The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-02-09

RAGArS VIZ iI'tb it'' 49,
head Of the War
Council Of the Arts, and from this
mess OCD may have a hard time re-
covering.
II must be explained that Mayor
lLaGuardia Is getting out OF OCD.
That will come any time this month.
| A firal report is being made Tor The
mayor to show what good things he
has done. The organization OF CIV
ilian defense, in the correct mean
| ing of the word, Is for protection
against air raids and invasion. Ma
chircry has been set up by the
mayor for this job under the direc-
tioD Of Brigadier General CHASER.
And given time for a little more
training and given some equipment
in the way OF fire engines and gas
masks, this branch Of OCD Will
really be ready TO function. THIS
sctup fortunately is untouched by
the Lands reorganization.
In all other departments OF OCD
Dean Lands Is conducting a big
Shake-up, apparently with the idea
OF making OCD an absolutely lnde-
pendent agency with no strings tied
to the War Production Board or Of
flee OF Emergency Management.
Mrs Roosevelt is to stay, the only
difference here being that her d.
visions is TO have Il slightly changed
name, the Division Of Community
and Volunteer Participation. Else
where there are to be some new
faces.
LANA, TOO?
Divorcing OCD from control OF
other organizations, though Still
planning liaison with them for gar
den projects, nutrition campaigns
and such frills, Dean Lands had the
idea he should have new depart
mcnt OF information independent
from the public relations depart
ments OF other war agencies OF WPB
ard OEM which have been under
the direction Of Robert w. Horton,
who used to be a ncWSpaperman
himself.
Over the weekend The Dean named
movie actor Melvyn Douglas as the
new OCD director OF information. II
wasn't officially announced, but the
Office telephone directories were
changed and the orders were pre-
pared to make Douglass boss OF the
Job.
The word leaked out and the
Washington Post went TO town. 1T
wrote up the impending appoint
meLt in the style OF Variety, the hot
ticks trade paper OF the amusement
world, and kidded OCD and poor Mr.
Douglas half to death, Lana Turner
was mentioned as Douglas assist
ant because 'In last H'Wood black
out she copied big hand on incen-
diary bomb routine done with sweat
ers". The piece went on to say that
Wouglas was dickering with Adrian
TO make over Army dress ensembles
and that Mae West had signed TO
head the Womens activities. Wash
ingtOn roarcd.
Dean Lands called a press confer
cncc TO set everything straight.
vi JIt Wdo
the announcement that actor Doug
las would not head the division Of
information, but was TO head new
War Council Of the Arts which
would direct the talent OF the coln-
actors, artists, singers
and such experts, so that the artiS-
tic expressions would be In tune with
the aim OF the government during
The war emergency.
The unfortunate goat is Melvyn
Douglas, whose only crime seems to
be that he knows Eleanor Roosevelt
and has been Il guest at the White
House. That got him into this mess,
for 1t Is Mrs. Roosevelt who seems TO
be saying what goes on in OCD.
GOOD GUY
Douglas Is nice guy and he
means well. He has served as IA
member of the California State Re
lief Commission AS director OF the
Screen Actors Guild, he has taken
a leading part In annual drives for
relief OF broken-doWn, INDECENT, has
been actors. With Burgess Mere
dith, Douglas organized artists for
the preliminary propaganda work
OF Fight for Freedom and the Com
mittec to Defend America. The
congressional charge that Douglas
Is parlor pink Is excess steam.
After Dean Lands press confer
ence Douglas was located in bare
10 by II room, shades drawn. He
has to go back to Hollywood in Il
couple OF weeks to make new pic
turc. He doesn't know what the
name Of 1t is-he never knows the
names Of his new pictures, he says,
until he reads about them In the
movie gossip columns. This is just
like Washington-hc didn't know
what he was getting in for at OCD
TIL he read about IL In the papers.