The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-05-13

osition was that his board was en-
titled to make dickers with for
eign countries, for supplies we need.
Cordell contended that Henry was
justified in telling what we need
and disposing Of it according TO
his own Judgment after we get It.
But it's the state departments
prerogative, he said, to do the &C.
tual negotiating.
One consideration was that most
Of our buying's from Latin Amer
lea at present, no other part Of the
world having any local surplus to
dispose Of. And Henry rated him.
self as a Latin American expert,
having visited there intensively,
having learned Spanish and being
in process OF learning Portuguese.
He figured that he knew more
about that kind of business than
the state department did. He
omitted to take into his calcula-
ton the fact that Cordell has, at
his elbow. State Undersecretary
Sumner Welles, who's served dip
lomatically below the equator.
whose experience is practical as
we'll as academic, and who, maybe,
can negotiate as well as Henry can.
Decision to Hull
Secretary Hull got the decision,
from the White House.
The discussion, while reciprocal
ly quite positive. was gentlemanly,
though, as might have been ex-
pected from Secretary Hull and
Vice President Wallace.
You can't say quite as much for
the name-calling contest between
Director Lowell Mellett of the Of
nee OF Government Reports and
Senator Harry F. Byrd Of the rules
committee Of the upper congress
sional chamber
That is, Lowell accused Harry
OF having "wilfully falsihed" con-
corning him.. Harry described
Lowell as an arrogant bureau
crat."
OF all the administrations pub
hcity men. Lowelrs attracted SO
much lightning in his direction as
TO arouse a certain amount Of curl
losity. Why did such a volume OF
It head HIS way?
No doubt our governmental pub
lefty agencies are too numerous.
There are, independently of one
another, half dozen Of 'em-one
unquestionably being a sum-
cheney. Included, notably, is Archi-
bald McLeishs Office Of Facts
and Figures, and Archibald 5
been PANIED as a superiority, but
not as an arrogant bureaucrat.
Every department and depart
mental subdivision and Independent
agency has its publicity group,
too.
Senator Robert A. Taft estimates
their personnels at 5000.
Against consolidation OF EN- I
don't argue for a minute.
But I don't know why they
couldn't be consolidated under
Lowell Nellett as we'll as under
any other managing editor. Only,
somehow, he's made himself un-
popular.
Price Is Boss Censor
Byron Price ofhcially is our boss
censor. He's mild and intelligent,
but not constructive. In the last
war George Creel nominally was
censor, but he wasn't so censorial
as he was a pro-Yankee publicity
lite ard cracking good one. I
served under him in Argentina,
and up and down the South Amer
can west coast.
Those papers, down there, took
his news, and II WAS news, in
preference to our UPS and mss
and AP's-snd they were prompt
TO abolish II at the wars end be-
cause they didn't like what they
considered its competition.
Well, 1t WAS competition, OF q
sort.
l don't believe Il would be a good
thing. under long-run government
management.
I'm for independent news, Of
course.
But Lowell Melletts the sassiest
Of the outdt-