| Show The National Wh I e By Ray Tucker Telegrams Telegram's Washington Co Correspondent WASHINGTON The war press censorship up set-up at the capital may undergo a thorough overhauling as a result of experiences experiences experiences ex ex- ex- ex during the first few months of its operation The system needs more central di direction direction direction di- di and a more specific set of rules and regulations So far you-can't-print-that you restrictions have produced few serious hardships on reporters here Newspaper men know in ina i a general way what they should not publish and rarely clash with appointed guardians of the written written written writ writ- ten word War and navy officers officers officers cers have misinterpreted certain such as announcing announcing announcing ing ing- that MacArthur had been re reinforced re- re Some agencies release data on contracts while others withhold such details But these occasions have been few and trivial It is probable that the enemy obtains more secrets from loose tongues at cocktail parties and in hotel lobbies than from the the newspapers Worst difficulty lies in the fact that there is no liaison among the hundreds of departmental publicity agents also there are endless rivalries and no no o close up tie-up between these official news purveyors and Director Byron Price It is a question of each man for himself and heaven en help the headline writer There is too much groping in inthe inthe inthe the dark and this low visibility may prove troublesome troublesome-or or dangerous dan dan- as g-erous-as as our participation in inthe inthe inthe the conflict becomes vaster Archibald P. P MacLeish has turned out to be the most difficult difficult difficult cult problem child of the official household now that Mrs Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt appears on her way to semi- semi retirement The coordinator of facts and figures does not suffer from a modesty complex and he heis heis heis is tangling with cabinet members members members mem mem- bers congressmen and radio in in- in To rattle the United States out of its complacency he suggested suggested suggested sug sug- a This Is War program to be carried by the four radio networks on Saturday nights Mr MacLeish told the producers producers producers pro pro- that he he would arrange for the president to speak at the i opening of the series But Archie Archie Archie Ar Ar- chie arrived at the studio a few hours before the time of of- presentation presentation presentation pres pres- full of ideas for major majors 4 changes in the scenario He announced announced announced an an- that Mr Roosevelt would not participate but that he would launch things by delivering delivering delivering de de- livering a presidential message and a speech of his own He would not permit any timesaving timesaving timesaving time sav ing revision of his address As Asa a result several minutes had to be chopped off the main pro pro- Otherwise it was a magnificent performance Political pressure from high places may force abandonment of Henderson efforts to nail down farm prices Ad- Ad fear they may suffer a major reversal in next falls fall's elections unless they appease appease appease ap ap- pease the agricultural floe bloc on Capitol Hill and the latter's powerful allies in the corn- corn wheat belt Danger signals first flashed a ared ared ared red glow in Democratic eyes when Ed ONeal head of the American Farm Bureau federation federation federation feder feder- showed signs of quitting the reservation Despite some differences he has hasin hasin hasin in general sympathized with withA A AAA A A policies But he has bucked Mr scheme of keeping levels below parity through sale of commodity credit cred cred- it stocks Mr ONeal unloosed his heaviest onslaught when he charged that F S A was paying poll taxes in southern states state an indictment provoking such unhappy repercussions that the president felt it necessary to in investigate investigate investigate in- in and answer The farm lobbyists lobbyist's most influential in influential influential in- in state subsidiary is lo located located lo- lo in Illinois w where h her e r e the Roosevelt Knox Roosevelt Marshall Marshall Field group is striving to knock off Senator C. C Wayland Brooks Be- Be parity low-parity distribution of federal federal federal fed fed- eral holdings has encountered no nomore nomore nomore more violent foe than Senator SC Scott ott Lucas who will manage the Brooks anti-Brooks campaign Scott prepared an amendment requiring requiring requiring ing Mr to abandon his price-depressing price deals but the senator was frightened off at the thelast thelast thelast last minute Now he and his associates are whispering to certain from whom Henderson and take orders One of the strangest inside chapters in the country's war effort effort effort ef ef- ef- ef fort involves the trio of men at atthe atthe atthe the top None of the three re responsible responsible responsible re- re for the greatest output output output out out- put of arms in history was originally originally originally nally spotted for the post he now occupies When President Roosevelt decided decided decided de de- de- de to create a special procurement procurement procurement procure procure- ment and production establishment establishment establishment establish establish- ment after the German invasion of western Europe he turned to Robert E. E Wood board chairman of Sears Roebuck and head of the America First committee F D R wanted the services of E. E P P. Brooks who supervises operations operations operations oper oper- in plants owned or controlled controlled controlled con con- trolled by the mail order house But the man sent to Washington Washing Washing- ton was Donald M. M Nelson the company's purchasing purchasing- agent The shift forced William S. S Knudsen to turn to the American Ameri Ameri- can Telephone and Telegraph company for a factory trouble- trouble shooter The person in mind was Walter S. S Gifford A AT ATT T T president pres pres- ident He was out of town and Vice President William H. H Harrison Harrison Harrison Har Har- rison came to the capital as a temporary substitute Within a afew afew afew few weeks Mr Knudsen said to Mr Harrison Youre the one I want After talking with Mr Nelson F D DR R pronounced a do verdict William L L. Batt also entered at the back door He visited the the offices of the original national defense defense advisory commission comission to investigate the chances of a steady supply of steel for his plant at Philadelphia Edward S. S an old friend grabbed him and Mr Batts Batt's versatile versatile versatile ver ver- performances have demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated demon demon- that it was a smart choice The three may yet become become become be be- come the most famous understudies understudies understudies under under- studies in the current world drama I Copyright 1942 McClure Syndicate |
