out, the air-raid shelter, iron ra- tions, periodic bombing. Above all, there are brothers and sons killed, or taken prisoner, or at the best exiled in remote and un- friendly countries, in the vast. sprawling army of occupation, In the first year of war the best piece of British propaganda in Germany was the fact that there was a war at all, for the Nazis were invin→ cible so long as they could "de- liver the goods" without the cost of war. The best piece of British propaganda now is the fact that the war is still going on, for this raises inexorably the question, "Is it all worth while?" The aim of all our propaganda must be to ensure that the answer to this
question, at every turn, will be "No."
to
the
In a dictatorship all propaganda is Government propaganda, and it is all propaganda for power. Poli- tical power
depends upon loyalty of men, and the loyalty of men can be enlisted in three ways: by an appeal to sympathy, by an appeal to fear, and by an appeal The Axis dictators have necumulated loyalty by mak- ing each of these appeals at the Fight moment. They first caplured the attention and sympathy
of their peoples by telling them things which people wanted to hearby appealing to the intense passions of nationalism, by build- ing up a "Myth of Victory." In Germany, this took the form of the legend that the German armies har never been de- feated in battle, but had been stabbed in the back by the Jews, Communists and De- mocrats. In Italy it took the form of the myth that Italy had won the war but had lost the peace ---again, because she had been be- trayed at the peace by her own Liberals and by the democracies of France and Britain. When cach dictator had captured the machinery of Government by such propaganda, he turned to the weapon of force and appealed to fear. This was the stage of ter- ror, castor-oil, concentration- camps, and party-purges. Finally,. when all opposition had been cowed, came the final stage
of. "achievements" and the appeal to reason: the boasts of victories won against the
decadent de- nocracies in the feld of diplo- macy, and against "traditional enemies" in Abyssinia, and in Czechoslovakia, Poland and France. But now the climax has been reached. This smooth pro- cess is ended. The day of reverses and of reckoning has come. Bri- tain has not been invaded. Nor has Greece. And both are hitting back hard,
This is the supreme moment for British propaganda. There are
be
shipyards; that "new types" of submarines have been developed; that effi- cient crews have been trained to man them With the whole coast of
Imagine that finest flower Europe from Narvik to
modern propaganda Bordeaux in German
mass-inceting, held any time be- receptive mass is swept away by endorse his claims. He can point signs that this is being realised. hands, with French ports fore the outbreak of the present his fierce oratory into an orgy of to the successful rearmament of The B.B.C. is being reorganised. far out in the Atlantic it-
remilitarisation of A bigger programme of broadcasts war. The vast hall, impressively hatred against all who have "be- Germany, the
to the peoples of all occupied ter- self available as bases for draped and lit; the expectant trayed Germany."
the Rhineland, the Anschluss with ritories is planned. Mistakes broadcasts to Germany operations, we are sure to crowds, worked
Austria, the occupation of Czecho-in
being remedied. The confirm are slovakia. These facts see this Spring the great-hysteria by a couple of hours of
R.A.F. have again started to drop music and community-
the cluim of invincibility.
leaflets, and rumours of the real est mass attack on British martial shipping that Germany singing; the bands of uniformed,
These three conditions, in short.extent of the damage done to the navy at Taranto are being con- has ever undertaken.
necessary basis for all firmed by bestowing photographs are the effective propaganda; friendliness, of it upon Turin. Still more of this
kind af propaganda should force and facts. All propaganda pressed home, British propaganda, must build upon one or more of hitherto on the defensive, must these conditions, if it is to serve now move steadily to the offen-
sive. a political purpose. The power of the dictators has been estab-
Meanwhile, the enemy pro- lished by a skilful combination of paganda offensive has exhausted all three. But war has brought itself. The elaborate series of illu
fundamental change in this sions carefully built up by Goeb- basis of their power. The aim of bels at home and abroad has been British policy must be to intensi-systematically belied by events. fy this change.
