The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-06-19

di second 'front.' of land nya colonel mastery
ence of the autho will perhaps cost
at first casualties but will In the terrapin and the
bring quick end Hitler and predatory animals
the long will unnumbeed noteworthy.
mazes the sprawlng administrative buildings grim
state of the nations being home Now democ
at and the sight is something stirring sometimes
depressing certainly confusing confusing the conflicting
directions of the war effort itself
With BreathIess Haste
Here in department all hands are working with
breahes haste seemingly undo the work of the crowd
the department Out of this door those dres in
little brief authority issue orders directly controverng
the orders that have just been promulgated by those entering
that door.
Subalterns issue statements 10 o'clock which
pudated by their superors at half TO- Conscientious
correspondents throw away their voumnous notes to write
their INSIDE stories by Harassed drift from
outer bench another pouring their tales of into the
any other equally passerby Clerks bearing
memoranda marked, 'Rush! Important Confdential crawl
snake down the Hobbies to be by other clerks hurry
ing to the cafeteras take you into the corner
to tell what dumb Dummies morale coordnaors really
That's the depressing confusing side of this effort
the Washington front. It's 'muddng through with a
vengeance right But somehow you have the feeling
maybe it's just wshfu thinking, that things will eventually
straghen out that all tape Implications
tradiction sheer tragic of good branpower will
day be cleaned up and we will to town against the
common enemy.
thing however, that will have be Strengthened out
before that happy event the determination of
enemy Contrary to the opinion which still to
be held by authority Washington enemies
not among American workers, farmers, consumers.
realize that critics and dsseners and other folks who
pleasant people to have around when things have
be done in hurry realize too, that you can't
by referendum fight battle by committees But also
realize that pushing plain people off their collective feet
get things DONE that democracy and that
policies that are being made in the capital will fight much
harder and effectively than people who look to Washing
ton remote and mystic place whence issue stream of
contradictory edicts decrees and directives
Patience of the Trained
The stirring thing Washington today is the way in
which the ordinary rank and file civil service worker in the
various departments commissions and agencies ackng his
her job That job has been infinitely complicated by
psychological and physical factors The rank and file of the
that businessmen four five out of col
ege would not sniff at being paronzed pushed around
and generally told where to get off by invading of
all OF whom have theories many OF whom have
be ground but few of whom know just exactly where
they going that they all dressed in their
uniforms I
any noviate through the orders
of the invaders not radionaist do think the old
schooe fitting symbol these streamlned days.
there something said patience with which
with long training in the exacng business of government toll
the historical ones who have been wished upon them and
then go quietly about their business, without complaint
To watch jittery warbug who has been week in
Washington sounding off to veteran government worker
overcrowded underpad sight to gladden.
rons There times when you wonder not at the confu
all about but at the fact that in the midst of it.
obrusve workers with genuine of public stewardship
can get anything done. "
1t has become fashionable talk of and Off
despots and look orebodngy with Burnham
others the approach of managerial revolution brief
acquaintance with the rank and file of public servants
he researchers the of SCIENCE the experts rather than
ete should convince nonpartisan how baseess
hese charges and fears p
Doors and Mouth Shooters j
If, most likely, to have and more
government private affairs must learn to know Len
which the doors and which the mouthshooters in Wash
ngton and elsewhere Unfortunately is the mouhshoot
who the front But the grim test of
will shake them out eventually 1t is DID, old stuff but the
ruth the that get the of public
deserve. tie
say Washington agencies
ionng either efficiently democratcay Jerome Frank hit
he nail the head when he titled his book IF Men
We're Angels look with great deal of dstrus the
outline work of such agencies the RFC the FB such
organizations the Donovan committee the Office of Facts
nd Figures IN
Certainly there few angels around these places But
the it comforting to know that against official
tyranny have strong democratic the baobox oil
ongress the strengthening of civil liberties whereas against
financial and industrial overords such at
and pL
In the meantime there is Washington capital the lii
aare of whose inhabitants paying confused cock
city but still the nations chief depository for
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