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About Port Orford post. (Port Orford, Oregon) 1937-19?? | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1941)
PORT ORFORD, OREGON. POST GENERAL Test Television for Help in Battle HUGH S. U. S. Official Denies Plan For Censorship^ Press Presidential Assistant Mellett Opposed to Any Type of Central News Bureau Or Propaganda Drive. By BAUKHAGE National Furm and Home Hour Commentator. WNU Service, 1395 National Press Bldg., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON.—If you want to ■tart a heated argument among the members of that Washington in stitution which is often called "the third house of congress,” but whose official name is the National Press club, just mention "government censorship.’’ Those are fighting words to the men of press and radio and—well, did you ever try to put a muzzle on a real healthy airedale? Just to keep the fun going, I dropped in the other day to have a chat with the man whose name has been more closely associated with censorship of late than any other in the capital—and how he hates it! He is soft-spoken, gray-haired Lowell Mellett, a keen-minded, mid dle-aged newspaper acquaintance of mine over many years and one of the best-liked and most highly respected of all of those who have now desert ed the fourth estate to work for the New Deal. Mellett left the Washington Daily News to become head of the Na tional Emergency council in 1938. (The "emergency” in this sense re fers to the 1933 variety and not the •’limited" one we are enjoying at present.) The NEC, as the council appeared in the New Deal "alpha bet” in those days, has since be come the office of Government Re ports, a less pretentious institution. Mr. Mellett is its head and is also one of the President’s administra tive assistants. These latter are the men who, according to official pro nouncement, must have a "passion for anonymity.” The functions of these assistants differ widely as does the degree of their intimacy with the President, but of all his ad visers, Lowell Mellett is one of those in whom the President places his deepest confidence. There is a reason why this former newspaper man’s name has been as sociated with a possible censorship of news. When the President asked congress recently for funds to make the office on government reports per manent, the house of • epresenta- tives committee on appropriations called Mellett before ,t to ask him, among other things, what, if any, plans the administration has for cur tailing or regulating what should and should not be printed about de fense or other matters, according to the government’s way of thinking. Mellett told the congressmen that the administration has no such plan at all. The word “plan” is used in the concrete sense for it is well known that several specific programs for regulating what would or would not be permitted to be made public by press and radio have been drawn up by various officials, who would like to tie a muzzle on the news hounds in case of war or even in case a full emergency is officially proclaimed, or perhaps even before. Mellett’s answer satisfied the committee and the lower house agreed to the measure. Nevertheless, the rumor lingers on that a man with scissors is lurk ing behind the White House hedge ready to clip the reporters’ wings the moment they spread them too widely. I called upon Mr. Mellett in his businesslike office in a building in "downtown" Washington. Although he had no official statement for me (which I didn’t want anyhow) we had a frank, friendly, informal chat. As a result, I can confirm what he has told me before concerning his sentiments on censorship, senti ments which I believe it is safe to say are those of the President, too, at this writing. This is the way Mr. Mellett expresses himself on the subject: "Even in case of war I don’t be lieve in a propaganda drive,” he said to me, referring to any artificial effort to mold public opinion in favor of government policy. “I have constantly opposed a central press bureau when I have heard it discussed, because it is impractical. It is impossible to get the news of government through one bottleneck. “My idea,” he went on, "is simply to see to it that the press informa tion bureau of the army and the navy and possibly the defense agen cies, which now exist, are made as efficient as possible.” To the newsman, this means that these bureaus would have at their fingertips information which the press ordinarily obtains from indi vidual officials. In an emergency, war and navy chiefs feel these in dividuals might inadvertently re veal information which should be kept confidential. "If this method doesn’t work," Mr. Mellett declared, “my idea would be to have representatives of the press and radio come here to Washington and offer their own plan for han dling emergency news. They wouldn't offer a plan which the government could refuse. They want the news and the government wants to get it out.” He explained that what he meant was that he believed the newsmen would agree on what was sheer good sense and patriotism to print. Such facts would be given out which did not injure national defense or give aid and comfort to the enemy, and