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By Licut. C. R. OST laymen are, it appears, of the opinion that in order to get newspaper publicity one must have a "pull." When organizations want to put across a bit of publicity they send the matter to the newspaper by or through someone who "knows the editor" or "is a friend of one of the reporters."

Sometimes this method is effective and the publicity gets into print, but not without a certain irritation on the part of the editors. Seldom is such publicity effective. The method is wasteful and sometimes unpleasant. There is a much better way. The way is to put your publicity over in such a way as to make it

news.

But before we can say much more about this better method we must get to the heart of things, and find out first what news is. It is a difficult word to define, but it seems to me that this is the best definition: "News is tha quality of an event or fact that makes it interesting to a great number of persons." The key word is "interesting." News is judged by its interest. A story which will interest a great number of persons is given lots of space and a good position in the page. News which will interest only a few persons gets a minimum of space and obscure position. This is a natural law of newspaperdom. Publicity, interesting only to a few, is given grudgingly. News, interesting to many, is accepted and printed willingly. If this is kept always in mind the problem of how to get publicity becomes easier.

The question which now arises is: How can I convert publicity into news? Some publicity can never be converted into news; other publicity is itself news. For instance; some may think that the publicity given to theaters in most large newspapers is obtained because the theaters have big advertisements in the paper. This is seldom the case. Theaters and actors get publicity because their activities are news. People are interested in these activities. They are interested in what shows are appearing and what actors are billed. There is a demand for this information-it, therefore, is news.

Now let's stop for a moment and see what things are interesting to the greater part of a newspaper's readers. Hundreds of things are interesting and we can consider only a few-those which are generally interesting. Different persons have different interests. A chauffeur may be interested in the doings of Jack Dempsey, but not at all interested in the Einstein theory of relativity. A college professor may not care a rap about Dempsey, but probably will be intensely interested in Einstein. But there are a great num

CORBIN, 332nd Inf., O. R. C., News Editor, Toledo Blade

ber of common interests, sure fire catches, and these are the ones we must find. What are they?

Here are a few: 1. That which is mysterious. 2. That which is unusual. 3. Almost anything about animals. 4. Religion. 5. Treasure. 6. The doings of prominent persons. 7. Stories about children. 8. The weather. 9. Stories about ancient races. 10. Stories connecting historical events with the present day. 11. Stories about popular sciences, etc.

So much for elements of news interest. Now let's get another fact in our minds. The most successful recruiting publicity is not the constant refrain, "Enlist! Enlist! Enlist!" Such repetition helps, of course. But there is another, more subtle, and, I believe, more effective, recruiting publicity. It consists simply in keep.ng the Army constantly before the reading public through news. If a prospective recruit reads enough interesting stuff about the Army he will become interested in the Army. And there you have receptive material for a recruit. Thus you keep the public interested in the Army. How? Here are some examples and suggestions:

Take the animal interest, for instance. Are there some fine horses, or particular obstreperous mules, at your post? Are there some horses that have seen campaigns or that have done some particularly interesting feat? There probably Well, get a picture and take it to your leading newspaper. Don't take it to more than one newspaper, for that may cause trouble. If you can't sell your idea to the first paper, try another, but never two at once on the same story.

are.

Most people like horses. A number of newspapers in the United States have printed a series of feature stories abou. interesting horses in the community. If there is an interesting horse at your post tell his story to the newspapers. Has your post or station an unusually interesting mascot? Describe him! They'll be glad to print it. You need not tack on to the story the fact that recruits are wanted. Let that sink in for itself. Work for the general effect.

How many children are there at your post? Do they like military life? Are the boys going to be soldiers when they grow up? If there is a good live newspaper in your town, it will be glad to print feature stories about children. Send their pictures to the city editor or ask him to send his photographer out to get good art of Army kiddies.

Stories about popular sciences are generally interesting. Does the Army teach any, and where? Some time ago newspapers all over the United States printed stories about how some government stu

dents attended a "sleep university." They learned through their subconscious minds while they slept. This is an example of how popular science can be made interesting news.

