The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1944-01-13

publicly or recanted by the authO
George c. Marshall; Army Chief of
Staff.
Press GObbles Up Smear
There probably isn't labor official
alive today who could make vicious
attack on the Government or industry
in general, or on a particular industry
or employer, and have the leading
press associations feed it out to the
newspapers and radio stations, anony-
mously.
Yet the New Year Eve smear story
was put out by Government official,
variously described but all agreeing
that he is one of the highest, and was
fully supported by the leading press
associations. The gist of it was that
taking over of the railroads by the
Government and the walllout in the
steel mills may have prolonged the war
against Germany by six months, csus-
ing hundreds of thousands of needless
casualties
The statement was one merely of
opinion and made no effort to back its
S"CclJlllS dSSClllUllS WIFI lttStS. iSs's
and radio, however, treated it with the
utmost respect.
A.P. Quotes High Quarter"
Here is how the revered Associated
Press flashed the news to its clients
that the anti-labor attack was coming
"Conndential Note to Editors NOT
for Publication:
THE Washington war-StrikeS story
was prepared following an Off-therec-
ord press-radiO conference today staged
by one of the highest figures in the
American war effort. After making the
statements reported, this individual
specified that the story was to be used
without direct attribution but attri-
buted to high quarters or highest
Sources etc.
Representatives of the individual
have been re-checked in response to
numerous requests that the name be
made known for the confidential in
formation of editors, but the response
is in the negative.
THE Washington Bureau
OsI SltCS 1ulOIluCu SlCS
The United Press note to editors,
also Not for publication" was similar
to that of the A.P. 1t said:
For your information a high Gov
ernment official this afternoon, at an
! off-the-record press conference in
Washington, made certain statements
about the effect of the threatened rail
road strike upon the war. He said he
believed his views should be put before
the public but stipulated he could not
be identified except as Uniformed cir
cles.' a full report of his viewpoint
will be carried on this wire shortly for
publication if desired.
United Press, Washington
The A.P. story ascribed it to Il
parsonage high in the councils of the
United States and United Nations. y
The UP. dispatch ascribed it to lin
formed Washington circles" and there
after referred 10 the speaker as these
sources"
One Paper Speaks Out
1t will be noted that the AP. evi-
IDENTIFY expected Il flood of inquiries as
to the source of the interview. The
Up. doubtless expected similar re-
quests but makes no mention of them
in its bulletin to editors.
Only one newspaper in the country
had the courage and enterprise to
name Gen. Marshall as the anonymous
author of the Washington attack.
though it was common talk in the cap
ital that Marshall was the culprit.
That was the st. Petersburg, Fla,
Times, which said the next day that
Marshall was the man, while the coun-
try was still specializing on the iden-
tity of the high source" who issued
the blast.
Nelson POynter, editor of the Times,
was in Washington and by putting two
and two together and making some
telephone calls, reached the conclusion
that Gen. Marshall was the source.
Frank Policy Demanded
Following up his news story, Poyn-
ter wrote an editorial for his paper,
criticizing the manner in which the
Marshall attack was issued The edi-
torial declared %'the anonymous Gov
ernment spokesman has no place in Il
democratic information policy and
demanded "a frank, factual war in
formation policy
The Times story was picked up by
the United Press and reprinted but
the assertion that Gen. Marshall was
the author of the attack WAS not given
prominent publicity until President
Green of the American Federation of
Labor charged in Il sizzling reply,
three days later, that the general had
made the anti-labor StatmentS, which
he called ''irratiOnal, uniformed and
intlammatory." Green's statement was
given first page headlines all over the
country.
American Labor has healthy ap-