Evening star., 1942-03-12
The Political Mill
MeIIett's Expended information Center
Is Expected to Save Time and Money
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

ny 0oOAD LANSoLN.
"Give us information"-about
national defense. the progress Of
the program, how to take part in
the program, the progress Of the
war, and what Is happening in
the war zones. That cry has
gone up full-throated for weeks
and months from the public. the
press and the politicians.
President Roosevelt last Feb
ruary 2 wrote to Lowell Mellett,
director of the Office of Govern
ment Reports. directing him to
expand the facilities of the
United States Information Serv-
Ice and to provide one central
place to which visitors to the
Capital could 80 for information.
1t is clear from the Presidents
letter that he had in mind par
ticularly aiding the thousands
of businessmen who come here to
obtain advice and direction for
the utilization of their facilities
in the war effort.
Acting at the direction of the
President, Mr.. Mellett has gone
ahead with plans for expanding
the information service under
his jurisdiction, and new
building of the temporary type
is being erected in the very heart
of Washington to be the center
of information. 1t Is to cost
100000. Mr.. Mellett also has
asked for an increase of $285 900
to purchase more equipment and
to add to the personnel OF his
Office for the remainder OF the
present fiscal year.
Accused Of Wasting Funds.
In some quarters the cry for
information, so long sustained,
now has become a Macedonian
roar-of protest. The President
and Mr.. Mellett are accused OF
wasting money which should
rightfully 90 into the manufac-
ture of planes and tanks and
bombs. Certainly. II it was valu-
able to give the American busi-
nessman and other citizens COM
ing to Washington to do business
with their Government the in
formation how and where to do
that business, and with whom, be-
fore February 2. 1t Is still valu-
able. II 1t can be done far more
efficiently through this central
Office the effort will pay for it
self many times over, at a time
when the country is still not
using more than so per cent of its
productive capacity for war-as
Donald M. Nelson has just said.
How much is it going to cost
to construct the new building
which is to be the new home Of
the Office of Government Re-
ports, under which the United
States Information Service
comes? Or rather, how much
more is it going to cost than the
present facilities cost? The pres
ent headquarters Of the once of
Government Reports, at Four
teenth and G streets NV, are
rented by the Government.
These headquarters contain a lit
tie less than 10000 square feet
of Office space. The Government
rents this office space for $4,000
a year. The new building, which
lies in Government owned prop
erty at Fifteenth and Pennsyl-
vania avenue NV, will afford
$4,000 feet plus of ONCE space.
Rented at the same rate 1t
would cost s135,00o a year.
There will be no rent. In other
words, within five years the new
building will have paid for it
self, even If nothing is taken
into consideration beyond the
rent now paid out by the Gov
ernment.
No Overlapping.
The charge is made by critics OF
the new central information
home of the ONCE Of Govern
ment Reports that the o. G. r.
Is duplicating the work Of the