Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-03
Washington
Gets a New
Office (OFF).
Another Layer Added
TO Propaganda Phase


in the propaganda phase of the
government program. Another
layer is being added now. 1t is
to be called. impressively. the
office of facts and figures.
hereafter to be known as OFF,
Col. Wild Bill" Donovan
wanted OFF TO add to his equal
~ over-named office of infor-
nation" (wh ich broadcasts
pro-Allied news abroad.) Mayor
LaGuardia of New York, who is
not so tame himself, desired it
with equal ardor and superior
backing. The President finally
appointed the poet Archibald
MacLeish to look after the So
called facts and figures. and thus
left 1t nearer LaGuardia's hands
than Donovan's. Candidates con-
sidered for the advisory board
lthey will give it the flavor) in
clude Mrs. Roosevelt, LaGuar-
dia. Donovan and Lowell Mellett,
who was really first in this
government propaganda busi-
ness although his office of gov
ernment reports" is the bottom
layer now.
In Mr.. Donovan's behalf, it
must be related, he was busy
fighting Nelson Rockefeller at
the time over who was going to
control propaganda to Latin
America. Mr.. Donovan lost that
fight, too. The President de-
cided Rockefeller's bureau of
Commercial and cultural rela-
tons" should handle the posi-
bilities in facts, figures for the
Latins.
DUT- Mr.. Donovan has stopped
- them otherwise. He has
moved into the vacated naval
hospital and has raided the news
rooms of Washington press
bureaus for talent. My money
is on him for another good
reason. He has quietly acquired
a brain trust. In the govern
mental propaganda trade here
il has become known as Dono-
vans faculty club" an .organi-
zation similar to Hitler's politi-
cal institute. In,clu d e d are
scientists. psychologists. profess
sors and just ordinary nom
thinking writers. The group
meets at the Library of Con-
gress, where MacLeish, as
librarian, has offered the run
of the place. They collect all
kinds of information about for
eign countries, armies. navies,
economics, not for publication
but for the President and gov
eminent officials.
Colonel Donovan would have
been further along than he is.
if State Secretary Hull had not
defeated him on another idea.
Donovan set UP the machinery
for 20 minutes service, promis-
ing TO furnish the answer for
any criticism made against
American foreign policy in that
length of time. 1t was not the
time but the substance that
irked Hull. He insisted on his
right to state foreign policy.
The Commute ser vice was
dropped.
THIS country may need facts
l. and figures" but need not
hold its breath until the new
set-up delivers them. The office
by that name is to work directly
under command Of the President
not TO feed out demonstra-
tons of its title to the press or
public. but TO offer suggestions
to the grand army of publicity
agents in the government from
top to bot tom. That simply
means the MacLeish organiza-
ton will exert an overall control
over established avenues of off,
cial news.
IT Is not possible 10 explain
L fully how Mr.. Roosevelt's
shoot at sight" theory is work.
ing up into a get shot first"
actually. The navy is on a war
footing in publicity as otherwise.
What its destroyers are doing on
the high seas is a military secret.
Indeed. Mr.. Roosevelt has an
nounced that even if our ships
should happen 10 sight a sub
first and sink it. the news would
not be announced. He would not
want the NaZis to know what
happened. he said.
The penetrating fact, however.
is that while Mr.. Roosevelt'S
policy is aggressive. the naval
operation is defensive. our de-
Stroyers are protecting conveys.
Many more lives of our men are
10 be lost. and much more fight
ing tonnage than the NaziS will
lose is certainly doomed, by the
very nature of the operation.
II is bound TO be a losing battle
when measured in either men
or ships.
Navy tried 10 do little better
in giving out the destruction of
the Reuben James. Announce
ment was made so promptly,
most high officials of the Navy
heard il first on the radio and
then called their publicity head
quarters 10 inquire.
Navy Secretary Knox like