Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-06-30
Releas
From owl
Lack News
Elmer Davis Answered
by Quotations
nv PAUL MALLON

The war information man,
Elmer Davis. spoke out sngrllv
against Washington newSmen,
saying they did not publish his
announcements Of the great
productive feats ~ government.
We'll, a batch Of Mr.. Davis
handouts has Just arrived Al my
desk not an exceptional or
especially selected batch. uSt
a dozen NJ the usual run Of The
Davis mine.
ON rop Is an announcement
headed "ProStheuc Devices
reading
ITO counteract threatening
local shortages Of false teeth.
artificial eyes and limbs. and
similar products, the OfNce of
Price Administration today re-
vised the method nv which
manufacturers may apply for
adjustment ~ maximum prices
on these commodities
II goes on for 200 words. but
that first paragraph was enough
for me-
Next was an announcement
that the War Production Board
had approved plan for pro
duclng 100000 domestic food
dehydrators before Sept. -"
but | can sec this is of little
interest 10 my readers bent
prlmarllN- these dsts-on aScpr-
tanning whore is that steak
before Sept |.
THE Department Of Agrlcul-
lure. then, has several
thousands words about various
subjects headed
why canned milk was ra-
toned" What's behind the ice
cream situation ." and Put
more punch In wartime
lunches"
Unfortunately none If these
questions or admonIuons was
answered IN the handOut. The
only thing in IT, which inter
eSted me, was a speech by Paul
Appleby agriculture under sec
rotary. who said two-thirds Of
the people of the world did not
have enough 10 eat, and that
"thls-pefma Ap-ttrtSa satisfactory
situation IS greatly aggravated
by war
/ read this eagerly because I
wanted To know how Mr.. Ap-
pleby found out two-thirds Of
tho people Of the world were
hungry before the war
He did not tell. and 7 Judge.
from his long discussion, that
he and the agricuIturlSts did not
conduct census, but had
merely decided the diet Of two
thirds of the people was not
what some agriculture depart
ment experts thought II ought
10 he and. therefore. two-thlrdS
Of the world was Judged
hungry
II OTHER words. Mr. Applehy
decided W ha every one
should eat. and thereupon con-
Guided they were underfed
Then came one-half dozen an
nouncements VIII Ch Won ! d
hardly cause even Walter Win
chell Ia yell Flash. - or stop
the presses. All were piles Of
inexplicable legal verbiage such
As this one.
THE effective date provision
IF amendment No. to revised
maximum price regulation No.
lt8 is amended TO read a. fol-
lows" Blah blah. blah.
Finally. the batch contained
Federal Power Commission an
nounCcmcnt only Of interest 10
Pine Bluff, Ark. and something
from Price Administrator
Brown concerning protest
filed by IA Detroit owners oi
rental property against the OF
fee Of Price Administration
housing rent regulation
No >elf-reSpoctng newspaper
would print any OF IT. If MI
Davis himself As 4 radio com
mentator. had broadcast such
stuff 10 the people of this coun-
try. hc would not have lasted
beyond one broadcast
THIS representative batch vas
| merely complete evidence
of what all Washington news
papermcn know tand. lndeed,
Mr. Davis himself knows II he
can still think from A pfhfte-
standpoint that the handouts
of his centralized government
press bureau. owl, arc 4 mass
of trNiahtieS Of no general con-
corn or interest
No doubt they must he issued
FOR specific minor purposes. hut
~ is a waste Of time for ncWS-
papers generally 10 read them.
much loss publish them
Mr. Davis talked straight
when he came INTO the govern
ment lie said clearly then
that the need of the situation
was moro news. But within
TWO months he was talking the
opposite side Of the story Some
thing about Washington hui
rn.L-A alAaAs lrfccts eNcn tho