1937-02-09 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 9, 1937.

Gruesome And Humorous

Propaganda

By Charles S. Myers

even with repugnance, supplants amusement.

Handy In The House

"A Girl in choosing a husband will be wise to prefer a man who

The problem which we are about to discuss is one of undoubted importance. We are to consider whether and, if so, how far accidents alike on It is noteworthy that repugnance, is handy about the house. Not only can be when it is blended with fear, in- does such a man save money, time the roads, in industry and elsewhere

stead of, as here, with annoyance and bother; he also takes a greater reduced by exhibiting posters or objects, or by (Le. mild anger) is nothing but interest in his home and is bound distributing information by other methods, which the horror which we have already to be more domesticated."

in 'some detail been considering Such is the advice just broadcast are deliberately designed so as to arouse fear, on Fear and amusement have yet an- to High School girls by an Ameri- the one hand, or amusement, on the other hand, in other likeness in regard to accident can lady lecturer. the minds of those who are exposed to the risks of prevention. They are each liable incurring accidents.

Alas! I myself belong to the to produce a certain contempt for breed of men that are unhandy about danger; fear producing contempt as the house.

a defence-mechanism that serves to If I am asked, of course, to raise HEAR and amusement are gene- Memorial Building had a salutary mask anxiety in a fearful situation, the baby grand half a foot off the one another that the value of grue- however, is adduced in support of ing contempt because of the feel- resists persuasion, I can earn mild some propaganda and the value of this assertion) on the minds of all ing-of superiority which its appre applause But where fine work is read ciation generally evokes and be concerned well, I'm just a nobody. humorous propaganda demand se who viewed these cars and

the appropriate signs displayed cause of the escape from reality. At times, when visiting other parate consideration.

above them." The General Com- which it entails.

FEAR so completely opposed to and lasting effect (no evidence, humour, on the other hand, produc- carpet or to unscrew a lid that

Current Examples Of Gruesome Propaganda

some

mittee of this Conference suggests Current Examples Of

that wherever possible it would

homes. I hear the lady of the house remark, "Yes. It was just a short circuit and George fixed it up," or

"The tap only needed a washer, so Edgar put one on,” and I sigh with envy of the men that can do those things in their stride.

be desirable for the motor vehicle Humorous Propaganda Let us consider

of the department, after fatal accidents of

cars Two examples of appropriately gruesome material which is at pre- this type, to exhibit wrecked sent employed or advocated in accid with proper descriptive signs at humorous posters will serve to ill

highway intersections ustrate their high value. A picture

HE HASN'T THE KNACK ent propaganda. Certain industries important

on throughout the State, as a moral of a piccolo player bears the legend: abroad have exhibited posters

Mind you, it's not, as some libel- of the "Even if you aren't a piccolo player, lously insist that the unhandy man which a blood-dripping hand is dis- lesson to other motorists played with two fingers of it miss- death and destruction that can and you need all your fingers." An- is necessarily lazy. He is no more circular will result from continued reckless other poster depicts a worker who, lazy than the fellow that can mend ing, just amputated by a h

though sheer good fortune, has his own radio or barber the Peke. saw, or which depict the agonized driving and carelessness.

escaped from being crushed by a It is simply that he hasn't the knack expression of 2 woman worker

The same Committee recommends falling massive iron frame "We of handling tools, which is a na whose hand has just been pierced also that the motor vehicle depart are not all born lucky," is printed tural gift. by a drill or of a man who is about

clothes mean death shrouds."

Mr. J. C. Furnas,

an American

ness

カラ

and asks herself was she wise to

ment be given power to secure from beneath. Yet another example, You don't blame a man because to be crushed beneath a falling the State Police and from all local concerning the forced landings of he can't sing the alto part of "Lar- girder, or a corpse with the

police departments throughout New aeroplanes in country meadows, may board Watch" or dance the tango. derlying slogan, loose working Jersey photographs of all fatal car be quoted: "Try and imagine that But the wife of the handy man accidents ocurring in the State, and the cows which gallop so entertain- rarely shows the same kindly toler "What is needed" for the pre- that these photographs be so taken ingly down below are your cows ance. vention of road accidents, urges as to be as gruesome as possible, Until you have looked into the mat- "You don't mean to say you had ter you simply can't imagine what to call in a workman for that? Why. writer, "is a vivid and sustained showing the dead bodies of accident victims lying on blood-stained high-

