The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-03-10

Elmer Davis Not
Bothered, Knows
Job Too Well
By Charles p. Stewart

The lndeterminate nature OF
our wartime officials squablings
among themselves is a matter OF
common talk They disagree in
every direction. but ii is almost
never that one wins a clesn-cut
decision against the other fellow.
Their Quarrels 20 on indefinitely.
Now and then some bureau head,
like Leon Henderson, Is forced
out. but his successor almost in
variably finds himself in Just as
hot soup as his predecessor.
The outstanding conflicts are
currently between civilian and
military authorities.
II, in one OF these controversies,
some individuals job goes into
the discard. II generally is a civil
lian's, for he is likelier 10 become
discouraged and resign than an
Army or Navy officer is TO sur
render his commission.
However, the row continues, UNI
der new civilian management.
There is a civilian, though, who
gets away with it,"
That IL Director Elmer Davis
OF the Office OF War Information.
What he says goes.
This is a curious situation. !
have known Elmer ever since
World War No. rs days. That
was before he had graduated into
the ranks OF radio broadcasters.
He was Just an ordinary scribe
a recorder OF current events:
not even an editorialist He was
a poppy chap but not hard-boiled,
particularly. Today he "sasses"
folk even up to the White House.
And nobody argues with him.
The evident explanation is that
ne so clearly knows his business
publicity.
Executive administration and
the Army and Navy eat out OF
his hand. They know that, should
he quit. they could not find a five
per cent substitute for him. They
simply do not dare quarrel with
him. He not only goes on ad-
mirably with the Yankee press
and newspapers in our associated
and qualified friendly countries.
He also slides his dope into col
umns in enemy realms. 1t is so
good that they actually must avail
themselves of II,
Elmer has STATS all over the
world, in capitals with which we
are on good terms, but | will wag-
er he also has them, unsupported,
in Axis centers.
As to our own military estab.
lishment, he recently appointed
Rear Admiral r. p. Mccullough,
as an expert on confidential infor-
nation" The admiral was not
wished" onto him, in a supervis-
DRY capacity. Elmer picked him
as an unquestioned underling Of
his own. 1t is going some" when
an admiral is designated as an
assistant to an ordinary newspa-
perman n wartime,
Admiral McCullough's function
is not to suppress information.
Davis mission is TO disseminate
It.
Byron Price is the censor. Davis
Is the advertiser. Byron is the
husher. The two functions clash
normally. They do not this time.
Timer and Bryon cooperate won
derfully well.
Admiral Mccullough IL a kisd
OF a liaison officer between them,
under Davis direction.
You do not hear much about
Byron. do you? You hear a lot
about Elmer.
One OF Elmer Davis theses IL
that we need the death penalty for
black marketing.
Davis position Is that unauth-
orized grub will feet US with fatal
stun IL it is not suppressed at
Its source-that II Is indirect muir
der. General Council Wilbur La
Roe OF the Independent Packers
Association says so. Wilbur
blames the once Of Price Admin
tstration. Mayor Fiorello II. La
Guardia OF New York backs up
this assertion.
The point Is that there is no
politics involved in the Davis rea-
soning. He Is an unqualified
newspapernan and radio broad.
caster.