Other Side of the Fence

"Things have changed since President Johnson left town. All the pictures of Texas heroes I put up in the Press Office are gone--Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Bonnie and Clyde. The secretaries even answer the telephones differently. They used to say: 'Press Office, you all.' Now they say: 'Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn!' "

Bill Moyers was back in town, making his first speech in Washington since he left three years ago, and one thing that had not changed was his sense of humor. The former Press Secretary to L.B.J. is now on the other side of the fence as publisher of Long Island's Newsday. The view, if anything, seems funnier.

Moyers recalled some imaginary advice he had given Johnson. For instance, when L.B.J. wanted to show the people he was "human like everyone else," Moyers said: "Gee, why don't you show them your scar?" Then there was the time when L.B.J. asked Moyers' advice on whether he should run in 1964. Moyers' suggestion: "Why don't you ask Mrs. Johnson?"

President Nixon got his in a mock news story read by Moyers. One passage: "After lunch, the President, in keeping with his policy of soliciting different views on major issues, held a discussion on Viet Nam with Joseph Alsop, William Buckley, William White and Bob Hope." Asked by other guests for his views on the role of a free press in a democracy, Nixon delivered "a vigorous 10-second response."

Klein's Desire. Another passage had several targets: President Nixon "had lunch with Vice President Agnew, who is leaving tomorrow on a national speaking tour which will take him from Birmingham to Montgomery. The Vice President returned only yesterday from a trip abroad. In keeping with Herb Klein's desire not to burden the public with unnecessary details, it was not disclosed where the Vice President has been. Rumors that he went to Asia were spawned by one White House source who reported, in an anonymous German accent, that when Mr. Nixon asked Mr. Agnew if he had seen the pagodas, the Vice President replied: 'Seen them? Why, I had dinner with them.' "

Agnew's attacks on the press and broadcast news received more serious attention from Moyers. Like others he flunked Agnew for accuracy. But at the same time he chided newsmen who accused Agnew of intimidation. Moyers also warned both sides of the fence about the camaraderie in Washington among those who make the news and those who report it. "This tacit allegiance between the government and the press," Moyers declared, "is far more harmful to the public than the adversary relationship."

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