the papers would be left perfectly free, as he put it, to raise the devil with the way things were being done and to criticize the government. Finally, I reminded Mr. Mellett that in the last war there was criti cism of the Creel committee on pub lic information because it not only withheld much news that the pub lic had a right to have, but also it gave out information that was pure propaganda. Therefore, I asked, wasn’t it natural to expect that any restriction on government news might be looked upon with suspicion by the press, radio and public? Mr. Mellett came back to his original thesis. He reiterated that he did not believe in a propaganda drive—such a drive as the Creel committee indulged in. Secondly, he said, if the information bureaus of the various government agencies were efficient, the facts would be available. It was because the Creel committee was a central, news bu reau (which he opposes) that it be came a bottleneck, holding back facts that could have been made available to the press and radio even in war time. • • • Statue Troubles In Nation’s Capitol It is easier to revise a statute in Washington than to move a statue. That is why Sixteenth street, the avenue that runs almost up to the front door of the White House, is torn up these days. The excavating is taking place at Scott circle. Washington is full of circles, most of them with their historic statues. They make for beauty and also traf fic jams. Recently certain new comers to the city suggested re moving the statues instead of build ing million dollar underpasses such as the one now being constructed under the proud figure of General Winfield Scott. But these newcom ers just didn’t know Washington tradition. One man who tried to break that tradition got into a terrific mess. It was John Russell Young, then a newspaper reporter, now District Commissioner Young, one of the three "mayors” of the city. It was in Harding's administration when public buildings and grounds were in charge of the engineer aide to the President, Colonel Sherril. Mr. Young conceived the idea that the statue of George Washington, located in a somewhat shabby neighborhood several blocks from the White House, ought to be in front of it where General Jackson sits astride his famous rearing charger in Lafayette park. He persuaded Colonel Sherril to switch the two fig ures and proceeded to write a story of what was to happen. Then came the deluge. President Harding was almost drowned in an avalanche of angry telegrams from ardent Jacksonians all over the country. The state of Tennessee not only legislated its fury over this in sult to its famous son but announced it was sending a delegation to the President. It was reported that the Old Hickory Marching club, once a historically potent political organi zation, was to be brought to life to descend on the capital, possibly with their old long rifles loaded for more than bear. Only a speedy denial of his inten tion to force General Jackson to trade places with General Washing ton saved Mr. Harding's scalp. No, we don’t disturb our sculp tured great in Washington. If we can't get around them we go under them. B R IE F S . . . reeks Washington reporters find out the total airplane ion of the United States. But w the figures were not avail- national defense offices. It t that the information was red exactly confidential, but ch of the defense news, as- g the details involved the different government agen B y Baukhage cies, different divisions of the same agency. Officials fearing to embar rass another division or department, have become close-mouthed. But one reporter did get the plane figures. He got them at a cocktail party, along with a detailed break down. He published the totals but withheld the details for fear of embarrassing his source. ----------- *----------------------------------------- the nation’s electric generating capacity was 42,000,000 kilowatts, while the nation was using only 28.000.000 kilowatts. By 1942. he said, the capacity will have been in creased to 47.000,000 kilowatts to UniUd F-I— W NU Sv-M» PHILADELPHIA.-The magic of provide a huge reserve for any de Washington, D. C. television soon may be harnessed to fense emergency which may devel REVOLT UNDER HITLER flash running picture stories of troop op. Napoleon conquered a large part movements and actual battles from At another meeting, delegates of Europe. Because he had some observation planes to general staff were told of a new invention which idea of a sort of United States of headquarters, the American Insti would protect America's power sup that continent, semi-sovereign states tute of Electrical Engineers was ply if high voltage lines were de united in a loose league, he allowed told here. stroyed by lightning or bombing. It the conquered countries a good deal “We do not have to let the imagi is a new type of circuit breaker, and of leeway. Ferhaps his further idea nation run wild to picture the possi it not only automatically switches of putting his own people, family bility of an airplane equipped with off power in the damaged lines, but or fellow soldiers, on the thrones of television flying over the battlefields also blows out fires that often break several