Rough Ride

As many a victim of U.S. press conferences knows, being interviewed by the press is sometimes a good deal like being third-degreed by the cops. John William Bricker caught it last week from the Washington press corps.

Sixty strong, they pushed into the Ohio Governor's small suite in the Mayflower Hotel. Here, after all the humdrum bureau interviews, was fair game: a real, live presidential candidate on a self-built bandwagon. The pink-cheeked candidate looked as if he expected a rough ride. He got one.

John Bricker said he thought the G.O.P. candidate would win in November. "Why?" boomed one reporter. The Governor shook off the tone, replied: because of the forward-looking program of Republicans in Congress. A newswoman snapped: "I don't mean to be facetious, but I haven't been able to discern any such program." Governor Bricker smiled: "I'm hardly responsible for your inability to discern it, and I don't mean to be facetious, either."

He seemed to be gaining confidence. Soon he was talking about the conduct of the war, praising the Army & Navy. There was an interruption: "Don't you give President Roosevelt ANY of the credit?" The challenging tone lifted the Governor's eyebrows, but he quickly got them down and managed a quiet "Certainly."

The conference over, fair-minded correspondents agreed that the Governor had done quite well. He had kept his good humor, had not lost balance. They could not say as much for some of their snide colleagues.

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