Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Fri, 28 Aug 1992 11:28:36 EDT
From:         Kent Mulliner <mulliner@OUCSACE.CS.OHIOU.EDU>
Subject:      Research Resource: W.W.II Broadcasting
X-To:         seasia-l@msu.edu

FBIS (World War II and after) in the National Archives

     The following describes a collection of research resources of
possible historical and communications interest.

     Weeding (discarding duplicate or other unwanted library
materials) can be a fruitful activity.  The Ohio University Government
Documents Department has shared with me a great 1959 publication
(reprinted in 1981): Walter W. Weinstein, comp. Records of the
Foreign Broadcast Intelligence Service, Preliminary Inventories
No. 115  (National Archives Publication No. 60-1; Washington, D.C.:
National Archives, 1959).  Although euphemisms have become more
important, so that FBIS is now called the Foreign Broadcast Information
Service, its role in monitoring, recording, translating, and disseminating
foreign broadcasts has remained constant.

     Now under some undisclosed agency, FBIS materials remain a
valuable resource in recording, often translating, and reporting on what
other countries are saying about events.  Today, coverage is broader than
simply broadcasts and includes news agency transmissions, newspapers,
periodicals, and government statements.  The monitoring is issued daily,
as FBIS Daily Reports in both paper and microfiche.  These are
available in larger Federal Depository Libraries and a commercial copy
is available from NewsBank.  NewsBank also produces a monthly paper
Index to the Foreign Broadcast Information Service Daily
Reports, divided by geographical regions--Southeast Asia is included
under East Asia (but China isn't)--and a cumulative, comprehensive
(covering all areas since ca. 1983) index for all regions is also available
on CD-ROM (from Readex).

     But it the older materials, dating from 1941 through 1946,
reported in the above cited Preliminary Inventory on which I wish to
focus.  These materials are kept in the Suitland (Maryland) Annex
(connected with the main National Archive in downtown Washington D.
C., by regular shuttle bus) and copies can be made at a cost of $0.25 page
for paper or ca$0.35 page for film.

     In addition to being available under the stations monitored,
discussed below, the Inventory reports a few other collections of interest.
There is a collection of "Indexes [usually monthly] to the Far Eastern
Section of the Daily Report, cover Jan. 1, 1945-Oct 31, 1946, and a
collection of "Daily Reports, Far Eastern Section, Jan. 3 - Dec. 31, 1946.
There were also "special reports" prepared by the Analysis Section
periodically, which are listed in the Inventory.  Of special interest may
be Radio Reports (RR): # 49, on the Indian Independence League in East
Asia and on the Philippines (July 7 & 10, 1944), RR # 60 on Asia's
Religions (Dec. 8, 1944), and RR # 64 on the Indian National Army (Feb.
2, 1945) and the Special Releases such as "An Outline of the
Organization of the Central Pacification Committee of the Philippine
Islands, as Broadcast by Manila (June 8, 1943).

     The richest area for primary materials are the transcripts, which
are arranged under the stations monitored.  For Southeast Asia, these
include (in alphabetical order, as reported; dates in parentheses):
Bandoeng (Oct. 1945-Dec. 1946), Bangkok (Sept. 1941-Dec. 1944),
Batavia (Sept. 1941-Dec. 1946), Djakarta (May-July & Dec. 1943), Hanoi
(Jan.-May & Nov.-Dec. 1946), Voice of Free Indonesia (Nov. 1945-Dec.
1946), Makassar (Mar.-Nov. 1943, May-Dec. 1946), Malaya (Aug. 1946),
Manila (Mar. 1942-Jan. 1945 & July-Dec. 1946), Philippine Islands (May
1942), Voice of the New Philippines (Sept.Dec. 1946), Rangoon (Nov.
1943; Sept.-Oct. 1945; Apr.-Oct. 1946), Saigon (Sep. 1940-Dec. 1946),
Samakki Thai (June 1943), Singapore (Mar.-July 1946), Voice of
Freedom--Leyte (Oct. 1944-Jan. 1945), and Voice of Freedom--Luzon
(Jan.-Feb. 1945).


*  Kent Mulliner                  *  Voice(614)593-2707 /Fax(614)593-2959 *
*  Assistant to the Dean          *  Mulliner@OUACCVMA.Bitnet             *
*  Ohio University Libraries      *  Mulliner@OUVAXA.UCLS.OHIOU.EDU       *
*  Athens, Ohio 45701-2958        *  Mulliner@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu        *
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