Evening star., 1943-04-10
Bureau
In owl Stripped Of
Writing Assignment
Two Top Officials Quit
In Row Over Change by
Deputy Director CowIes

The Office of War Information's
Publications Bureau has been shorn
of most of its functions, with the &C
tual writing in the future to be done
by the Owl News Bureau, it was
learned today.
This transfer accounts for the
forced resignation of Henry F.
Pringle, Pulitzer prize winning au-
thor, who has been chief of the
Writer'S Division, and Harold
Guinzberg. chief of the Publications
Bureau, who resigned in protest on
the ground that he had nothing left
to do.
All that is left in the Publications
Bureau, according to an Owl spokes-
man, is fact sheet" of 16 to 20
pages. edited by Dorothy Ducas. for
the benefit of magazines and a small
book review section in which current
books on the war are reviewed,
largely for the benefit of Owl per-
Sonnel.
Other designations Rumored.
While reports of other resigna-
tions were circulating. there was no
confirmation from OWL.
Mr. Pringle, who said at first that
he was resigning because of a dis
agreement over the domestic policies
of OWL" later said his resignation
had been asked by Gardner Cowles,
jr., Owl deputy director.
His expanded statement came aft
er Mr.. Cowles had announced Mr..
Pringle wanted a more extensive
program than we thought wise.
With the paper shortage what it is,
and with the budget pretty small,
we thought we could cut down and
save money and paper"
Mr.. Pringle said he and Mr..
CoWles had decided not to give the
dispute a public airing but Mr..
Cowles' statement broke the agree
ment.
Mr.. CoWles on three occasions, he
added, had agreed with him on
program of limited production but
high quality publications. Later, he
said, Mr.. CoWles, acting on the ad-
vice of subordinates, reversed him.
self and asked for Mr.. Pringles
resignation.
In lieu of more extensive publi-
cation Of books and magazines, Mr..
CoWles said, Owl was getting 80
per cent of what it needs" through
the press, radio and magazines. all
OF which he said were cooperating
beautifully
Mr.. Pringle won the Pulitzer prize
for biography of Theodore Roose-
welt. He is author of several other
books and is we'll known in the mag
azlne field. He was professor of
Journalism at Columbia University
before coming to the Government.
Mr.. Guinzberg is president of the
Viking Press.
Most recent enterprise directly
under Mr.. Pringle's supervision is a
7l-page pamphlet designed to guide
magazine writer's to story sources in
Washington. This Key to War
time Washington and the United
Nations was issued today.
The pamphlet was prepared by
Miss Ducas, who is attached to the
magazine division and formerly
wrote syndicated column with
Elizabeth Gordon, entitled De
signed for Living
Agencies Classified.
Between red, white and blue COW
ers, the pamphlet classifes Gov
ernment agencies and details OF
their purposes in an informal writ
ing style, with information ranging
from the White House telephone
number to the total of Coast Guard
fireboats.
The introduction tells magazine
editors and writer's, "patrioticaly
cooperating in the dissemination
OF war information in fiction and
informative articles" that they need
not be discouraged by descriptions
OF the ''maze-like qualities of war
time Washington
Washington. the introduction con-
tlnues, is undoubtedly a boom town
spllllng over into nearby MARYLAND
and Virginia. but the facts maya
zines want are not too hard to find.
With the assistance of information
oiheclo, IL declares, Cne apparently
confused mass soon settles into solid
subject matter"
In the key, the story seeking
magazine writer's are told there is
intense interest in everything con-
cerning the armed forces. They are
taken to Capitol Hill and to the war
agencies and are given an attrac-
tive picture of Federal agencies
which have been familiar down
the years but in which lie MANY
unWritten war stories"
News developments got ahead of
the magazines so that Secretary
| OF Agriculture Wickard is still tag
ged as food czar instead of Chester
G. Davis. A misprint calls the At
torney General Frances Biddle,