alone, ard many other thousands through veterans' organizations, and through separation centers of the armed forces.

In addition to the booklet, the Division prepared a synopsis in popular form which was published by several national syndicates serving several thousand daily and weekly newspapers and by a dozen or more nationally circulated magazines.

These are merely examples of the directional work of the Division designed to integrate the informational programs of the Department's various bureaus and offices having to do with the development and wise use of such ratural assets of the Nation as metals, power, fuel, helium, food, land, timber, and fisheries.

In other words, the Division continued to function as the directing and coordinating office of the Department through which all informational material is channeled from the bureaus to the public. This applies not only to day-to-day press releases of general circulation but also to books and pamphlets prepared by the Bureaus on specialized subjects, over which general printing supervision is exercised by the Publications Section.

The Division was also responsible for the editing, designing the format and supervision of the printing of the Secretary's annual report, as well as for the publication of Inside Interior, a monthly newspaper intended to keep the Department's own employees abreast of its activities.

There were no appreciable changes in the organization set-up of the Division, consisting of the Director's office, Radio, Publications, and Photographic Sections, although some changes in assignment of duties have been effected as changing conditions required.

RADIO SECTION

Throughout the year the Radio Section, operating the only modern broadcasting and recording studios in the Government, continued its intensified war service to most war-engaged Federal agencies, under the general supervision of the Director of Information.

Extensive and almost constant use was made of the studio's facilities by the Office of Strategic Services and by the Army and Navy in the preparation of secret programs having to do with psychological warfare. Special training programs were recorded for use in every theater of operation, and, toward the end of the fiscal year, recordings were already begun for use in demobilization work on ships and in Army centers of concentration.

Numerous live programs, as well as recordings, were prepared and broadcast through these facilities for overseas use by the Office of War Information and other agencies affiliated with it. In this work as many as 29 different foreign languages were used.

In addition, special programs, spot announcements, and other material for broadcast were produced for such departmental agencies as the Solid Fuels Administration for War and the War Relocation Authority.

One of the outstanding jobs performed by the Radio Section was the complete production of a series of six 15-minute recordings entitled "This Is Puerto Rico," prepared under the auspices of the insular Government of Puerto Rico. This series, an educational and documentary feature, was designed for use in more than 2,500 high schools of the country to acquaint the rising generation with this American outpost in the Caribbean.

PUBLICATIONS SECTION

The enlarged functions, begun last year, by which the Publications Section is made responsible not only for the procurement of printing but also for editorial content and format of bureau publications, have been continued with obvious success.

Not only have important economies been effected by centering in this section the power to reject faulty or undesirable manuscripts, but better design and more attractive publications have resulted. There is still much to be done in presenting to the public a better-rounded set of publications on the Department's activities. But a good start has been made and further improvements will be accomplished as the Department gets into its stride of peacetime work.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SECTION

While the major portion of the Photographic Section's efforts were devoted to furnishing photographs and other illustrations to Department agencies directly concerned with the war, it also began preparations for enlarged activities in anticipation of peace.

Toward the end of the year, for example, the Division compiled and published a listing of about 1,000 background photographs selected from many thousands of negatives in the Department's photographic files. The list of selected photographs, depicting historic landmarks and other subjects of permanent interest to students of the Nation's natural resources, was furnished to editors of important newspapers, magazines, and photographic syndicates as a backlog of available illustrative material upon which they are privileged to draw in connection with stories or articles dealing with any of a large number of subjects within the Department's purview.

During the year the Division also inaugurated a fortnightly News Picture Service, by means of which photographs of current interest are distributed to about a score of news picture syndicates, illustrated feature services, magazines, and newspapers. Thus, the Department, with comparatively little public expense, is able to enlarge a thousand

fold its effectiveness in acquainting the public with its varied activities. This service has proved so popular throughout the country that, with the coming of peace, it is contemplated that the Division of Information will be called upon to make it a weekly instead of a fortnightly feature.

