The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-07-23
THE PRESS AGENTS.

practice of employing "press agents
in the Government departments
The most recent case is that of Con
gresham Humphrey of Washington
who is on the trail of the publicit.
purveyors of the Department of Ag
riculture. He wants to know witt
they are, what they do, how the.
are appointed.
The department authorities vii
make no mistake if they go bold!
to. the defense of their publicity or
ganization and methods. In fact, i
they would frankly proclaim tina
they need more press agents, more
money to pay them, the privilege Of
paying bigger salaries, they would
make a fetching case.
Some twenty million dollars q
year are expended on the Depart.
ment of Agriculture. That work
would be well-nigh worthless with.
out full and effective publicity for it
Farmers, cooperative societies in
cities, towns, and villages, stock
Snen, horticulturists, builders OF
roads, all manner of people. want &C.
cess to the valuable material de-
veloped by the researches of the
department.
If Uncle Sam had to pay money,
at reading space rates, for the pub
licity. that newspapers and periodi-
calls freely and gladly give to the
work CT the department, the annual
appropriation would likely have to
be doubled. This publicity is abso-
lutely necessary in order to make
the work useful.
What on earth would be the use
discovering a method of raising
more corn on an acre, if the method
couldn't be communicated to people
who raise corn? Who would benefit
by the discovery of a process of cur
ing hog cholera, if the hog raisers
never learned about the process?
The wheat crop this year is the
greatest on record. Why?
A number of years ago agents of
the department found in north At
RIGA a variety of wheat adapted to
seui-arid regions, and brought it to
this country. 1t was exactly adapt
ed to the needs of our great half
dry belt between the Missouri river
ana the Rockies.
This year, the output of durum
wheat will Just about represent the
amount of the crops excess ever an
ordinary yield.
1t cost the Government almost
nothing to introduce durum wheat.
The agricultural and other periodi-
Gals, and the newspapers provided
the publicity that led farmers to
sow durum wheat. Now millions of
acres go into it annually.
But the publicity could not have
been secured if there had not been
publicity experts TO prepare and fur
nish to a willing press material that
would command attention to the new
discovery.
Suppose there had been no way to
secure all this publicity; what would
have happened?
Some enterprising promoter,
shopping around the department,
would have discovered that durum
wheat had been found, and was
good thing, He>would have imported
i lot of it, advertised its qualities,
carried on an expensive campaign
of promotion, and sold the seed to
such farmers as could afford to buy
it, at impossible figures. The alb
sence of press and publicity agency
in the department would have been
a fine thing for that promoter. But
it would have made well-nigh i'm
possible, save after long and ex-
pensive campaign Of exploitation by
private interests, the general intro
dUction of this most valuable grain.
Again, an expert in the depart
ment invented the hog cholera
serum. Every detail of informatioa
about it was given to the public
just as soon as its success was Ger
tain. How 70 make it, how to ad-
minister it, what it ought to cost,
was taught to the public. If there
had not been a publicity organiza-
ton, capable of preparing copy" on
the subject that would commend it.
self to publishers, this would have
been impossible. The free publicity
that was gladly provided by the
press did the business. But you
can't get free publicity without first
preparing acceptable copy"
The Washington Congressman
picked q most unfortunate depart
ment against which to direct his at
tack on the press agents. The Gov
eminent might about as we'll shut
up and discontinue the Department