Evening star., 1943-02-13
Small Towns
War Role Told
To Editors Here
No BolIyhoo Needed
In the Sticks Soy
White and Daniels

and William Allen White, Yesterday
spoke kind word for journalism
of the sticks" and gently submitted
that the Nations small towns don't
have to be "ballyhooed" into a war
effort.
They are attending two-day
session of the American Society of
Newspaper Editors at the Willard
Hotel.
Some of us are here to let Wash
ington folks know that we from the
smaller cities are for the war 100 per
cent and they don't have to ballyhoo
us into it" said Mr. Daniels, Secre-
tary Of the Navy during President
Wilson's administration and editor
Of the Raleigh IN. c. News and
Observer.
Mr.. White. the Sage Of Emporia. "
and editor Of the Emporla (Kans.) |
Gazette. agreed
Human Institutions.
Don't forget" Mr.. White said |
that newspapers are human insti- |
tutlonS. with human failingS-and !
they are maintaining human av- /
erage in this serious business on |
hand"
We in Kansas and the Middle |
West are doing A commendable and |
suitable job-we know it and we
think Washington should know it."
Mr.. White, who celebrated his 18th |
birthday anniversary three days ago |
lists himself AS the proprietor and |
editor Of the Emporia Daily and |
Weekly Gazette He said he is mot |
even worried" about Congress.
Congress- he ventured. will rear
up often, but they won't do any
thing serious to unity"
He admitted that restrictions on
the newspaper business have beer
plentiful, but said he thought I'VE |
will Wriggle through" without any
trouble.
More Hardships Forecast.
Mr.. Daniels warned that as far |
as hardships and Government re- |
strictions are concerned, I'VE amt |
seen nothing yet" He said that |
home front conditions so far during /
this war haven't yet approached
those Of the World War.
People seem to have forgotten
about the cornbread we had to eat
in 1917 and 1919 he said. There
wasn't any wheat then. They have
forgotten that some of the big cities
went without street lights every
night because OF the need to con-
serve power.
Remember. this is a bigger war
than the last in every respect. And
the things we are going to have to
go through here at home are going
to be bigger"
The venerable Southern editor,
who was Ambassador to Mexico
from 1888 to 194l, said he was not /.
too worried about Government re-
strictions on newsprint. Speaking
of the cut in supplies of zinc:
we had to cut the pictures of
our brides down from two columns
to one" he said. The brides are
kicking like thunder. Maybe the
Government ought to give us back
our zinc so our brides will be happy"
Managing Editor" of Navy.
Mr.. Daniels insisted he has never
really been out of journalism.
From 1918 to 1921 I was really
managing editor of the Navy" he :
said. And when I was in Mexico
/ was foreign correspondent for the
State Department"
He said he was generally salts
fed with the manner in which the
war was being conducted on the
home front, except so far as the
farmers were concerned.
We ought to release some of the
men in the services to go to work on
the farms" he said We've got
to get crops. An army still travels
on its stomach
Sees President.
Mr.. Daniels yesterday accompan-
leo the other members of the ASNE .
to the White House, where he ex-
changed few words with a man
who once worked for him as As /
sistant Secretary Of the Navy-Mr |
Roosevelt. Previously, he had paid /
his respects to Navy Secretary Knox .
and to Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.
Mrs. Wilson and I remembered. ." /
he said, how President Wilson /
warned the world that war would .
break out again in 90 years if his
League Of Nations wasn't accepted |
Well, that's just the way it hap /.
pened. He hit it right on the head |
IT was almost exactly 20 years"
Following an ofT-the- record dis /
cuSsion yesterday with the editors,
owl Director Elmer Davis said he
believed the meeting has done me
more good than the editors"
After all Mr. Davis said, these
men represent all parts of the
country and they can give us the
actual reaction from every section" ."
Price Sees Benefits.
Byron Price director of the Office
OF Censorship, who also addressed
yesterdays session, described the
meeting as beneficial and instruc-
tive from our point of view, and ]
hope, from theirs
Last night the editors were guests
OF the White House Correspondents
Association A a dinner meeting in
the Stat.er Hotel from which Presi-
dent RoOSeyelt'S 40-minute message
originated.
The ASNE today was TO 20 into
secret session with the Nation lead
ing military and civilian war leaders
D'iI'HAttu " dUlltSS Jlle eQlLOlS To-
day Pre- Gen. George c. Marshall.
Army chief Of staff, Admiral Ernest
J King, commander in chief Of the
United States Fleet. and 1t. Cen.
Henry H Arnold commanding gem
eral united states All Corps
Later IN the day they will hear
Secretary of Agriculture Wickard.
War Production Board Chairman
Donald NJ Nelson. War Manpower
Commissioner Paul V, McNutt, Price
Administrator PTentiss M Brown.
Civilian Defense Director James M.
Lands
The sessions will close officially to-
night with a dinner meeting at the
Willard Hotel. to be addressed by
Economic Sterilization Director
James F Bvrnes and Col. John