The Press: Back from the Minors

• Share

When the reporters surrounded President Eisenhower, there was jovial, mustached Merriman Smith, 45, of United Press International, looming just as large as he had for 17 years before his unwanted assignment last spring to the Treasury beat (TIME, March 24).

"Hello, Merriman," called Ike. "I thought you had been promoted out of here."

"I wouldn't say that, Mr. President," shot back Smith. "I've been playing in the minor leagues."

"Peoria?" chuckled Ike.

"Yes," laughed Smith.

Smith's reaction to getting the Treasury beat was to tear into the recession news with the seriousness and energy of a cub reporter. He turned out interpretative pieces, got a clear beat on one month's unemployment figures when they were the hottest news in town, was among the first to predict that the federal deficit for this fiscal year would be high (current Bureau of the Budget estimate: $12.2 billion).

With recession news receding, Merriman Smith was reassigned to the White House beat, showed up happily last week perched on the side door of the U.P.I.'s red and white convertible as it slowly tailed Ike's limousine at Ligonier, Pa. Still undecided was whether Smith would resume his old status as senior wire service correspondent, regain the perquisite of ending presidential press conferences with "Thank you, Mr. President." But for the time being, Newsman Smith was glad enough just to be back from Peoria.