CO537-6578 — Page 71

SECRET

PROPAGANDA IN THE CURRENT EMERGENCY

I. THEMA

Appendix C.

1.

The attack of the Communists and their allies is not

carried out by means of Communist slogans, but by acting

as a ruthless, unrelenting realistic Opposition Party exploiting every political, social and economic grievance of the people to undermine the present Government, alienate the good-will of the people and destroy the present system. The Government must therefore fight the Communists, but

primarily for freedom to pursue its policies.

The word

"anti-Communism" has two meanings which cause confusion. In its narrowest sense it means negative propaganda involving an attack on Communism in any of its many manifestations. But all positive propaganda is "anti-Communist", though

not being labelled as such it is taken as in some way inferior or less effective or is damned with the faint praise of being in the words of a recent F.0. circular "considered as

axiomatic", This produces a dangerously distorted balance in propaganda. This is understandable, though dangerous in information services which operate in a "foreign" country. But in a colonial territory the Government's first job is to maintain itself and its liberty to pursue its policies and this requires that the policy should be understood, respected and followed. Again the soul-salving, not to say politically self-righteous phrase "anti-Communist suggests that our propaganda is aimed at the Communists in the first place.

This cannot be, for they are the minority. Rather is it

that (to quote an analogy previously used by H.E. The Governor) the Government and the Communist group are fighting to win and hold the loyalty of the mass of the people, who are not Communists - (or Government supporters for that matter) - but will identify themselves with the group which by practice and precept can prove that they are worth being identified with.

For.