Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-04

man being made the public
relations officer at West Point
is one Of hose little Spring
Johnny-jdmp-ups in the fis%s
which might start people think
ine a bit, if they would take time
out for this unique exercise.
The appointee, Lieut.. Col.
Meade Wildrick, has been for
the last few years vice president
of the New York City advertis-
ing firm of Birmingham, Castle
man e. Pierce. In. having
previously built distinguished
career in the army. He is an
officer of high attainment and,
hN ali accounts of similar stand--
ing in the advertising world.
There are no doubt some brass
hats in the army who would
run a temperature over this
business of having the army
communicate with the public
through a public relations Off
! Ger. which it does now. al WASH
ington as well as West Point.
+ Old Commodore Vanderbilt said
"the public be damned. but in
the last few decades we have re-
vised our ideas about that, both
in war and peace
IL is only since the last big Z
war that we thought OF public
relations counsel as euphem-
ism for press agent.
It has had some unpleasant
connotations 10 newSpapermen.
on guard against poachers on
newspaper space. but the phrase
now seemS 10 haze made The
grade possibly because the pub
lie has become more clearly
established as an entity with
W10m IT + adVIsdD1C 10 nave
-ialn-44-,.4-i -sl..t-4>ll.st 4l-4tlnIaS- -
you want 10 get anywhere.
T1IS goes particularly in the
DAYS OF war and rumors OF
war. because. IN this age. even
Inst a little Sand-iot war involves
al the public as neve before IN
all history Officers of public re-
lauons are going 30 be mighty
important army functionarics
from now
Ii the army OF the North had
had a good public relations Of
flee in the Cival War. the strug-
gle might have been greatly
Shortened. and many thousands
o. lives might have been saved.
" 1861 Lincoln picked Gen.
George Brinton Mcclellan to sue
coed the aged Gen Winfield
Scott. refining as head of the
army Mcclellan was gifted.
efFatie, ambitious. bat bit
SNOWY and tactleSs. with a pen
chant for getting in bad with all
hands
Lincoln correctly measured his
ability and loyalty and was in
hnitely patient with his tumble
footed approach to anything that
had 10 90 with the public.
Fire-cating aboliilonists were
yelling for a big slambang war,
with no holds barred Amateur
soldiers with political backing
were pressing hard for commls-l
- horn
getting them Ravenous job
seekers were Swarming into all
the services of Supply and equip
ment. and Washington was
Cra7vffrfr -tt-fftt 4hf-Seihe#eFsr defeat
lists. and vappant- and -HltilaHt
viiffierS of HineelH, his army,
Mcclellan and the conduct Of
the war in general
IT WAS DAY of most intern
perate language In public con-
troversy. with invective running
hog-wild and even such clear
headed man as Wendell Phillips.
caught in this maelstrom of VI
tuperation. found that Lincoln
was falling in the conduct of
the war. and appraiSe.. him as a.
small man. incapable of meeting
this test of history.
Lincoln. n now revealed by
the record of those years. had
a clear. definitely conceived plan
which took into account many
dchcately poised issues which
were not explained then but
which could have been put before
the public by a competent pub
lie relations officer
II is undueStionably true that
the general public ignorance and
msapprelrnsion fed the fires
of confusion. rfuddling and
laundering which thwarted the
northern effort in the opening
years of the war
With an intelligent liaison
with the public. General Nc
Clellan might have done much
better. But Re had a dog-fight
behind his own lines TO contend
with. as we'll as a war, and Lin
coin had TO replace HIM by Gen.
erai Halleck
He continued on duty but
later was superseded by Burn
side. Withdrew angrily from the