goes on inside a galloping row. Stephen is never so happy as when realisation that every time you step

ways. Indeed arrangements are to Anyway, it turns the furmer sour he has some little job to do about on the throttle, death gets in be be made to send to all newspapers and pilots who have cause to seek the house." side you, hopefully waiting for his in New Jersey matrix reproductions his aid afterwards may find him And the result is that the wife chance" And according to an Eng of these photographs, with the re lacking in the milk of human kind- of the unhandy man gets unsettled lish journalist, the pedestrian must be taught that the moment his foot quest that the newspapers publish these horrible pictures prominent- leaves the pavement for the road

ly so that thousands of thoughtless A certain amount of amusement link her destiny to an oaf that doesn't know a screwdriver from a the sudden danger of death or a drivers may witness the terrible is well recognised as an aid to in-

gimlet. cident immediately presents itself."

destruction and suffering which fol- terest in school instruction. But

Yet a friend of mine, a woman If fear has, as I have suggested, lows in the wake of reckless driving. nowadays there is too often a ten- of charm, poise and great perspicu- some restraining value for the small

dency to exaggerate the It is the psychologist's prime levity when informationed for

ity, to whom yesterday I spoke "minority, the cruel and callous, it

is impart morosely of these matters, laughed is certainly very harmful, at the function to study individual and na- ed, especially in the more popular

at my opinions. opposite extreme, for the far larger tional mental differences. And he

"You're on the wrong foot," she number of the timid, anxious and will be the first to admit that what newspapers. The modern journalist

seems-in my view quite wrongly. nervous members of our commun- appear. horrible to one person

to think that a serious article must told me, "if you think that all mar- ried women long to have a handy. ity. The mere fear of the conse nation may excite merely curiosity be made amusing by the introduc-

man as a husband. I myself, for quences of dangerous behaviour and wonder in another. But suretion of often ridiculous captions and may irresistibly impel these people ly we shall all concede that such

of often irrelevant thumb-nail sket- example, look on him as a pest and to such behaviour. There are many propaganda as the preceding will ches, and that without such suppos industrial workers who are more or never be generally successful, nor ed attractions the article will never

"What?" I gasped. "A man that can, on demand, put washer on less subconsciously afraid of the widely employed, at all events,

be read by the masses. So, too, în

a tap? machines at which they daily work. Great Britain.

propaganda for accident prevention, although amusement has a certain value it must not be overdone.

Conclusion

This is likewise the case in certain

car drivers. In them (and also in Amusement And others) gruesome propaganda will Instruction

only increase (or arouse) fear in

or

in

a menace.

“I don't care," said she, “if be can put a washer on a Cunarder. Washers don't keep jumping off taps every other day, and there's always a plumber round the corner.

á situation of danger and will thus Interest and instruction in the

Neither amusement nor fear can As for the husbands that "fancy only increase the risk of accidents, consequences of misconduct as well I know of a motorist who saw once as in right conduct are possible be regarded as sufficient for acci- themselves as interior decorators- a poster depicting a horrible ac- through posters or by other me dent prevention. Each must be used I've never seen one yet that didn't cident on a piece of road well known thods of propaganda, without evok in moderation. The most that these make the home an eyesore. And to her. She assures me that the ing extreme fear or horror. And feelings can do alone is to instil a in other matters as well the amateur result has been that when she passes although sufficient interest may be memory of a dangerous situation mechanic is usually a bungler.

handy man this spot she always drives badly aroused pictorially in other ways, and of its effects. Alone they do "Another thing, the I and dangerously, through the sheer the use of a humorous situation is not pretend to detail the rules of has generally a craze to interfere certainly admissible. But the hu- conduct which require to be ob in the running of the house. He panic of impending disaster.

morous must be in good taste; and served for the avoidance of acci- wants to have a big say in the there is nothing which is either in dent. Nor alone can they always colour scheme, in the arrangement dividually or nationally so variable indicate the best reasons which can of the furniture, in the choice of as taste. It humorons propaganda

for such avoidance. wallpaper and fittings, and so on. interest, worth He butts in where he's not wanted Conference on Safety, held, especially in regard

ense of duty are and becomes a nuisance" in New Jersey in September last, be regarded as "onte

Next to cold fish, there's nothing would

nore unexciting.

Safety Conference

Goes Further

further than fai

wrecked cars in fro

cause

danger with undue

ulgarity, then

with

noyance, blended

be