The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-09-30
By JAMES THRAsHER
NEA star Correspondent


By JAMES THRAsHER
NEA stan Correspondent
Smoke from the barrage Of criti-
cism fired at the Once Of War In
formation has been so thick as all
most to obscure one Of the agency's
biggest, best-done and most Inn
portant Jobs. That is the coordi-
nation and direction Of the many
campaigns designed to tell the civil
ian where his patriotic efforts are
most needed, and how best to use
them.
Owls once Of Program Co-ordi.
nation acts as q rniddleman between
government agencies, which need
voluntary civilian help in countless
matters, and the public, which Is
generally willing to help II 1t only
knows the what-why -how-aild- when
OF 1t. So today we are buying war
bonds, canning homegrown fruits
and vegetables, salvaging fat, shun-
ming the black market, sharing our
car, taking war industry Jobs, butt
toning our lip, and q lot Of other
things, not only because we're glad
to but because owl told us Of the
necessity.
This information program Is I'm.
questionably the biggest advertising
and publicity Job that the country
has ever seen. And 1t Is being put
over because owl has, In addition
to wise direction, the hearty and
enthusiastic assistance Of every ir-
formational medium in the country.
The press, radio, motion pictures,
magazines. the advertising agencies,
and of course the advertisers, have
given invaluable voluntary co-opera-
ton. This is rather surprising, for
a not inconsiderable segment Of bus
mess doesn't like owl or OPA or the
way the administration generally is
running the war on the home front.
But the owl program people report
that reluctance Is almost ron-exist-
ert, and that the remark they hear
most often from business is, How
else can we help?'
Their help begins after the SPADE
work on campaign is done. Each
campaign Cor information pro-
gram" as owl prefers to call IT, be-
gins with the request from some
agency for collection,
conservation, or some other civilian
activity.
DOPE SHEET
owl first has to know the identity
and nature OF the problem and
what's to be done about, before 1t
can pass along the information. So
| 1t asks the agency for detailed
memorandum. This is expanded by
owl researchers and writer's into
Campaign platform"
It's q complicated Job. owl may
have as many as 40 campaigns 60
ing on at once. Each agency wants
everything done immediately-even
though occasionally the agency
can't agree on q policy for the cam
paign, and sometimes is not prepared
to follow through with Its own part
after the civilians Job Is done.
Some time before or just after the
media conference, the War Adver-
Using Council is called in. This
Is O volunteer, non-proft organi-
cation made up Of representatives Of
the country's leading advertisers, adj
Vertising agencies, and advertising
medium Arms. It has O skeleton
staff Of paid workers who get their
money from a chipped-in fund from
Council members. But the major
ity Of the work Is done for free.
The Council appoints task
force" Of co-ordinators and copy
writer's for each campaign. They
think up advertising to much the
campaigns central theme or slogan
CASUALLY created by OVID and. on
all major campaigns, send out So
called formula folders, from which
advertisers may adapt for their own
use.
FREE ADVERTISING
The patriotic campaign advertis-
ing you see in your newspaper or
magazine may have got there at the
suggestion Of the publisher, the ad-
vertiser, or even the services that
manufacture matrices for printing
them. But 1t added UP to a con-
servatively estimated $4,000, 900
worth Of free advertising space for
the government In the past year.
It is true, and 1t is also fair, that
this sum is deductible from the ad-
vertisers' income tax, but that fact
Is obviusly not the only reason for
the ads. To match this contribution,
428 magazines have pledged owl
free page Of advertising each
month. And the country's news
papers have supplemented advertis-
ing with columns of free publicity
for various campaigns whose value
can't be measured.
All down the line, from intelli-
gent planning through volunteer as
sistance to public response, Owls
information program is one Of the
best home-front accomplishments to