Evening star., 1942-08-23

A nation Is IKE great corporation.
and its citizens, like stockholders, are
entitled to know what goes on, particu-
larly when business is not good. The
administration In Washington does not
seem to have grasped that fact yet, how
ever. 1t has not yet recognized its obli-
CATION to keep its 135 900 900 stockholders
informed of the direction and extent of
developments in which each of them has
an interest.
There are as many public relations
Offices in Washington as there are Gov
ernment departments and newly created
organizations dealing with the most
complex OF all problems-war. But for
some reason or other-probably because
the men at the head Of affairs are Gov
ernment off1cials-they do not under
stand that in order to carry on the war
successfully the Nation must know the
truth shout all phases Of the war, re-
gardless OF how unpleasant they may be.
The great majority Of Americans fully
understand what secret information is.
They realize that there are certain kinds
of news which cannot be released lest
they jeopardize men fighting in the field,
at sea and in the air. No loyal newsman
In the country would consciously publish
such news, even if he got hold OF hot"
piece of information.
There is, however, other information
which the public is entitled to have and
which is kept concealed under the IA
NOUS cloak of information which might
give comfort to the enemy" 1t is not
mere curiosity which prompts the stock
holders Of Uncle Sam, Inc.," to want to
know what is going on behind the scenes.
They are being called on to foot colos-
sal bill and UNDERSTANDABLE are anxious
to know what they are getting for their
money.
Rumors Lessen Confidence.
All kinds Of rumors are af1oat concern
ing the competence of men in the highest
positions and their interest-or lack of
tin the war effort. All these rumors,
true or not, are likely to produce lack of
confidence of the stockholders in the
general management.
For instance, it is rumored that Presi-
dent Roosevelt's most intimate counsellor
on all matters-including the grand
strategy Of the warts Harry Hopkins,
who is one Of the Presidents right-hand
men. That would be comparable to
making the efficiency expert of choco-
late factory technical adviser OF Glenn
Martin In the construction Of his
bombers. ss d.
The story q elaborated III Washington
10 the effect that whenever hlgh h-ranking
officers Of the Army or Navy. want GER,
tain things DONE particulariH In connec-
tion with deciding what should be
shipped ~ our 3associats1 and what
should be kept IA tlafs country for the
training or operations of our armed
forces. they can't do anything without
Mr.. Hopkins approval. And it is not
always easy to get to Mr.. Hopkins, even
If you are Admiral King or Gen. Mar
shall
Fundamentally it is immaterial how
competent Mr.. Hopkins is in handling
the various matters intrusted to him
by Mr. Roosevelt. But in the light of
the bad news which is both officially an
nounced and whispered about the coun-
try, many people are inclined to lay the
blame for our lack OF wartime success at
the threshold of the White House.
With the exception Of the Office Of
War Information, which is directed by
the leyel-headed Elmer Davis, public
relations Offices have achieved a reputa-
tion for dispensing Ballyhoo They feel
their f1rst duty is to tell the country that
their boss-be he member of the Pres
ident's onicial family or lesser starts
doing a swell job. Furthermore, there
seems to be feeling among many of the
highest Government officials in Wash
ington that the American people cannot
take 1t and that bad news must be con-
cealed from them.
Whole Story Not Disclosed.
In the Navy Department, where we
have grimmer realists than in any other
Government agency, great deal of news
Is kept from the public on the excuse of
not telling the enemy about losses. Even
today We have not heard the full story of
the damage suffered at Pearl Harbor
although 1t appears that the Japs were
fully aware of the losses they inflicted
on us.
On the other hand, some of the ships
the Japs believed they had damaged be-
yond repair are back in commission. II
would appear proper that this type oi
news be concealed from the enemy.
The case of the U. S. S. Shaw is typi
cal This destroyer was sent to the bot
tom by the Japs, but was later raiset
and fully repaired. Wide publicity wa
given when she returned to the Yves
Coast.
We have not yet been told completel
what losses we suffered at Midway, al
though there are few people in Wash
ington who do not have pretty goo
idea. Some day when good news come
along public relations will use the Mid
way losses as a drop of bitters in al
otherwise too-sweet cocktail.
The soft-pedal on losses was importan
In France, where the people were fright
ened that the country would be BILE
white. 1t is necessary In the Reicf
where Hitler has made extravagar
promises and a defeat might shake tn
German peoples confidence in the out
come of the war, war which the Ger
mans have been told they must win les
they become slaves of the Americans an
British. But it seems to most observe,
here that hush-hushing our inevitabl
setbacks is likely to undermine rathe
than bolster the Nations morale.
Total Commitments Unknown.
Another example. No one knows til