Evening star., 1953-02-24
Educator Named Acting Chief
OF Voice and Allied Agencies
Temple U. President :
PIons Months Study
Of information Setup


Dr.. RobeTt L. Johnson, So
yearsoid president of Temple
University, today was named
acting chief of the Governments
overseas information service.
The White House announce
ment said President Eisenhower
and Secretary of State Dulles
had asked DR.. Johnson to study
the entire information program
which includes the contro-
versial Voice of America.
Three hours earlier DR.. John
son told the Associated Press he
would make a broad study Of
the entire overseas information
service and that he would give
Gen. Eisenhower a definite Yes"
or mo" answer after a month
long examination of the setup.
He said he probably would ac-
cept the job.
Permanent Status Uncertain.
DR.. johnson said he will di-
vide his time between the
agency's headquarters here and
in New York.
White House Press Secretary
James c. Hagerty said DR.. John
son would spend the next few
months familiarizing himself
with the present organization.
He would not say that DR.. john
son would eventually head the
agency.
DR.. Johnson'S title will be act
ing director of the international
Information Administration.
This is a division of the State
Department.
1t was expected that DR.. john
son woud come up with his own
recommendations as to whether
he wanted to makes the infor-
nation service and the Voice
a separate agency, outside the
jurisdiction of the State Depart
ment. Such suggestions haye
been advanced in the past.
To Explore All Possibilities.
DR.. johnson refused to discuss
this today, stating that he would
look into all possibilities in his
study. He conferred with Gen.
Eisenhower and Secretary of
State Dulles yesterday.
The White House statement
said:
DIR. johnson told the PreSi-
dent and the Secretary of State
that of course he wanted to do
anything in his power which the
President and the Secretary felt
might be of assistance to them
and the administration.
"He has agreed to come to
Washington for the next few
months to familiarize himself
with the present organization of
the information service"
Sees Help From McCarty.
The Voice of America is under
attack by the Senate Government
Operations Committee. headed
by Senator Mccarthy, Repub-
lican, of Wisconsin.
Asked for his reaction to Sena-
tor McCarthy's probe, DR.. john
son said:
"I'm willing to give Senator
Mccarthy the benefit of the
doubt. I think he is trying to be
helpful and maybe he'll dig up
stuff that will be very important
to us"
The Philadelphia educator for
several years was national chair
man Of the Citizens Committee
for the Hoover Report. a group
backing reorganization proposals
for the executive branch of the
Government.
DR.. johnson spoke up strongly
for the Voice of America, the
State Departments propaganda
radio, which tries to "sell" the
United States behind the Iron
Curtain.
"It's a very. very big thing in
our war Of ideas. I think we very
definitely want the voice to con-
tinue." DR.. johnson said.
Should Learn a Lot
But, he added, he will take a
look at it from top to bottom.
II don't know much about it
except what I've been reading in
the papers and in the congress
Sional reports.
That's why I want to find
out what is being done in the
agency and what can be done.
I want to find out who are the
good people and who are the
bad people. OF course, can't
~: =