These activities of the Photographic Section, while increasingly important, are still virtually incidental to the regular volume of work that it has been called upon to perform. Its principal work, from the standpoint of volume, has continued to consist of furnishing illustrative material for bureau publications, progress reports to Congress and the like, as well as meeting a constant demand for material to illustrate textbooks, guidebooks, pamphlets, and travel literature requested by scientific, trade, and other magazines and publishing organizations.

Mrs. J. ATWOOD MAULDING, Director

茶

WITH the war continuing throughout another year our immediate

problem has been the securing of personnel sufficient in number and quality to meet the war needs. Recruitment has been difficult, especially to meet the continuing demands of the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Mines for geologists, engineers, metallurgists, and other specialized personnel, which has made it necessary to ask for occupational deferments from the military service for some in these groups. Recruitment has also been especially difficult for stenographic and typist positions where the Civil Service Commission has been able to supply few eligibles, and replacements have been dependent upon applicants found by the Department. Special effort has been made to fill as many positions as possible with women, and with men not eligible for military duty. At present fewer than 15 percent of our permanent employees are subject to military service. More women are employed in the Department than ever before, the latest figure being 10,676.

More than 7,500 Interior Department men and women have gone into the armed forces; approximately 500 have been discharged and returned to work. These employees were either placed in their old jobs with no loss of seniority rights or were given higher-grade assignments. One hundred and three of our employees have died in the war and eighteen are missing.

While the number with specialized training and experience deferred from military service is slightly higher than a year ago, this is accounted for by the more liberal policy of the Selective Service System for deferring men over 30 and the necessity for making deferment requests for those found physically unfit for combat. The increase, however, has all been in the older age groups as the number of deferments for those below 30 has been drastically reduced.

The Department continues to fill positions above the entrance grades by promotion from within so far as qualified candidates are available. As part of the program to increase the productive capacity of Interior employees, the Training Section conducted across bureau lines during the year refresher courses in typewriting and shorthand, personnel

administration, secretarial training, and efficiency ratings, as well as orientation classes for new employees. The Department assigned two employees this year to the administrative internship program of the Civil Service Commission.

The Classification Office has allocated approximately 7,811 positions during the year and has made numerous surveys of groups of positions in the field. One of the important accomplishments of the Office has been the establishment of a Standards and Specifications Section to assist in preparing and publishing standards for the allocation of field positions under the Classification Act, which was directed by Executive Order 9512. This will be to a large extent a continuation of studies already started to establish standards for typical positions in the field services of the Department.

On September 8, 1944, the basic policy governing wage-fixing for employees not within the purview of the Classification Act was fixed by Secretarial order. On March 30, 1945, detailed regulations and procedures were issued by the Director of Personnel. In these regulations the procedure fixing rates of pay for ungraded employees by wage boards, which had been followed previously in several bureaus, was extended as a uniform method throughout the Department.

Morale in the Department is high despite the abnormal conditions of war. The number of grievances, disciplinary actions, and appeals of efficiency ratings have continued to run small.

Services to employees relating to group insurance, hospitalization, health, credit, loans, and counseling have been maintained, and with respect to counseling have been implemented further. The recreation program established under the guidance of the employee counseling service is felt to be of inestimable importance as a means of communication between employee counselors, personnel officers, and others interested in employee relations in the Department.

While meeting the immediate war demands, we have tried to strengthen the whole personnel structure of the Department for better administration and postwar expansion. We are proceeding with the program of decentalization, looking to the acceptance of more responsibility by the operating bureaus, the Division being concerned mainly with the formulation of good policies and the maintenance of sound personnel standards. In line with this objective, the Office of the Deputy Director of Personnel in Chicago was discontinued in January 1945, and a delegation of considerable appointing authority was made by the Secretary to the three bureaus headquartered there. The Division is also gearing itself to the veteran placement problem. As one important step, a veterans placement unit has been established to insure that veterans are apprised of and receive their full rights, and that the Department is able to take advantage of new