of these states had some while the troop commander and his out. thing to do with his liberality. general staff gather about the view The breaker can store air for Whatever the reason, he didn’t ex ing screen at general headquarters ercise a close enough control to and have instantaneous and accu years until such an emergency keep some of them conquered. In rate information of events in the arises and then blast out the flames Prussia, Scharnhorst and Stein ef front line,” said Dean Joseph W. with a 1,000-mile-an-tiour puff of fectually evaded his disarmament Barker of Columbia university wind. The speakers were Robert C. Dickinson and P. H. Nau of the decrees by using the permitted school of engineering. Westinghouse Electric and Manufac small Prussian army in a new con “That is all 1 can say, because cept, not as a fixed regular estab the war and navy departments for turing company, who have worked lishment but as a military training bid me to discuss the possibilities in 10 years on the invention. school through which they rushed any detail," he concluded. yearly classes of recruits as rapid It was learned from authoritative ly as possible. In this way, they sources among the 2,000 electrical forged the forces which finally sent engineers, who convened here for Napoleon first to Elba and later, their annual five-day meeting, that after Waterloo, to St. Helena. the nation’s foremost authorities on Napoleon just wasn’t tough enough. television were developing the sys < H S J lQ t t e s e s e l e s e We do a good deal of talking about tem for America’s armed forces. our great liberal free union of semi SAMMY WISHES HE HADN’T Aid in Defense, sovereign states, the United States BEEN SO HASTY Experimental television broad- of America. But we frequently for get that, so far as the States of the ca-ts from airplanes to land stations Never be like Sammy Jay. old Southern Confederacy are con ha' e been made successfully, they Because, you know, it doesn't pay. cerned, there was nothing free or said, although the screen pictures Go ask him if it isn't true. liberal about it. We forced them are not as clear as those produced And hear what Samm y'll say to you. to remain in the Union at the points in studio broadcasts. ITH all his might Sammy Jay Dr. Barker discussed the new de of bayonets. wished that he hadn’t been so It is worth remembering because, velopment in television at a round hasty in making up his mind that after the Treaty of Versailles, the table forum. He explained that he Old Man Coyote had gone away, Allies, especially England and was not free to say more about it and especially that he hadn't been France, made exactly the same because he had been enlisted in na in such a hurry to tell everybody. mistake that Napoleon had made tional defense research and training He felt that he didn’t want to meet and made it with exactly the same projects. anyone now, for everyone knew by warlike people, the Germans. Leading engineers attending the this time that Old Man Coyote hadn't There was never a time, up to 1936 session pointed out that with the gone away. Either they would laugh at least, when with the controls at aid of television, the commanding at him for being so easily fooled or their command, they couldn’t have general would know instantly not else they would think that he had stopped Hitler, as Winston Churchill only what his own troops were do told a wrong story purposely, and continuously urged that they should ing, but also what the enemy was you know Sammy hasn't the best do. They didn’t. As Napoleon had doing. He could flash orders to the name in the world, anyway. done earlier, and as the North did front to strike at weaknesses devel So he sat in a big hemlock tree not do after the Civil war, they per oping in the enemy’s lines or rush in the Green Forest, not knowing mitted the conquered country to reinforcements to points in his own what to do with himself, until at build up an overwhelming military lines which were cracking. last he grew so hungry that he just superiority, under their very noses. Electric Power Cited. had to go out to look for something Now the situation is reversed. During the same forum, N. E. to eat. Sammy, like the rest of the Hitler sits astride most of Europe. little feathered people, cannot go He has disarmed it and made its Funk, vice president of the Phila very long without food. Hardly had vast military booty part of his own delphia Electric company, said that he started forth when he saw Chat forces. He, like Napoleon, also con terer the Red Squirrel. He tried to templates some kind of compul dodge out of sight, but Chatterer’s sory United States of Europe. Some ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ eyes are very bright and quick. He observers, reverting to the Napole saw Sammy almost as soon as Sam onic failure, say that it can’t be my saw him. done—that his conquest will collapse “Ho! ho! ho!” shouted Chatterer. through counter-revolution caused "If Old Man Coyote has gone away by a combination of interior strains why didn’t he take his voice with and stresses with outside pressure. him? Tell me that, Sammy Jay.” Will it? Napoleon, himself, fre Sammy didn’t say a word. He