Evening star., 1938-06-26
QUESTION CLINIC

are constantly dropping in to check on
pertinent data about Government de-
partments.
And speaking of data: "One per-
fectly amazing feature of our work is
the faithfulness with which people re-
turn Government publications and
other material loaned for theses and
the like" we were told
Five thousand by cards carry
record of all this and much more data.
Those cards have everything We can
find on them" Harriet Root said
smilingly They must be nice to have
around when the phone rings ana
some one asks whether the morato-
rum is still in effect on mining loans
if certain committee meeting is in
executive session or open to the pub
lie: or what became of certain
agency and where are the records
The United States Information
Service probably had its inception in
the Public Information Bureau estab-
lished here during the World War,
and was the Government helping
hand extended early in 1884 to the
countless thousands who flocked into
Washington. hunting bewilderedly for
things in general and certain people
in particular Experience gained then
stands the service personnel in good
stead today for scarcely a day passes
but what Western Union or Postal
Telegraph calls and asks where a
particular person can be found
Often, they have only the name to
work on other times, they can get
lead from the body Of the telegram
Oh, there's seldom a dull day at the
United States Information Service.
BUT every now and then they have
real red letter day, such as the
morning that a woman frantically
besought worker to find my next
door neighbor, Mr.. Jones His wife
is away and the house is burning
down." The helpful lady knew only
that Mr.. Jones was IAN accountant
somewhere in the Government" But
the United States Information Service
is armed for just such emergencies
and speedily tracked down the gentle
man at the General Accounting Of
flee so speedily in fact that he
arrived home Just after the fire
wagons.
Another case was that where a lead
ing airline wrote for help in locating a
young lady who had Endorsed her Gov
ernment check incorrectly while en-
route to the Middle West. Then a
really queer thing happened" Miss
Root said reminiscently What do
you think we found? Two women OF
the same name had flown to Chicago
over that line during that one week.
The first one We called said that she
hadn't cashed the check, but the sec
ond girl had and remedied the sigma.
ture. That shows how big your Gov
eminent really is
There was touch of pathos in a
certain mothers appeal to find her
only son who had run away to sea.
She said only that he would sail from
an Eastern port on a certain day and
wanted him to know of her forgive
ness. THE Navy Radio Corps came
to our rescue there and got the mes
sage through" the story ended.
And so the record runs. The head
Of this versatile bureau says that her
Jobs fun" Harriet Root should have
good perspective on jobs, for she's
had some pretty important ones. Born
in Northern Ohio, she is a Wellesley
graduate and served overseas during
the World War with the Wellesley
College unit, working with the French
refugees and the American armies.
Later she joined the disaster reserve
section Of the American Red Cross
and has seen her share of fire, flood
and public disaster since then. Hap
pened to be here during the cotton
distribution program in late 1882"
Came for three months and is still
here--and you know the rest Of the
I