The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-02-06
TEE DAY or PROPAGANDA.

People talk good zeal lately dpouI pAofA
| ganda-German propaganda, BRITISH propa-
ganda, peace propaganda, war propaganda. Inc
word never before has been so busy and never
before has it meant more IN history. Inc mum
her Of publications and lecture platforms IS so
great that To propagandize is easier than to In
| trigue: there is more talking than whispering.
| And religion itself never engaged such flow
Z of missionary effort as has accompanied the
European war.
I The people can't be herded and driven, In
these DAYS, by an unexplained demand; they
have to be educated by special propaganda
Politics, commerce, charlty-eyery human
Iendeavor-seem suddenly to have sprung INTO
a new and insistent publicity. For example, IN
one batch of editorial mail day or two ago
we're communications from three different or
CARNATIONS having to do with peace or patriot
ism: from three commercial organizations
whose present worry concerns contempiaieu
legislation; from two international commercial
organizations two appeals for foreign charity;
FIVE tracts relating to the European war; ana
about dozen boosts for theatrical shows
This is the day of publcity-and the press
agent, Every lecture, every pamphlet has ITS
neat little purpose There are few merely IN
formative speakers on our circuits, and the pub
licist without an AK to grind is rare. Not line
Of unprejudieed matter unlabeled gets into
real newspaper, of course, but the serutlnlzIng
and the labelling means an arduous task Tor
somebody. The old fashioned lecturer who
talked enthusiastically of the Upper Anna
zon.,' or of the unrest In India has de-
parted-or else he is carrying side line OF
some choice brand of peace or prosperity
Even the musicians have been annexed for some
special purpose, at times; concerts are part OF
the war charity program.
You will find propaganda at breakfast Win
the morning mail; you may find 1t In your news
paper, if you read that kind; your place OF busl-
ness will be full Of it, and the chances are that
lit has been introduced in the household kitchen
If you retire to the woods to escape 1t all, you
+ will find that you were drawn to that precise
spot by carefully conducted boom campaign
Advertising always has been effective; today
lit appears in more forms and more persistentiy
than ever before. Lucky the man who has such
respect for it that he recognize It at sight.
One serious handicap under which manu-
| facturers have labored in building up export
trade in new markets is instanced in an article
| in the Iron Age in which is related the history
of contract recently fulfilled by an American
concern for South American customer. A
proposition was received some months ago and
bids were submitted promptly; after long de
| Law the goods were ordered In the meantime
wages and other manufacturing costs had risen
so that the transaction represented loss to the
manufacturer He fulfilled his contract care
fully and then wrote genial explanation to
| his customers. stating the causes of his neces-
sarv refusal of further orders at the price he
! had made. He has since received another and
| larger order for goods at an advanced price. A
policy which thus makes loss in instance
means of promoting further trade will do
much to compensate for the unquestionahle
difficulty under which exporting manufaetur
ers now labor.
| 1t seems that when Senator Overman, In
charge of the Legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation bill, accepted without debate the
amendment placing postmasters of all classes I'M