1940-10-28 — Page 23

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 28, 1940

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

JAPAN'S RISK

WHEN war broke out a year

ago, we had in Britain the best organised machine for alm propaganda in the world; . We had. what even Dr. Goebbels hàdn't; a group of specialists, some of them with ten years' experience, skilled, in the use of the most lasting of all propaganda weapons---the Alm.

Sume. had studied film pro- paganda i 11 America, France

and

Foreign

Germany.

experts

said that their:

work Was of

high quality.

"The documen tary film people" were ready to

work

overtime and day job of

pro-

NOBODY ORDERED FILMS

The dangers to which the industry and the eco- nomy of Japan may be ex- posed as a result of her new alliance with the Axis Powers illustrate, the risks the Japanese militarists night are prepared to run in at the pursuit of their grandiose paganda.

Loreign plans of conquest. After three years of exhausting| war with China, Japan has not only failed to reap compensating benefits for her heavily-laden indus- tries, but finds it necessary to exert a greater military effort than ever. The drain of the "incident": 'has told most heavily upon

To-day, a year later, we look It has made films of British the civilian population

back on twelve months practically bloodstock and Thames shipping wasted. Some of our best techni-and has now films being made and the foreign trade of cians are either foot-slogging in about Lloyd's and Art in Industry. the country, and there the Army, or awaiting their call-But if it is suggested that these up, making a few short films. To are hardly the films that Ameri- are limits to what either all intents, the knowledge and ex- cans or Argentinians or Japanese can stand.

pcrience we had accumulated over or Siamese expect to see of the ten years have scarcely been used in the national interest. Yet we are

а reserved occupation over thirty!.

The documentary film people

should, of course, have been taken

By Paul Rotha

over lock, stock and barrel by, the Government's Ministry of Inform-British people with their backs to dtion and set to develop the field the wall, the British Council'can they knew so well. Instead, they shrug its gentlemanly shoulders have been left to pounce on the and refer to its pledge, to make odd scraps of films which the M. only "cultural" films. of I.'s Film Division cares to drop around. And most. if not all, of these films are for British diences.

au-

who saw that an honest expres- sion of the British character was presented to the Americans.

That there were people in au-

Civilians can be made to wear rayon in place of cotton or wool, but for in- dustry, in time of war, it is infinitely more difficult to dispense with iron, copper, oil, and rubber. The most significant fact, however, is that these materials are supplied at present predominantly from An-

The fight for the proper use of glo-American sources, few nim for foreign propaganda is not of them within easy reach new. It flared up over what films Britain should send to represent of Japan. Australia has itself to the American people at suppued important quan- last year's New York World's Fair. tities of raw materials, the

It was the documentary people then, and not the official bodies, United States has export- ed special machinery, roll- ing-stock, special steels, and other industrial ma-thurity blind to the real spirit of terials which Japan can- the British people was bad enough In peace-time; but to-day it is not at present produce for

positively dangerous. Overseas -the satisfaction of her nations now more than ever need a clear and honest picture of the needs. The more respon-averyday British people who are sible elements in Japan, pitting their all against annihila- those with an appreciation

Two bodies appear responsible of her precarious situa- for this vital job of foreign pro- tion, appear to be keenly paganda: The British Council and alive to the appalling risk the Ministry of Information. The she runs if she should cut herself off from her sup- plies of these things. In the past, there has been no unwillingness to pro- vide them in the normal Worlde body, with its faded un- derstanding of the British people, course of trade, apart and the M. of I. appear obscure.

what. from such conservation of Neither seems clear as to

the other is supposed to do, except resources as may have that cach has agreed to mind its been necessary to defence business is somewhat ambiguously own business. Their respective preparations. If, however, defined as the difference between

tion:

Films Committee of the former still retains the Guilty Men who epitomise the old school of foreign propaganda. There is, not a single professional flm publicist among them.

Relations between this Olde

political" and "cultural" films.

rio let the enemy know we are sending films abroad. Maybe silence is a useful cloak here because I doubt if the Ministry has complet- ed a single film designed specifically for export.