Evening star., 1943-05-07
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
Most of the men sent to the psy.
Geological warfare section of the
North African Expeditionary Force
by the Office of War Information
were newspapermen, magazine OF
screen writer's, it was learned today
as the names and background OF
each were. disclosed for the first
time.
Others were teachers or technical
men in radio. A few were telegra-
piers or automatic printer opera
tors.
Nearly all are listed as linguists
Some speak four or five languages
These men, the vanguard Of 300
whom Owl Director Elmer Davis
has said the Army requested for the
theater of operations, send radio
propaganda to occupied and enemy
countries, distribute pamphlets and
carry on liaison among the native
and French population Of North
Africa.
Man Serving "Under Fire"
Mr.. Davis, stung recently by, critics
who charged that Owl men were
"dodging the draft" by going to
North Africa, declared these psy-
Geological warriors had been asked
for by the Army and that many OF
them were serving at the front, fire.
ouently under fire Evidently, he
said, the Army thought their serv-
ices valuable or it would not have
demanded them.
While only 43 men have been sent
90 far, the check today revealed, an
official of the foreign service section
Of Owl said it was hoped to recruit
the entire 300 for service in Africa
and perhaps elsewhere as the cam
paign against the Axis unfolded
But it's hard to find qualified men,
he added.
Their work was described as de-
signed to acquaint secret listeners
OF enemy and occupied countries
with the plans and purposes OF the
United Nations. The Short-WaVe
broadcasts are beamed also at enemy
troops, especially Italians. The
scripts are prepared largely by radie-
men, reporters, editors and free
lance writers who know the Ian
guages required. A number OF the
newspapermen have been foreign
correspondents for newspapers or
press associations.
The administrative officer Is
Homer Mat Adams. He was assist
ant and later acting director of
finance for the State of Illinois from
1887 to 1941 and later partner in
the law firm Of Benjeam & Adams
at Springfield. Still later he was a
field representative of the old Once
of Government Reports. He speaks
Spanish.
Washington Man Heads News Unit.
The news division, intended to
broadcast authentic news to heav-
ily censored countries, is headed by
a former Washington man, Richard
I. Hollander. He has been managing
editor of the Washington Daily
News and city editor Of the Times
Herald. He speaks German fluently.
The others are:
Alfred S. Annunziata, radio tele-
type operator with RCA Communi-
cations System, 1929-1s43.
Simon Bessie, news writer, aSso-
ciate editor of Look magazine. Ex-
tensive travel in Europe. Speaks
French and German.
William Bird, analyst and news
writer. foreign correspondent. For 20
years in charge Of the Paris Bureau
Of the New York Sun. Fluent French.
Charles P. Braxton, radio an
nouncer. Hotel business in France,
1932-1941. American volunteer am
bulance corps. in France, November,
1882 October, 1910. Languages,
French, some German and Spanish.
James "A. Clark. newspaperman
feature writer. Fluent French.
Formerly with ms and King Fea-
lures Spent five years in France.
John D. Collins, picture editor.
Chicago manager, Wide World
Photos. 13 years Fox Movitont
News, newesreel cameraman, years
Has travelled in Europe. Speaks
Spanish
Thomas Crowell, typographical
layout man: 81 years In printing
Some French.
Experienced Multiplex Operator.
Joseph Dennison. Multiplex oper-
ator employed for last % years by
Western Union and Postal Tele-
graph Cos.
William Derganc. radiophoto edi-
tor. Cooper Institute. B. S. E. E.
Employed as radiophoto engineer by
the ONCE Of the Co-ordinator Of In
formation.
William NJ Doerflinger, news edi-
tor and writer. Newspaperman, mag
azine editor. Fluent French and
German. Also editing and writing
for NBC. news broadcasts. Assistant
editor, Mcmillan Co.. 1935-193S.
Henry Elkin. script and news
writer. Speaks French, German
Spanish, Italian and Dutch. Euro
pean travel. Instructor at Queens
College, Flushing, later with Rookie
Teller Foundation.
Anthony L. Ellison, radiowriter
and announcer. Instructor French
and Spanish, Columbia and c. c. N.
Y. Studied at Sorborne 21a years.
Languages, French, Portuguese,
Spanish and italian.
Eugene B. English, radiophoto
engineer. Supervising and produc-
ing studio and field broadcasting