The Elements of Style

[MalignD at aol.com]

There was an article in today's NY Times, news of the Week in Review, about 
J. Edgar Hoover's and the FBI's surveillance of Hugh Hefner and Playboy 
magazine.  Most of the article consisted of excerpts from internal memoranda, 
most to Hoover from an agent named Milton A. Jones who was assigned the case.

What struck me was Agent Jones's somewhat purple prose style, examples of 
which, below:

"In order to be aware of the rabid ramblings of Hefner, since his unwarranted 
attack on the Director in the February 1963 issue of this magazine, we have 
been reviewing the 'editorial credo' written by Hefner."

"In the Book Review Section ... Fred J. Cook's infamous book, 'The F.B.I. 
Nobody Knows,' is  reviewed in typical Playboy 'know-it-all' style.  In their 
characteristic 'smart aleck' way, they briefly list the distorted and 
warmed-over complaints of Cook ... The moral degenerates who publish this 
high-priced trash have presented nothing new ... Ignoring these garbage 
collectors appears to be the best means of putting their rantings in proper 
perspective."

Of Martin Luther King:  "King rambles on and on, speaks considerably of his 
religious beliefs and his faith in a Supreme Being, but actually says nothing 
... The entire article is typical King double-talk and is another classical 
example of the unbounded duplicity of this false prophet."

Of "Little Annie Fanny":  "... attempts to poke fun at the Director and 
Bureau's well-established reputation for loyalty, patriotism and high moral 
behavior.  Its ridiculous exaggerations indirectly compliment the character 
and ideals of the F.B.I."

Although Agent Jones nowhere compliments the Director on his "fine posts," 
his prose style struck me, nevertheless, as eerily familiar ...