Evening star., 1942-05-16
Press Helped Create
Confusion on Gas
Ration, President Says
Letter to Governor Of
Vermont Declares U. S.
Agencies Acted Slowly
BY the Associated Press.

by the ASoOclhtcQ freos.
MONTPELIER, VT, May l6.--
President Roosevelt, commenting on
the origin of conflicting reports con-
cerning gasoline rationing, was
quoted last night as saying that
the "press initially contributed to
the confusion and this confusion was
not reduced as rapidly as might
have been by Government depart
ments most directly concerned"
The statement was contained in
a letter to Gov. William H. Wills,
who said he released it with White
House approval.
In a telegram to President RooSe-
velt on April 2, Gov. Wills had
criticized "cross- purpose announce
ments originating in Washington
from many governmental agencies
which there abound"
The Governor quoted the Presl-
dents reply as stating:
You are right, of course. thaE
conflicting reports from Washington
on anything so important in Amer
lean life as gasoline rationing are
disruptive of morale; you are also
right that there were seriously con-
flicting reports about this matter.
However, in this instance as in other
instances where there been seriously
conflicting reports of developments,
the difficulty is not one which is
exclusively within the power Of the
executive branch of Government to
control.
First Report Not Official.
For example, the first report
emanating from Washington that
gasoline might be restricted to from
212 to 5 gallons per week was not
an official Government report. 1t
was a press report based on some
relatively informed conjectures by
newspaper correspondents about
what might reasonably be expected
to be the ration. Thereafter Sec
retary of Interior Ickes, who directs
the Office of Petroleum Co-ordina-
ton, remarked at his press confer
ence that he thought this estimate
| too low and a conflict Of opinion
upon the subject was thus presented
to the American people. 1t detracts
relatively little from the seriousness
of the conflict that it was not due
to conflict within governmental de-
partments.
THE estimate of ration attributed
properly attributed.
"A stenographic report of Mr..
Ickes' observations on the situation
discloses he neither attributed an
estimate of 212 to gallons per week
to Mr.. Henderson nor questioned it
on that basis.
It cite these facts not only to
clarity the record, but also to indi-
cate the problem of conflicting
statements, which distresses you as
it distresses me, as much broader
than one which can be easily ham
died by executive departments Of
the Government.
La I4lAo NocN NAlC E4No~' AAA4SAoA%y
contributed to the confusion and
this confusion was not reduced as
rapidly as it might have been by
Government departments most dl-
rectly concerned.
Serve to Disrupt Morale.
I'm other important cases such as
those having to do with rubber sup
plies there have been direct con-
| fiicts between statements purporting
to be those of fact by authorized
spokesmen of executive departments
and members of Congress. These
conflicts can only have served, as I
think you are right in saying that
conflicting statements about the ra-
tioning program served, to disrupt
public morale.
I'VE face the extremely difficult
problem of avoiding the type of
statements of fact which you cite
and at the same time preserving to
the maximum the freedoms for
which we are fighting"
He said the President declared it
was the patriotic duty of every pub
lie person" to avoid conflict in
statements of fact, adding:
Most of the nations with which
we now are at war for survival
would handle this problem very
simply-by fiat.
There would be no conflicts Of
official or seemingly official state
ments of fact because those who
made them would be disposed of if
Ho