The Press: Newsman's Soldier

Well remembered by Washington newsmen is 56-year-old Brigadier General Alexander Day Surles, a leathery, convivial cavalryman whose lanky legs possess one of the notable bows of the armed forces. Popular brigade commander in Fort Knox's Armored Force, he made his name with newsmen as head of Army's press section from 1935 to 1939. Then a lieutenant colonel, with pacifist critics his chief problem, newsmen rated him the ablest question-answerer ever to hold down the job.

Last week Cavalryman Surles, dreaming wistfully of field maneuvers, was again back on the old job, appointed head of Army Public Relations to replace Major General Robert C. Richardson Jr., who transferred to command of the 7th Army Corps.

Big was General Surles's astonishment. Instead of his old two-offices-in-a-wall, he found a fantastically grown Bureau sprawled over half of one of the "mile-long" wings of the old Munitions Building.

Instead of his old staff of two well-meaning assistants he found, going at Panzer tilt, eight big departments, manned by a dozen lieutenant colonels, 15 majors, ten captains, 25 lieutenants, 20 civilian writers, picture and radio editors, assorted experts of all shades, plus more than 150 clerks, typists, stenographers, mimeograph operators, etc.

Typical of the careening growth of these departments: In April the section under able, Jiggs-faced Lieut. Colonel Stanley Grogan had a staff of 27, now has 61. Under Major Earle Looker, ex-adman and Roosevelt biographer, the department of Intelligence & Analysis since December has mushroomed from one officer and three civilians to four officers and 48 civilians. Major Looker (recently promoted from captain) digests spot news, reviews periodicals and newsreels once a week, monitors and records all radio commentators, playing them back on portable machines to officers interested.

Frankly regretful to leave Fort Knox, which shared his disappointment, General Surles was characteristically modest—about his plans for tackling the big headaches ahead: "I'm going to look up some of my old friends when I get there to get back into stride. I'll let the newspaper boys do the writing. I'll furnish the facts. That's my idea of the job. There is definitely no idea of censorship."