Evening star., 1933-11-26
BY OWEN L. SCOTT.

A sudden stiffening of attitude to-
ward newspaper men is showing itsel
throughout the Federal Offices here
| This change comedies with the appear
ance fer the first time Of organized op-
position to some Government policies
The order of Henry Morgenthau, jr.
Acting Secretary of the Treasury
/ clamping control on all news-even the
most triVial-from that department
was Just one manifestation OF the new
policy. This tight censorship was re-
laxed on Thursday to permit Issuance
of Treasury figures without interpreta-
ton.
Even Gen. Hugh S. Johnson, out
spoken recovery administrator, this
week began to pull his verbal punches
at press conferences. He is coming
more and more to use the words yes
and no when answering questions
that formerly brought threats to crack
down" on people On Tuesday he al
most got out an observation on the
aluminium industry. with which Andrew
Mellon, former Secretary of the Treas
ury. is concerned, but caught himself
in time.
Correspondents who have been cover
ing Washington for many years say
that the change from the period Of un-
bridled official conversation Is only
conforming to the needs OF the situ-
alton. They assert that in recent
months the impulse to talk has been
irresistible. But now, with opposition
developing and expressions of officials
bringing critical analysis. the demand
of politics calls for more unity in state
mentS and in statistics.
The President himself remains i'm
mune from the change. He still dis
cusSeS problems freely at his press con-
ferences and he is reported as con-
cerned with the developments that have
led to some control over what other de-
partments and their officials say.
Something of the background that
brought about the new situation leads
to an understanding OF it.
The first incident of importance oc-
CURED in October. when the Federal
Reserve in its monthly report on busl-
ness conditions included remark that
the decline in business activity ap-
peared to be especially severe in indus
tries operating under codes of fair COM
petition and those paying processing
taxes. This was interpreted by both
Gen. Johnson and Henry Wallace. Sec
retary of Agriculture, as a dig at the
recovery program for business and agri-
culture.
It was known that some officials in
the Federal Reserve Board did not look
with any great enthusiasm on the re-
covery experiments, so that this COM
ment created a stir. AS result when
the Reserve bulletin appeared this week
the space usually reserved for comment
on business conditions contained a por-
ton of President Roosevelt'S october
% address.
Then there was the situation at the
Treasury Department, where officials
had been pictured as outspoken in op-
position to the Presidents gold-ouylng
policy. Secretary Woodin is reported to
have said that there is too much talk
around here"
The President finally brought about
a change in officials, placing his close
friend, Mr.. Morgenthau, in charge as
Acting Secretary. After that came the
orders that no information, statistical
or otherwise, would come from the de-
partment until it had been passed on
by Herbert E. CASTOR, special assistant
to the Acting Secretary Mr. CASTOR Is
a former newspaper man.
In addition to these developments
there had appeared a release from the
Agricultural Adjustment Administration
publicity department making some
comparisons between the condition OF
the farmer in October and in May The
apparent purpose seemed to be to prove
that increased city prices had offset
the gains brought by the adjustment
program for farmers. AT any rate, the
Republican National Committee picked
I'D the release and used it to bulwark
a point it was making.
So now orders have gone out. They
involve the future comment of officials
and the interpreting OF Government
figures.
For several months there has been
an understanding in the Agricultural
Adjustment Administration that all in
formation should come through Alfred
Stedman, head of the publicity staff,
but this control has been merely nom
inal.
Now, however, the orders are that all
statistical information put out for gen.
eral use and carrying any interpreta-
ton is first to be submitted to the
Central Statistical Board for approval.
Those officials who may use figures to
back up special interpretations that
they may be making do so on their
own responsibility.
Passing on statistical Interpretation
is Winfield w. Rief1er, designated by
President Roosevelt as 'the interpreting
economist" Mr.. Riefler IS young man
who spent about 10 years with the
Federal Reserve Board before taking
up his present work a few months ago.
His charts and his figures and COM
ments have been coming to the Presi-
dent about week later than they have
reached the newspaper men in the
past. AS result Mr. Roosevelt at his
press conferences frequently would call
attention to figures that the newspaper
men had handled several days before.
And sometimes the interpretations