First, the decadent democracles would not fight. Then, when they Consider a Nazi mass-meeting | did, it would all be over in a few held in Germany now. None of months. Then, when it was not, these essential conditions is pre- Germany would build a "New sent. The orator cannot tell his Order" in Europe. Meanwhile the audience what they want to hear: Nazi-Soviet Pact and the ruthless for they want to hear that the invasion of neutral countries such promised Blitzkrieg has succeed as Norway, Denmark and Greece ed, and that they need no longer have combined to reveal to neu- fear a winter of hardship, poverty trais the true purpose of this "New He can tell them Order." The loyalty of Greece, and death. again of the defeat of France and Turkey and Egypt has not been of German domination in Europe. shaken, and the Japan-Axis Pact, But that will cause them only to far from scaring the U.S.A. put of ponder wistfully how intangible the war, done much to
tack is a challenge to lonely figure of the Fuehrer, step- America as well as to Brit-
ping from behind black curtains
ain. It has been repeated în Berlin since the adop- tion of the lease-lend bill time has not come for the -Through that measure it American Government to is possible for the Presid- take over these ships, with ent to transfer to British command, swiftly and fair compensation to their without dubious interpre- present owners, and place tation of existing law, des- them under British regis- troyers which the British try. may need desperately in
By Dr. David Thomson
tion and exhaustion,
a
has
་
are the benefits that have so far facilitate aid for Britain. The de- accrued to Germany from these fensive and faltering tone of the of both conquests. He cannot tell them latest public speeches that bombing will stop. He must dictators is the best measure of for further patience and these failures. Enemy propaganda is now thrown back on the delen- sive, greater sacrifices.
things he tells them. hear the They want to hear that Germany was not defeated in battle, that her suffering and humiliation are due not to any failures of her own, the treachery of Jews, but to order to cope with Ger- Hitler boasted on Mon- Communists. Pacifists and De- many's new submarines. day that he still has pow-mocrats. They are skilfully work At the same time, there er to strangle Britain. ed into a receptive and sympathe
their "sales-resis- are other steps that are to It is, however, already tie mood and be taken. All necessary being hinted in Washing-tance" is lowered by mass-emo- priorities precedence ton that the United; over everything but long- States, producing guns He succeeds, secondly, because range bombers, which and shells and tanks and all clements of criticism and all can be delivered under planes for Britain, do not differences of opinion are care-call their own momentum intend to make these fine fully excluded. There is only one impression unanimity and com- are to be given the newly finished weapons only 'mon devotion to the movement; programme of merchant to have them sunk in the only one ideal, power. The par- which is even capable of planting upon a skilful combination shipbuilding which Con-Atlantic Ocean. The most ades and organised applause are a bomb on the Munich beer-house friendliness, fear, and facts. It gress has already author- significant omission from designed to create an effect of itself. There are dissentient can be overthrown only, by, an ised. America is also the President's speech overwhelming and
voloes-on the radio, for those equally skilful combination of dis- irresistible who are brave enough to listen; illusionment, force and achieve. considering whether she was absence of the phrase power. And physical force is al- and occasional leaRets are re- ments. Britain' tog must appeal to in can afford to continue to "all aid short of war." The ways there in the background, minders that even the power of sympathy,fear and reason,"
Judicious proportions. To weave permit merchant ships al- fact is America is in it. By ready to efect anyone who dares the Nazis is not absolute.
these strands into one clear-cult ready built to fritter away one means or another the to interrupt.
Likewise there are, now other, pattern: Is the task now becom less congenial facts which cannot Ministry of anto their usefulness carrying supplies will reach. Eng-
be forgotten and which spoil the only hope that diler luxury goods, whether the land
old pattern. There are the blackt- | It."
He succeeds, thirdly, because 1 he can appeal to facts and achieve Jwg2 Ikbal antediji:
tibelt
Nor is there the same impres- sion of invincible force: A hostile The power of the Axis dicta- counter-force has intruded: one tors, it must be repeated, is based
of