Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-04-07
PROPAGANDISTS NOT
MENACE TO The IT, S.
UNCLE TED TELLS CHILDREN
PROPAGANDISTS ARE A NUI-
SANCE NOT A MENACE

What is 'popgandy,' Uncle
Ted?" 1t was Ruth speaking as her
uncle entered the room after com
plotting a late dinner.
"a WHAT" responded that accom-
modating individual, hesitating in
the process of unfolding the evening
paper.
"a 'popgandy'."
why / never heard Of such a
thing; where did you get that word?"
II heard Two men talking about
them on tha street car today. One
of them said that the foreign pop
CANDIES are menace 20 the United
States" answered Ruth.
"Oh, you mean 'propagandists.'
That's different. There isn't any
such worn as 'popgandy'. Those
men yod Lizard talking On the street
car were talking about citizens of
other countries who print papers or
pamphlets, or write articles for mag
azines, or make speeches in this
country, for the purpose of making
the people of the United States be-
lieve the same way they believe con-
corning important public questions. 1"
Uncle Ted settled down in an easy
chair and begain to read.
We'll, are they a menace" inquir-
ed Ruth. ...
mot much of a menace-just a
nuisance" replied her Uncle, going
on with his reading.
But Uncle Ted, that man on the
street car said they are making lots
of trouble, and the man he was talk
ing to agreed with him." persisted
Ruth.
ooh, let uncle go on with his read
ing; besides. you are bothering me
when l want to finish this book be-
fore bedtime" exclaimed Jack.
That's all right, Jack, can read
later, and / rather think the subject
Ruth has brought up is worth talk
ing about" responded Uncle Ted.
"Tll tell you all ] know about it. OF
course, nobody knows exactly how
much foreign propaganda work is
going on in this country. or exactly
who the propagandists are. In order
to accomplish what he sets out to do,
a propaganda usually works secret
ly-gets his ideas before the people
without their knowing what he is
about. OF course, some of them work
openly. and the government is able
to deal with those who are so radical
as to be dangerous. The ones that
work secretly are the cleverest and
are really the most dangerous.
still, as I said before, I think
they are more of a nuisance than a
menace. Ruth, where is that old his
tory you were showing me a few
days ago-the leather-covered his
tory written by Samuel Whelpley
and printed way. back in 1908? You
remember ] read something out of it
to you and told you that if you would
put it where it would be handy, l
would tell you something more about
it later
Eyes, that's it, Now wait just a
minute. All, here is what / wanted
to find. More than hundred and
thirteen years ago, the historian
Whelpley said in his book, when he
was discussing American newspapers
We cannot omit the occasion Of OBJ
serving that several of our public
papers have been conducted by for
eigners, who, could it be presumed
that they understood the nature of
our government and. civil policy, are
utterly incapable of feeling any in
terest in, or concern for, either
1t is a matter of serious regret
that the people of our country should
give them countenance, be led by
them, and look up to them as their
political guides. We hope
we shall not be thought impertinent
when we ask what would be the fate
of an American printer who should
go to London, or Paris, and set up
his political mandatory upon so
large a scale as those foreigners do
among us.
) Now, remember, children, that
was printed in revised edition of
Whelpley's history a hundred and
thirteen years ago. I suppose the
first edition was printed several
years earlier. The point I want to
make is that in the early days of this
republic a great historical writer
was warning the country against the
foreign 'popgandies', as Ruth called
them. But, in spite Of the pests, We
have gone on as a nation, growing
and developing. The foreign propa-
gandists have been working all these
years, and have been troublesome at
times, but the nation has never been
in danger from them"
"Oh, say, Uncle Ted, didn't you
tell us once that the United States
! was in danger of being forced into a
world club that would make us send
our soldiers to Europe to fight wars
over there land that would give Eur
ope the right to settle quarrels on
this side Of the Atlantic ocean?
Didn't the European people try to get
us into that?" Inquired Jack.
Some of'the foreigners wanted us
in and some Of them didn't. AL
though l could not prove it, I very
strongly suspect that there was lot
of foreign influence exerted here un-
der cover to get us to go into the
league, or world club. Then there
has been a lot of foreign propaganda