Evening star., 1940-11-17

Mellett a crusading New Dealer, the
President took him into the Government
soon thereafter as a director of the Ma
tional Emergency Council.
The work of this council was absorbed
by Government reorganization into the
Office of Government Reports, directly
attached to the presidential Office. Mel
lett continued as director and lately he
became one of the Presidents admin
istrative assistants. Evidences have been
given of a growing disposition on the
part of the President to be guided by
MeIetts advice on the publicity activities
of the Government and its relations, in
general, with the press, radio and movies.
The Office of Government Reports
assists Federal field agencies, seeks to
prevent overlapping of their functions
and makes suggestions to State officers
regarding local legislation, which the
Government desires to have passed in
order to supplement Federal laws.
Regional offices are maintained through
out the country, and from these come
releases to the press on the work of the
Government agencies. The central Office
dispenses information, on request, TO
members Of Congress Of all parties and
rams an elaborate press clipping service
for the benefit of the Government de-
partments and agencies.
No Potential Goebbels.
Mellett's widespread influence through
out the Government, partly through the
dOzsy, Or- en- mar, ,,1ocad -, ~. lorar4
ments as publicity agents on his recon-
mendatOn, is unqueStiOnable. but to
picture him as a potential Goebbels, as
some critics of the administration have
done, is preposterously wide of the mark.
If war comes, and Federal informa-
ton agency on the order Of the Creel
Board in the last war is created. it seems
altogether likely that MeIlett will be
named as its head.
An elaborate survey of the output and
costs of the Federal publicity services
was made in 1867 by the Brookings
institution, acting as a research agency
Tor special Senate committee (the Byrd
committee) inquiTing into the organiza-
ton OF the executive branch of the Gov
year 1886, 146 persons were engaged IN
Government publicity work on a full
time and 124 on a part-time basis. The
committee estimated that a total of
S521 900 was paid out in salaries during
the year to persons engaged solely in
publicity work or persons a part of whose
time was allocated to that purpose. In
addition, salaries totaling $81 900 were
paid to persons who were employed
partly on publicity work. but whose time
could not be allocated. Salaries of S.. 900
year and over were being paid to 26
full-time and 81 part-time publicity
employees.
1t was estimated that in the three
month period July-September, 1886, Fed
eraI agencies prepared 4,794 news re-
leases and issued a total of 7,139.457
copies. These releases went to 2,28o .963
persons whose names appeared on 1904
mailing lists.
The Government Printing Office,
largest printing plant in the world, with
$500 employees and an annual budget of
around $4,000 900, turns out about 70
periodicals for the executive agencies.
The circulation of these ranges from
200 to 100000.
Ban Imposed in 1918.
Congress from time to time has i'm
posed restraints on administrative pub
hcity Thus, in 1918, law was enacted
prohibiting the use of Federal funds
for the employment of publicity ex-
pert" unless such funds were specific
ally earmarked by Congress for that
purpose. This law grew out of an an
nouncement by the Civil Service Com
mission that it purposed to hold COM
petitive examination for the position
of publicity expert" in the Office of
Public Roads, Department of Agri-
culture. Offering a prohibitive measure
in the House, Representative Gillett,
Republican, of Massachusetts said it
would be contrary to public policy to
permit the employment of a press agent
ito extol and exploit the virtues of this
department"
The passage of the 1918 law, which
remains on the books, resulted in the
employment of publicity men under such
titles as Director of Information"
"Chief Educational Officer" "Chief. Di-
tsee ROSS. Page c-3)