The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-08


what was the big idea, anyway? If
these things were meant, why not
come right out and say them with
quotation marks around them?
Could it be General Marshall? He
was just back from q quick trip
around the world via Cairo, Te-
heran, MacArthur's headquarters
and Hawaii, and presumably knew
all the answers. No, it couldn't be
General Marshall because he does
MT work that way and besides, had
MT he announced from New Guinea
that the Japs were on the rum
Similarly, Air Force General Ar
mold could be eliminated because
he had announced enthusiastically
from Italy that the Germans were
being taken care of. and General
Eisenhower had predicted that Ger
many would be licked in 1914.
1T WASN'T FDR
The President was eliminated be-
cause it was said that this modestly
anonymous high government Off
cial' spreading the bear stories
spoke with the knowledge and APP
prevail of the President. Cordell
Hullp Unlikely. Vice President Wal
lace? Well, maybe.
Finally one newspaper came right
out and attributed the warning di-
rectly to Justice James F. Byrnes,
the director of the Office of War
Mobilization who is sometimes re-
ferred to as the Assistant pres
ident." 1t developed later that this
disclosure was of borderline ethics
in that it violated an understand
ing that the identity OF the official
inspiring the story be protected.
This is fine distinction to make,
however, since the rules on this
''off the record" and "on-the-rec-
ord stuff are not clearly defined
and there is no accepted news
ear to rule which is which. But
since the cat is now out of the bag,
to clear up the mystery and remove
teh misunderstanding and confu-
sion it is possible to tell the inside
story of how this particular ball-up
occurred.
Justice Byrnes, not having to run
for Office any more, doesn't like in
terviews and he doesn't like press
conferences. Since he took over the
job of war mobilization director
seven months ago, has held less
than half a dozen press confer
ences. He Is, however, subjected to
constant demands for conferences
from the White House correspond
ents, and he has a press relations
assistant in the person of Walter
Brown, who used to be Washing
ton newspaper man himself.
OFF-THE-RECORD
KAFFEEKLATSCH
1t is Brown who gets all the re-
quests that his boss see the press.
Just before Christmas, to keep the
more insistent of the White House
correspondents happy, Walter
Brown arranged to throw a party
for nd-picked list. 1t was sup
posed to be just friendly gather
ing for a meal, at which Justice
ByrneS would be the guest of honor.
1t was not to be a press conference.
1t was to be off the record. Walter
Brown was to pick up the check
and pay the bill out of his own
pocket, which he did 1t was said
to have been a rice party.
After the food, however, the talk
got rather broad, and on the sub
ject of public apathy toward pres
sure groups and the war effort, JUS
tice Byrnes, according to one ac-
count, encouraged his hearers, Ito
broadcast his anonymous warning
and plea"
Most of the correspondents con-
sidered this just more Washington
talk, and since the party was of
the record anyway, didn't write a
line about it. But few took the
bait and started for town, with the
results already observed.
IN all fairness to Justice Byrnes,
he should be probably cleared of
any charges Of predemitated at
tempt to plant scare propaganda
for home consumption, with or
without the Presidents approval.
But that's the way some Washing
ton stories get started.
The net result of this one is that
1t will probably be harder than ever
to get Mr.. Byrnes to hold a press
conference, and as for Walter
Brown. 1t will probably be some
time before he picks up another
check.