quently said that all empires of con couldn't, because he hadn’t anything quest die of indigestion from over to say. He just hurried on. As he eating and referred to the crackups passed the corner of the Old Or of the empires of Alexander, the chard who should spy him but John Romans, Ghengis Khan, Charle ny Chuck. magne and the Caliphates of Bagh “What did Old Man Coyote prom dad and Cordova. ise you to tell us that he had gone On all the evidence to date, Hitler away?” shrilled Johnny angrily. is not likely to repeat the blunders “He didn’t promise me anything. of Napoleon and the Allies through I made a mistake, that's all!” any lack of toughness, efficiency or snapped Sammy, and hurried on. cold-blooded cruelty. Let’s not kid Pretty soon Peter Rabbit caught ourselves too far from realism. sight of him. • • • "Story teller! Story teller!” called COLUMN AND NOSTALGIA Peter. This column has been accused by "I’m not either!” screamed Sam some of its best customers of nos my. ”1 really thought that Old Man talgia or too much yearning toward Coyote had gone.” World war precedents and experi “Better know and not merely think UST because you prefer a brisk ences in mobilizing American in shower instead of a tub bath next time,” advised Peter. dustry and man-power for defense. Danny Meadow Mouse was the Sometimes from the hostiles this occasionally, don't give up using criticism takes the angle that the your pet bath oil. Pour a bit of the next to see him, but Sammy didn’t “nostalgia” is for a government job scented oil into your palm. Slosh it wait to hear what Danny had to on the defense front. More fre soothingly over your skin. Then say. It was just as well. He wouldn't quently it is from sincere and un stand under your warm spray and have felt any more comfortable if he had. You see, Danny is one of derstanding personal friends, and is enjoy the delicious fragrance. that too much emphasis is put on (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) the very little people who has to al- mobilization principles and experi ences 23 years old and that, like "a quail a day for 30 days,” it gets too monotonous for the readers’ relish. No, this column is not in rebuttal of any of these criticisms about nos talgia. It is just to talk some of them over. As to nostalgia for a job. That isn’t good sense. Any man would like again to have some active part in a great national effort in a crisis, but that natural wish was aban doned long ago. Quite understand ably, this administration would not seek out a critic for any more im portant job than janitor in its dog house. It is not to be blamed for that. Any other course would be bad. It wouldn’t make for harmony. On the other hand, the adminis tration has shown great considera tion and restraint. This column could have been silenced any day, without justifiable criticism from any source, by simply calling its conductor to active service as a re serve officer—a course which would also have put him in a considerable financial crimp and could have re The International D og Sled derby held In February, near Quebec City, sulted in no more interesting em ployment than counting coconuts ! Canada, recalled travel in the Icy wastes of the Far North. A team Is shown racing at full speed across a snow covered field. at San Juan de Bac Bac. • • • As to nostalgia for World war methods of mobilization, they were adopted for manpower. For indus- ) SEATTLE.—The Boeing Aircraft paring space for more than 15,000 trial mobilization, the President is reported to have said ot the war company, builders of the world's workers who will be on the job by department’s plan (which followed first four-motored bombing planes, summer. The Boeing company em our World war model) that we need the army air corps’ famous ’’flying ployed less than 3,000 men two years a 1940 mobilization and not a 1918 fortresses," has entered its most ago. The plant operates 24 hours a day blue print That isn't what the Ger- I significant year In the quarter-cen tury history of the company. It is and turns out one "flying fortress" mans said. They are on record as rapidly expanding its vast facilities every two days. The production having modeled their whole indus to meet demands of America's de rate was one every four days a year trial effort on the war industries fense program. ago. By the latter part of the year board plan so far as it was applies With employment at a record lev Boeing hopes to be delivering five el of 9,000 men, the company Is pre or six bombers a day. ble. JOHNSON Jour: A rm y Trains Radio Operators Army Figures Possibilities For Directing Soldiers In Warfare. ¡ Fully cognizant of the importance of rapid communication, the U. S. army is training radio operators for the tasks before them. Here is a. line of student operators at Ft. Monmouth, N. J., as they listen to the automatic code signals. A graduate operator must be able to send and receive 35 words a minute. ITey Let Coeds Knit; Why? Keeps ’Em Quiet Au T hornton W Burcfess W IMinuteMake-ÚpsI By v.v. | J Dog Sled Derby s * * ^ • .. * e * . o * ways be on the watch to keep out ot the way of Old Man Coyote, and something very terrible might have happened to him as a result of Sam my’s story the day before. Down in his heart Sammy was glad that noth ing had happened. When he visited the Smiling Pool no one would have anything to do with him. They just turned their backs on him and pretended not to see him at all. So it was wherever he went. Sammy spent a miserable day. It wasn't of the least bit of use to try to explain. No one be lieved him. He flew sadly to the Green Forest to hide in, the thick CHATTANOOGA, TENN.