Evening star., 1943-04-15
500 us. Newsmen
Covering. Battle Areas
lauded by owl Chief
Davis Points Out PeriIs
Involved; Notes Thot
ID Already Have Died

'SS9 'NSeSS hsSA
IA Already Have Died
The American people have been
given complete and accurate COW
erage of the war on all its scattered
fronts through the courage and gal
lantry of more than 800 reporters
and photographers serving shoulder
to shoulder with the armed forces,
Elmer Davis, director of owl, said
yesterday. Fourteen already have
been killed.
In a statement following the dis
closure of request by the Army for
300 American propagandists to serve
in North Africa in cooperation with
Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower's forces,
Mr.. Davis said the correspondents
bravery was akin to that of our
fighting men, but it is also a thing
apart, for they don't fight and they
can't fight when, as happens so
often, their own lives are jeop-
ardized."
The statement also served as re-
buttal for criticism of IS Owl
writer's who already have departed
for North Africa. Mr.. Davis said
these men will devote themselves to
spreading propaganda among Axis
troops and among civilians in both
Allied occupied territories and be-
hind enemy lines. He added that
he did not believe it would be pos
sible to supply the requested 300,
mostly because of language diff
culties.
The reporters mission, he con-
tinued, g. is to mirror for us at
home something of what our fight
ing men are doing for US = - Their
service is one to which we owe much:
to which we will owe even more be-
fore we have achieved victory based
in part on the understanding they
give U.S."
In addition to the 600 reporters,
radio commentators and photog-
raphers accedited by the United
States military authorities to the
various theaters of military opera
tions ashore and afloat. Mr.. Davis
said between so and 10 American
news and picture men have been ac-
credited by the British or British
Dominion authorities.
He singled out for particular
honor the IA who have died. Sew
eral correspondents have become
casualties in air battles as we'll as
on land and sea, but 'only by &C
companying our air fighters did
those who flew feel they could re-
produce the war situations for the
public"
In every corner of the world these
men are Drawing the rigors of
climate and disease as well as
dangers from enemy high explosives,
Mr.. Davis said. They are covering
assignments in Alaska, Iceland
Newfoundland, Russia. Central
Africa, the Southwest Pacific. India,
China. Burma, the British Isles, the
Middle East, North Africa. the
Caribbean, Hawaii and with the
fleet units in far-flung zones of
naval operations.
Several Decorated.
Several correspondents have been
decorated for their actions under
fire. Leo Disher of the United Press
received the Order, of the Purple
Heart for continuing to report
80 lucid, accurate and detailed
account =" of action In the Mo-
vember battle for Oran Harbor de-
spite II wounds and IA superficial
injuries. He swan ashore after
being ordered to abandon ship and
still continued to perform his duty.
Henry T. Gorrell. also Of u. P. re-
ceeived the Air Medal for his SER
Ices in attending wounded members
of a bomber crew who had been
badly shot up in a Mediterranean
raid. 49,.
Others cited by Mr.. Davis were
Vern Haugland of the Associated
Press, who, after bailing out of an
Army bomber over New Guinea,
fought his way six weeks through
mountain jungle before reaching a
remote mission station: Robert
Nixon and George Lait, Interna-
tional News Service reporters. both
wounded in early North African
fighting; Joe Custer of United Press
and Charles McMurtry, of Asso-
ciated Press, wounded in the sea
battle of Santa Cruz. and John A.
Moroso, Sd, of A. P. wounded dur
ing the American landing in French
North Africa.
Correspondents who have lost
their lives covering war news are
Webb Miller, U. P: Ralph Barnes
and Ben Robertson, New York
Herald Tribune: Don Bell, radio
commentator; Mrs. Lea Burdette of
the newspaper. PM, Edward Henry
Crockett, A. P; Harry Percy, U. p;
Ben Miller, Baltimore Sun; Melville
Jacoby, Time Magazine; Byron
Darnton, New York Times; Eugene
Petrov, Russian reporter whose
stories were carried by American
press associations: Jack Singer,
ms, and Frank JOSEPH Cuhel, NBC
Many Others Missing.
Many more are missing and still
others have been captured and in
termed by the enemy. Of the latter
some have been repatriated and
have returned to active duty on the
fighting front.
Larry Allen, A. P, held in Italy
was torpedoed once. then was cap
tured during a Commando raid on
Tobruk when the Nazis still held
that Libyan port. :. Even as pris-
oner he attempted to continue his
work, demanding an interview with
Marshal Erwin Rommel, Afrika
Korps commander.
Godfrey Anderson A. p, was cap
tured by the Nazis in Libya two
years ago while Carl Mydans. Time
Life correspondent. and his wife are
in ,JaDaneSe prison StOCkade in