The Wilmington morning star., 1946-07-14
YOUR NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT
Walter Winche
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY

1900 ga
From Time magazine July 7th, 1871: Ward
rooms and gatherings have buzzed over what,
it anything, was to be cone about Lieut.. Com.
mander Walter Winchell, who was devoting his
months vacation to a tour of training duty in
u. 5. Naval intelligence. Last week the Navy,
worried about the Army kidding it about its
famous Lieut.. Comdr.. sighed with RELIEF, and
ravenously seized the opportunity (afforded by
a routine brushoff of SO or more Inactive re-
servists) to dump Lieut.. Comdr. Winchell over
the side. 1.-THE same neWsmae retracted
and corrected it the following issue-(First re-
traction it ever made)-after Capt. Paul P.
Blackburn USN) wrote. .'I find practical
ly every statement aoout Winchell incorrect.
The Navy has no desire to dump him-he is
performing such duty as the Navy Depart
ment o~esires.'
From a Chicago Paper: Gong. Clare Hoff-
man says Winchell disgrace to uniform and
Navy. Demonds he be d:senrolled!"
From a Washington paper: take a good
look at the Lieutenant-Commander. You will
never see him in uniform again." g weeks
later he was in uniform again on m assign
ment to the South Atlantic Command.1
From the AP: "a Congressional spokesman
who hoped his name wouldn't be mentioned.
\Gd1tOI - VIC LtCp. N1dGSJ stated LQdI WIN
chell should be in Samoa, not on the radio or
in the newspapers. . From Flopposition col
umns: 'The Broadway Commando'. ."Stork
Club Admiral'. . Hiding under the White
House porch"
From the Cong. Record, April goth 1912. by
Cong. Hoffman: I ask the House-about Win.
chel. He is an officer in the Navy. Since
when are officers of the Navy chosen to criti-
| ciZe members of Conoreeco How, rp-1cb Jopoor
is he to be allowed to undermine the faith of
the people in their representatives. Lambert
son OF Kansas in the House in November,
1913: "Wlnchell elected to take of his uni
form and stay in New York when given the
chance to get into the wal or get out of the
Navy!"
From an Article in a N. Y. Paper by Don
Hollenbeck: 1T begins to look today as if the
appeasement and obstructionist gang in Wash
ington may succeed ill ~silencing a powerful
voice against Fascism. The voice is W. Win
chells ard the gangs way of gagging him is
to embarTass the Navy into keeping him out
Of print and off the air under the guise of
putting him on active duty"
From the Same Paper: 1.-THE facts about his
Navy service follow: He was invited by Naval
Intelligence Washington to enroll as a Lieut.
40 1901. Il WStIl luIOuSll He necessary
courses and studies ard was commissioned
Nay 5.h. 1884. Never broadcast in Navy uni
form. His original confidential orders distinct
" stated he was never 10 appear in uniform.
An All-Navy order of Jan. 2, 1912 by Knox
put him into uniform by a 80 Church Street
blurder. The All-Navy order stated all Naval
personnel and officers must wear uniform from
that day on. Never accepted a salary or ex-
penses FOL Navy duties. Paid own expenses
- 1890 - -,%- - ~ o,,+-;I. .o,-4,
From ar FDR hate: There is something
mysterious and sinister in the case of W.
Winchell. who holds a commission in the Navy.
Dangerous man to be in intelligence or any
similar service"
Report from Comdr. R. A.. Brown to Navy
Dept, Washington: Attached is clipping
(above paragraph) of a column which ran
Nov. 9th, 1912. You Will note derogatory REFER
ence to Winchell. In line with our suggested
policy, there will be no rebuttal by Winchell.
In fact, his cooperation in remaining silent Is
typical ". W. policy. He has been away ahead
Of US in this and is more than willing to
cooperate so there'n be 10 refle on Navy"
From the Montreal Gazette, March 2, 1912:
1.-THE case of the columnlst-commentator was
the subject of a Congressional inquiry when
the House Naval Affairs Committee demanded
Of Secy Knox to send Wlnchell to Samoa or
force him to resign. Isolationist politicians and
newspapers have risen up in holy fury against
the fabulous journalist. He is being sniped at
alta cked and maligned as a result of having
volunteered to do his bit in the war effort.
Eat the zenith of his career, we'll over the
draft age, he picks up the threads OF a Navy
career that started as an apprentice seaman
in the last war and begs the Navy to put
him to work without ray. He has nothing to
gain but an earlier grave and the satisfaction
of having helped beat his country's enemies.
1t is a completely unseif1sh gesture and the
Navy quickly accepts. So this happens! People
prpominent and notorious rise up and try to
beat his brains out. A tragic commentary on
the American scene.'
From Chief of Bureau Navigation to Officer
in Charge, Navy Recruiting Bureau, N. Y. c.
Subject: Approval of Winchell broadcasts. :.
L: THE broadcasts of 1t. Cmdr. Winchell,
USNR, are Of tremendous value to the Navy
in its recruiting efforts. 1t is therefore expedi-
ent to make every effort to take full advantage
of these broadcasts. Signed, c. w. Nimitz,
Navy Dept" (Sept. %, 1941.)
From a Washington Paper (1942): 1T will
be denied, of course. but WInchell was stripped
of his Uniform and kicked out"
w shington D. c., June 10th, 1946: 1t.
Comdr. Walter Winchell, 235 E. 45th ST., N. Y.
c.. Now that the shooting is over, l feel that
the Navy would be less than thoughtful if it
did not find a means OF expressing to men