New Man with a Doctrine

The U.S. Navy got its youngest rear admiral last week and the Navy high command got something it badly needed: a press chief who understands and likes the job.*

Navy policy has always been to give the public-relations assignment to line officers. Most of the professionals hated the job, and few understood it. The high command sat on almost everything but the most routine naval news, and the Navy's chief public-relations officer became little more than a chief clerk.

The new man, who is expected to change all that, is 42-year-old Harold Elaine Miller. Black-browed Annapolisman "Min" Miller is a line officer and a naval aviator. He is also a writer. He won a "well done'' from correspondents for straightening out press relations in the Pacific.

Last week, after reporting for duty, Admiral Miller strode into the Navy Building pressroom, perched himself on the edge of a desk and announced his doctrine: "One of the things I believe in and one of the things I'm going to do is see that you know what the hell is going on."