The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-10

For something to compare the Al with, 1t might be mentioned tha there are 500 accredited newspaper correspondents in Washington, GOV ering not only defense, but thu whole town. And the 475 does no include the 30 OEM field publicity men nor the unknown. scores ol hundreds of Army and Navy officers assigned to press relations work 1T the field.
 WHAT IT COSTS,
 WHERE IT GOES
 As to what all this defense pubic relations work costs, 1t Is possible only to guess and. give incomplete estimates.
 The OEM costs are definitely budgeted and in order, approved bS congressional appropriation a1lt all on the record: payroll of $570,, 900; travel, $30Oo0; miscellaneou, current expenses, $150,000. Total $750,000. The Army and Navy cost! are beautifully concealed.
 When the War Department camI before Congress last spring to asl for It's funds for the fiscal year be. ginning July 1, 1941, Maj. Gen. Rob. ert 0. Richardson, Jr., then chic of the new Army Bureau of Public Relations, asked for only $45000 Under questioning, General Rich. ardson explained that in the last World War the Army publicity wa! handled by the George Greet com. i1ittee on information, which wal openly propaganda bureau. The new Army Bureau of Public Rela- tionS, the general explained, wa definitely not a propaganda bureau It was set up merely to give in. formation.
 Army officers or the Ill civilians
 None of the salaries of the s doing public relations work in the War Department in Washington nor the officers and enlisted men assigned to this. work at each camp are charged against the information services of the press branch, the radio branch, photographic branch procurement and contract infoY- nation branch, planning branch, ol the whopping big intelligence and Information branch which clips newspapers and tries to keep c fn- ger on the public pulse to see how the country feels about the Army All that is charged up to regular line of duty.
 PUBLICTTY-THE OLD
 ARMY GAME
 Tn democracy, the Army belongs to the people. It must be popular So the Army has played the public relations game, played 1t hard and in most instances, played 1t well.
 Every effort has been made te avoid censorship, but as Genera Richardson explained. when Con. gTessman George Mahon of Colo rado City, Tex, asked him what he did about adverse, unfair aI1c improper publicity, T have writer to the editor myself and have ther, given him the correct data and, i every case, have had a very nice ACbtSk UHSh 4EOkkb 4IAb1s
 The Navy's job has been a little different. Not having the same de- gree of expansion to go through not having to use Selective service men. not being handy for the close inspection of the folks from home and having to deal with more secrets the Navy public relations job has been one of keeping on the course and making sure nobody rocked the boat. To that extent there is a shade more of the censorship ele- ment In the Navy job than there is in the Arfny's.
 But what the Nays press jot costs iS as buried as is the Army's In the naval appropriation bill there is no clear-cut budget for the public relations work now under Rear Admiral A. J. Hepburn, his staff of 36 naval officers and 6e enlisted and civilian assistants in Washington. A few jobs are men, toned specifically. There is one item of $500o for the entertainment of publicistS and commentators.
 Why do you need to entertain them?" asked Congressman John Taber Of Auburn, N. Y,
 Tt Is intoxicating them with the naval point of view on defense mat ters."
 "%hy not write them a letter about it?" asked Congressman Rich- ard B. Wigglesworth of Milton, Mass.
 We have" was the Nayy,s an- swcr, and there the matter was end cd
 Then there was an item of SIS, 900 for increasing morale at some 60 industrial centers having naval con- tracts.
 HANDOUTS BY
 THE HUNDREDS
 Both Army and Navy press sec- tions have what are known as "handout" services, duplicated sheets of information on keel lay- inss, ship launchings, new con- tracts, camp locations, some produc- tion figures and copies of speeches delivered by the gold Stripers and the secretaries and assistant secre- taries. From 50 to 100 sheets of this are issued every day and are available on request or by mail to publications, radio stations and newsreels.
 The real heavy job of defense publicity, however, has fallen on the civilian once of Emergency Man. agement organization of OPM, OCD, and the like. DENIS budget. on top of the $750,O 900 listed ct the begin ming of this article for salaries, travel, and miscellaneous items, in- cludes &l22.4OO for press releases, the duplicating of an average of e5 nanns a dar fsomhinad. Arllhv and