Evening star., 1942-04-06
Too Many Cooks

Before we entered the war there
was definite intent on the part of at
least some administration advisers
to avoid, in case of war, the sort
of high-powered propaganda that
George Creel developed in 1917-18.
In those days of peace the reasons
for wishing to avoid it sounded
rather compelling. A people delib-
=erately whipped up in their emotions
to the feverS of war hate would be
unable to consider calmly the prob
lens Of making wise peace, solution
of which might avoid another early
conflagration.
Regardless of the merits of such
theory, Pearl Harbor caught us with
no definite policy on propaganda
and war news. Lacking the guild
ance Of such policy, the Govern
ments propaganda and publicity
machine, already large, grew like
Topsy. Hundreds of mediocre press
agents were added to inflated pay
rolls, publicity agencies now are over
manned and overlapping and there
results a sadly botched Job of public
relations between the Government
and the people.
It Is, therefore, encouraging to note
that study is being given to formula
ton of permanent policy on war news
and Government publicity and that
the authorities are seeking some one
to head a reorganized publicity ma
chine and to administer a carefully
considered policy. The man so
chosen will have 2 tough assignment,
and the Presidents most difficult
task, in this connection, is to select
the right man. The wrong man will
bungle the Job disastrously.
BY way of illustration, the Office
of Censorship, which has the un-
pleasant duty of suppressing news
and which by tradition should be the
butt of ridicule and the source of
unending dissatisfaction, thus far
has functioned smoothly and eff
ciently, without serious complaint
from anybody. The explanation lies
In acceptance by the press of the
idea of intelligent military censor
ship and in the caliber of men Sc
lected to exercise it. They all are men
who made a success of their Jobs
before being called to Washington
and they know their business. While
censoring news, they are themselves
sincere advocates of free press and
they entertain no freakish notions
of suppressing opinion by putting
editors in jail.
On the other hand, the legionS Of
press agents who infest the Govern
ment establishments, including the
new propaganda agencies, are the
subject of continued criticism and
complaint. Many of them are
wholly unqualified for their jobs.
Some of them presume to exercise
Judgment over what is fit to print,
not merely military information but
any information. Some of them
demonstrate an infantile conception
of the function of the press by
threatening non-conforming re-
porters and editors with incarcera-
tion. And many of them, being un-
Justly held to account by their su-
periors for what the newspapers
print, attempt to have printed only
that which pleases their superiors.
There are far too many press
agents, too many incompetent press
agents and too little understanding
of their function, which is to facili-
tate the gathering of facts by the
press. Half of them could be let out
without loss and those retained
should be taught that they are not
responsible for molding public opin-
ion, a process which is best left to an
intelligent public which will form its
own.