was oct. 4.1940. And Franklin d Roosevelt was at is desk in the Oval of fico talking on the Julep hone to Cordell Hull his Secretary of Tala about a press interview with the japanese prime minister. The president Tow Hull thai even though he Hod seen the news service repents of the interview he had denied All knowledge when questioned by reporters. I m inclined to  Roosevelt old his Secretary of slate that Complete silence is the Bosl Ihms no comment. Don t you thai telephony Call is one of about eight or nine presidential conversations inadvertently recorded by a device concealed beneath inc Oval old cry in the summer and Ian of ism it was a critical tune the japanese threat was increasing to the far East the War in Europe was i year old and the president was tunning Lor his third term. Tha tragic notary recordings Oier a rare glimpse into the in vile world of a beleaguered preside no the recordings woo discovered in 1979 by Robert j c Shutow a professor of history and East asian studies at the University of Washington while doing research in the Roosevelt Library at my do Park. He later published a scholarly Cartier outlining some of inc ichor dogs. But their existence remained largely unknown in Iha capita. Whw.-rr.1 l hey were originally made More than at years ago recently Buto arranged to play excerpts from the recordings which have been transferred to tapes. Lor a group of presidential scholars and journalists As they sat in Iho Library of the smithsonian institution listening to the vibrant cadences of that familiar voice Many members of the audience had similar react ions i was really quite struck by the degree to we incl the Roosevelt we know from the fireside Chals is the Roosevelt of the Oval office As Well said Stephen Hess a senior fellow at the Brookings institution the Washington research Center. I had that same buoyant exuberant Lenling listening to  Edmund Morris president Reagan s official biographer noted that Roosevelt tended to hold the stage his voice echoing even while conducting intimate conversations with close aides. This qualify of command lends to come with the office added Morris who has been Givon extraordinary Access to Reagan s private moments. A was totally in command a Case putting on a great show said Frank Freidl. A retired Harvard history professor and a noted Roosevelt biographer. That s what he had from Iho beginning and that s Why America got so excited about  the recordings were made on in experimental machine using technology derived from Early talking dims that was never marketed commercially. The original recordings wore discovered in the while House alter Roosevelt s death re recorded on master disks and sent to Hyde Park in 1947. According to Flotow. Now a fellow of Tho Woodrow Wilson Center a division of Iho smithsonian. The scholar discovered Mem by pure  a recalled is he was taking a break from his study of Flo Sevell s japanese policy spoiling a member of the Roosevelt Library Salt Butow joked when Are you going to let to listen to the for tapes much to Bulow s Surprise the Staft member replied. Well. We do have some unique recordings " As Butow pieced logo her the Story the Bulky device had been installed in 3 Small closet just Bolow Iho Oval of lick with the Rnic Ohono hidden in a lamp on the president s desk. The principal purpose was to ripcord Roosevelt s frequent news conferences which were generally conducted with reporters crowding around that desk. But presidential aides could not always get to the machine a Kohl alter the conferences to Lurn it Oil. As a result ii also captured a variety of random conversations Telephone Calls chats with congressional leaders bantering with the press. One question is Why the machine was installed in Ine hrs place. A too Sevels news conferences were Oft the record meaning that reporters could not Quoin the president directly but they were taken Down in shorthand and later transcribed. Butow noted that just before the recordings began Roosevell had been victimized by an embarrassing incident. A news article had misquoted his views on american policy toward the defense of Europe a highly sensitive topic Al the Lime. In the scholar s judgment the machine was probably brought in to protect the president against distortion Hess who has written extensively on the Washington Plebs corps described this explanation As far too benign handled Hal Roosevell was locked in a difficult re election Campaign against Wendell Winkle who had proved to be a surprisingly significant opponent fresh and  Roosevelt was the quintessential politician Hess Asser Lod and the recordings somehow had to be related to his re election struggle. Whatever the explanation the recordings reveal a president who could lie Detty to the press As the Hull conversation demonstrates while maintaining a highly cordial relationship with the reporters covering the White House. In one excerpt Roosevelt jokes about Mark Sullivan a Well known correspondent who apparently wore some Odd footwear to work one Day. Some of the colleagues of my. I Don t know but it s the same  in Early october Roosevelt returned to the subject of wih Kio in a Chat with Sam Hayburn the speaker of the House and John Mccormack Tho majority Leader. In a lengthy monologue the president describes Iho Republican strategy in terms of a horse race saying thai his rivals will keep Willio Well Back until the Strelch run began. And my judgment is that they arc going to Start Willkie pick him up. Pick him up pick him up Iron the lust of october on the president says. Trio plan he adds is to convince Tho Fotois in the final Days that this Fetla still can win he s got time to win he can nose out  Roosevelt also seems preoccupied with the subject of Japan and a churns several limes to a belligerent slate Mon made by a japanese minister to Roy Howard the head of the Scripps Howard news service. I that stale men Tho japanese official Sakl Hal War could to avoided in the Pacific Only in the United Stales recognized the new Era in Tho far East and abandoned its bases throughout the legion. Godl the president exclaims. Thais the first time Hal any Damn Jap has told us to get out of  fourteen months later. Pearl Harbor was attacked the overwhelming impression trom the recordings a of Roosevelt the Man a figure of great warmth and friendliness who reminds Many presidential scholars of president Reagan. Froit Iel called this trait absolutely vital to inc Success of Bolh leaders and added some people May just be born with  fran Kun 5mdthisip6a ws56ictd him by a  from it nor. Friday March 25. 1988 the stars and stripes Page 13