The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-05-31

Washington, May 31.-Never ernment has any administration hired so many members of the press.
 While this is not news, it has become the subject of consider able comment recently because of attacks on the New Deal for un. dermining the press.
 Most of these atatcks far from tell the whole story. The most savage of them even listed mes sengers and officials retained from the Hoover administration among tn paid propagandizers of President Roosevelt.
 The struggle for favorable press relations, of course, is an old one. Every administration and every big corporation or private lobby-tries to get a favorable press. And every reporter in Washington knows this.
 The result Is that every state- ment released, whether it comes from the White House, the Iron . .and Steel Institute. the Veterans lobby or the Daughters of the American Revolution, is evalu- ated. And with ninety per cent of the Washington correspon- dents-from cane-toting prima donnas to cub reporters-the only thing that counts is news. Publicity Army
 The hiring of a large army of newspapermen under the New Deal has not changed this-ex- cept in one respect. New Deal publicity agents are more eff cient than the average. Most of them are conscientious and quick.
 The few who have attempted usually under orders-tO sup press information have got into immediate hot water. Many of them, furthermore, occupy far more important positions than publicity agents. They are ex- ecutivcs and advisers in their departments.
 Here are some of the most outstanding among the so-called propagandists for the New Deal:
 HERBERT GASTON prob- ably was more scathingly cri- ticized than any other press of ficer in Washington when first he took over that job for Secre- tary Morgenthau. Gaston has now changed all this. He has also brought out tine human qualities in his chief, to whom he acts as adviser on score of subjects besides press rela- tions.
 HENRY SUYDAM deserted an enviable position with The Brooklyn Eagle and the reputa- ton of being one of the most brilliant members of the press corps, to become crime adviser to Attorney General Cummings. His job is to try to educate the public that crime does not pay and that the Dillingers should not be lionized.
 MISS MARSHALL COLES, publicizer of the Blue Eagle, and lone of the few members of the MIRA who still remains with that organization, is the only woman in charge of a government press office. Incidentally, she is con- sidered one of the ablest and most hard-working of the entire army.
 GUY D. MCKINNEY, publicity man for the eco, once was a star reporter for The Chicago Tribune, but was pushed out to make room for John Boettiger, now son-in-law of the president, when the latter was transferred from Chicago to Washintgon. Mckinney has become more of an administrative assistant to his chief, Robert Fechner, who has a rare talent for biunder- ing.
 MICHAEL sTRAUs, another Chicago reporter, was brought to the Capital to guide the public pathway of his friend Harold Ickes, also from Chicago, us administrator of Public Works. Straus has his figer in most Of what is going on in PWA and hase become one of the chief advisers in the organization
 NORMAN BANTER, press of- (taow .f ehn Daannaf ralQflon lfl.