—Knit ting needles click in classes at the University of Chattanooga. The coeds are knitting war re lief garments and besides, says Dr. Frank Prescott, head of the department of government: "I would much rather have the girls knitting than talking—or criticizing my lecture.'! don't take Mif- WORD fct. Hl = FRANK COLBY ssss INQUIRY Noun. A question; a query; in- vestigation. “Story teller! story teller!” cried Peter. hemlock tree where he had his home. And as he sat there thinking it all over he sighed. He was wish ing that he had not so often given his neighbors cause to think ill of him. Then quite suddenly he thought of a way to regain his lost place in the regard of his friends. None of them knew that Farmer Brown’s Boy had taken up his traps which he had set for Old Man Coyote. To morrow he would go over to the Smiling Pool and tell how he had seen Farmer Brown’s Boy throw those cruel traps into a corner as if he didn’t mean ever to use them again. Then Jerry Muskrat and Bil ly Mink and Little Joe Otter would be so glad that they would no longer turn their backs on him. Sammy brightened up wonderfully at the thought and tucked his head under his wing in very good spirits. Inqulry is the Surprise Word of the Week. The prevalent American pronon ciation—”IN-queer-ee"—is not to be found in any of these accepted die* tionaries: Funk and Wagnall's, Cen tury, Macmillan’s, Winston’s, Ox ford, Hempl, JOnes, Wyld. However, it does appear as second choice in the New Webster’s. The correct pronunciation, with the accent on the second syllable, and with the "i” long as in quite and quire, is not a '‘new’’ pronun ciation by any means, but has been well established by generations of speech authorities. To pronounce inquiry correctly, simply place an "ee” sound at tho end of the word Inquire. Do not ac cent the first syllable. Correct Pro nunciation: in-KWY-ree. (Capitals indicate syllables to be accented.) (Bell Syndicate— WNU Service.) CheMi the Pup By GEORGE O HALLORAN » (Associated Newspapers—WNU Service.) Paris Gowns Now Made Of Wood and Vegetables PARIS.—Paris gowns, which once set the world’s fashions, now are be ing made of ersatz cloth, much of it produced in Normandy and contain ing 40 per cent vegetable matter and 60 per cent wood. Commenting on the new material, the newspaper Le Matin said, “Our forests clothe us.” It is claimed that the ersatz tissues “look exactly like pure wool—they are soft and steady.” Clothes are not yet rationed but it is predicted that they will be soon, starting with shoes. “National shoes,” partly of wood, are being made in large quantities. Students Quiz Selves And 8 Per Cent Flunk PROVIDENCE, R. I —The Rev. Paul C. Perrotta, O. P., professor of logic at Providence college, can hardly be criticized by those pupils who flunked their mid-year exams. Father Perrotta permitted the stu dents to make up their own ques tions as well as the answers. Many of the students must have given themselves "the works," be cause 8 per cent failed to pass. LARA puts on her gym suit ear C ly every morning and turns on the radio, and some klunkeroo ex plains just how to roll around the floor and keep fit to music. This morning Pebblepuss thought he’d try a few calisthenics. He said that these exercises that Clara was do ing were Just kindergarten stuff. Nothing like he used to do in col lege when he ran five miles every morning before breakfast, after which he walked around the block twice on his hands and then chinned himself 100 times. But cither Clara's been doing them all wrong or else he doesn't understand English. The music started and the count began and by that time Pebblepuss had thrown both knees out of joint and got himself all wound up with his legs around bis neck. He couldn’t untangle himself so Clara rolled him into the bedroom and called a doc tor to come up and unscramble him. IReleased by Weetern Newspaper Union.) ONE ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ COMPLETED EVERY TWO DAYS The plant soon will start deliver ing smaller twin-engine bombers for under a license agreement with the Douglas Aircraft company of Loa Angeles. To effect the production increase plant expansion has been under way almost continually the last seven months. A year ago plant 2 had a total floor space of 166.000 square feet. Early last fall thia was In creased to 632,000. Still too small, it will be Increased to more than 1,000.000 square feet this spring. The total floor space of three plants will then comprise nearly 2,500.000 square feet. The enlarged plant 2 will be a continuous structure approximately one-fourth of a mile long and one- fifth of a mile wide, making It one of the most impressive production layouts of any manufacturing in dustry In the United States.
