Evening star., 1942-10-24
KayK Kyser Deferment
Asked by Officials,
New Yorker Tells Nye
Senutor 'Misinformed'
On Orchestra Leaders
Droft Stotus, He Says

Charges by Senator Nye. Re-
publican, of North Dakota, con-
cerning the draft-deferred status
of Kay Kyser, the orchestra leader,
drew a reply today from a New
York advertising executive that the
Senator was absolutely misin-
formed"
Asserting in Senate speech yes
terday that great effort is being
extended" to have certain movie
and radio stars deferred, Senator
Nye cited Mr.. Kyser as an example
and saio, ut doesn't seem to be the
Government that initiated keeping
Kyser at home"
c. j. La Roche, advertising agency
executive, said in New York that
Senator Nye was absolutely mis-
informed" about Mr.. Kyser, and
that the orchestra leaders defer
ment had been initiated by the
Government and not by any COM
mercial source"
Attacks Willkie and Luce.
Senator Nye's remarks about Mr..
Kyser came during an attack on
Wendell L. Willkie and Henry Luce,
magazine editor, for "harshly criti-
cizing" and severely prodding" the
British in way that could ALLEVIATE
Britain.
He suggested that instead of
making second-front statements,
Mr.. Willkie, as an executive OF a
great moving picture production
firm, give little of his energy to
determining just how the movie and
radio stars are being treated under
the draft"
Senator Nye declared the British
people had been angered by an edi-
torial In Life Magazine, of which
Mr.. Luce is editor, which the Sena-
tor interpreted as threatening
United States withdrawal from the
war unless Britain abandoned i'm
perial aspirations.
Mr.. Luce issued a statement Oc-
tober Is saying the editorial had
been misunderstood, charging that
some had read into it things we
did not say" He explained I'VE
meant that the war aims of this
war-beyond total destruction of
the Axis-ought to be made much
palmer than to date they have
been"
Refers to Agents Message.
Concerning Mr.. Kyser, the Sena-
tor said it may be quite true" that
the Government needs him more
In his task Of entertaining and
selling bonds than in the military
ranks" but added:
"A theatrical booking agency Of
nee in Hollywood on August 81 re-
ceived from Mr.. c. j. La Roche, its
New York agent. a long teletype
message telling of how it had al
ready handled list of stars includ-
ing Kay Kyser. In addition to
smugly claiming responsibility for
the classification of Kyser and 9TH
ers as being more essential at home,
that agency recited others of their
clients for whom a like classification
was being sought"
AVAi AJd 1eOSilC 1Cpllcu.
If the information Senator Nye
has were correct he would have
every right to be indignant. But I
should like to say he is absolutely
misinformed. The interest in Kay
Kyser came from the Army itself,
not from any commercial source.
Says General Asked Opinion.
II was asked in common with sew
eral others by a ranking general of
the United States Army concerned
with morale and Government
radio executive for an opinion on
the value of certain radio stars to
the total war effort. I was glad
to say in my opinion that the out
standing job Kay Kyser was per-
forming for this country in camps
and on the radio made him one of
the most valuable contributors to
the so-called psychological war eff
fort as it is being so skillfully de-
veloped under Elmer Davis and the
Office of War Information.
1T was my feeling then and it
Is now that the ability of Kay KY
ser, who is not and never has been
a client of mine, to command audi
ences Of millions. his keen grasp of
what we are fighting for and his
ability to arose masses of people to
an understanding of their RESPONSE
btlities makes him a most useful
man to aid the Army and the Gov
eminent in organizing the home
front for total war.
THE Governments decision to
help Kay Kyser at the job he does
best is in keeping with the intelli-
gent ALLEGATION of manpower."