The whole world is interested in King Tut's tomb and is just beginning to realize that civilians existed thousands of years ago. The islands of the Pacific are full of interesting remains of early civilizations-not so pretentious as Tut's tomb, of course, but interesting enough to provide a ready sale for South Sea Island books describing them. Are there any of these interesting remains in Uncle Sam's island possessions? If so, why not have some soldier write a letter to his home paper describing them? Or describing the queer customs, or religions, of the natives? Are people interested in such things? Read the magazine sections of your Sunday paper and see how frequently such things are described at length.

Our history is full of interesting events which can be connected with the present day. Here is an obvious example. The recruiting office in Toledo was furnished a zinc etching of a poster used for recruiting purposes in the time of George Washington. The Blade printed this cut, and with it a story comparing the recruiting methods of 1776 with those of the present day. Interesting? Of course it was. I heard many comments about it. And it was good recruiting publicity.

These are only a few hints. The method is indirect, I know, but many years of newspaper experience have proved to me that this indirect method of publicity is the most effective of all, both for getting publicity printed and for getting results.

Wrestling Tryouts in Baltimore The final Army tryouts for candidates for the Olympic team in boxing and wrestling will be held at Baltimore from May 14 to 16. Contestants will be rationed and quartered at Camp Holabird, Maryland. In case contestants from any corps area desire hotels or accommodations in Baltimore other than those provided at Camp Holabird they must be secured by the corps area concerned at its own expense.

Increase in Reenlistments According to a statement issued by the War Department on February 28, reenlistments so far in this calendar year have reached a percentage of 33.5, as compared to 24.5 in fiscal year, 1923. The Air Service, according to the report, is the most popular branch, and Hawaii and the Pacific Coast the most popular assignments.

MARCH 15, 1924

T

HE writer, having served in every capacity from private to assistant recruiting officer in five districts of the General Recruiting Service, covering a period of approximately ten years, and having carefully observed the functioning of each, has endeavored to include herein the best method used in operating each department in each district, with the hope that they will in some measure prove helpful.

Upon receipt of instructions authorizing the resumption of recruiting or the opening of a recruiting district, the officer receiving same will in all probability be confronted with at least these three difficult problems, upon the solution of which lies, in a great measure, the success of his district:

1. Suitable location for main station. 2. Distribution and general outline of duties of enlisted personnel.

An Operating Procedure Proposed through and be passed by him, before by 1st Lieut. John F. Somers, 35th Infantry

being submitted to the recruiting officer for signature. This would relieve the recruiting officer of numerous petty details in administration and give the first sergeant an intelligent knowledge of the disposition of all correspondence, vouchers and returns.

His office should contain a complete and ever accessible file of all circulars, bulletins and official correspondence and be charged with its completeness. In short, the first sergeant functions in a recruiting district much the same as a chief clerk in any other business organization. During my service on recruiting duty it was observed in many instances that the first sergeants, although, without exception, intelligent, industrious and competent men, had been at a loss to know, for a cer

tainty, what disposition

had been made of official
correspondence. In all
cases this was due to the
fact that too many of
their duties were assumed
by others.

Examining and Applicants'
Room

The personnel in this department should consist of two men, one of them a sergeant. Both should be exceptionally well versed in the regulations governing enlistments and rejections; branches of service, open and closed; orders, bulletins and circulars pertaining to recruiting in general, and acceptances, rejections and assignments in particular. A complete and accurate record should be made and kept in this department of the following:

(g) Do the number of people that pass location equal the number that pass United Cigar store?

In short, the ideal main station would be a suite of seven rooms, costing approximately $100 per month, with one or two rooms facing the main street (first or second floor), within five blocks of the principal railway station, and on the most traveled route thereto.

Where recruiting offices are located on the second floor of a building, the displaying of flags is facilitated and they may usually be had for a smaller rental price. If arrangements can be made for displaying flags, ground floor offices are more desirable for recruiting purposes, for the same reasons that prompt other business houses to make themselves conveniently accessible to the public.

The number of rooms for the main station in the average district should

(a) Accepted applicants (b) Rejected applicants (c) Declinations

Those under (b) should include all men who make application and are ordinarily rejected on their own statement, without examination, that some disqualifying defect exists.

The "Enlistment Record" for those down to and including "Examination coming under (a) should be made out at Place of Acceptance." If a copy of this form, pertaining to each accepted applicant, is not kept on file, some form prescribed by the recruiting officer should be.

The "Enlistment Record" for those coming under (b) should be completed down to and including "Declaration of Applicant," or the same information carried on some form prescribed by