Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-05
Roosevelt
Doesn't Like
Columnis+s
Wants Straight News.
Meaning Handouts
By PAUL MALLON

WASHINGTON. Oct. D. Il
w never get close enough TO
Mr.. Roosevelt to see how much
. he is laughing when ne makes
his biennial criticism OF the
columnists and commentators"
and the press.
The President always says he
favors straight news, meaning
his news, the news he gives out
to the press associations. and he
would like 10 have nothing else
in the newspapers.
But the kind of news that
gets things done in Washington,
that spurs administrators to new
efforts and the inefficient ones
TO correction of their errors, or
firing, happens to be the kind
that Mr.. Roosevelt says he does
not like. 1t is good for his adj
ministration and for the prose-
cution of the war, but he does
not like it.
No one expected him 10. like
il. Nobody likes it. But both he
and every one else knows it
must be done. He does not pro-
pose TO abolish it, as far as /
have heard.
He merely mentioned again,
before election, his old idea
and / assume for the same old
purpose. If he can create the
impression that all criticism of
his administration is erroneous.
the people will believe only the
straight news-what his hand
out bureaus grind out.
MIR. ROOSEVELT never has
IVI effected this result. for
very good reason.
He and other Washington Of
ficials assume criticism comes
from newspapers and the radio.
1t does not. They are only
the vehicles Of criticism that
exists in the minds and hearts
of the people and government
officials. The origin of criticism
lies in those two sources alone.
I THINK the truth is the Presi-
Il dent knows he has the press
over a barrel. and he likes to
paddle il every now and then.
With one hand he feeds out Of
fetal news-sparingly and under
censorship now-while with the
other, he paddles the press for
carrying anything else.
/ will bet it gives him endless
hours of amusement All the
censored and chastised press can
do is protest. That it did. in an
official presentation to the
White House about the secrecy
of the Presidents inspection trip.
It's protest will be filed away
by the White House, thereby
setting a precedent for the
press. 1t can file away the
Presidents criticism, continue to
support him and his war efforts
asst so ardently has been doing.
Ho hum This is where l came
in about II years ago.
DLENTY of reasons can be
Il found for Mr.. Roosevelt's
defense inspection tour.
Two days before it was con-
cluded. War Producer Nelson
gave out some figures on Aug
gust production. which he said
were mot worth Raging
about" He showed the goals
fixed by the President were not
being met.
Around Nelson's office, every
one knows, for instance, we will
not meet the $4,000 plane figure
this year, although we may come
close. In fact. some WIPE men
now talk of Mr.. Roosevelts goal
as a dream program"
Limitations in labor and raw
materials are hindering its full
fillment. Redistribution of both
will help.
Just now the army and navy
are getting the first Four A
priorities 1.-THE first four cate
gories of demand on materials)
for a six-months' period which
will end next February.
THERE may have been other
Il reasons for the trip. Friends
of the President explain that he
goes stale on the job whenever
he must stick to the White
House for long, and that II peps
him up to get out on trips
around the country.
Also, he gained something of
a personal advantage in getting
out of town during the farm
bloc fight over initiation. pre-
venting bloc members from get
ting near him with various
alternative proposals.
Mr.. Roosevelt denies the trip
was political in any phase. and
points out he saw only the
elected officials. not the candi-
dates. l think, however, the trip
had certain definite political
advantages.
Some of you may recall that
in this column published Sep
tember 10 it was reported the
administration politicos were
alarmed at the -lightness of the