Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-23
PRESIDENT HARDING ON
PROPAGANDA.
DREs1DENT HARDING is an

pNESlOEN1 raANOiNo - a.
! experienced newspaper edi-
tor. When he wrote letter to the
newspaper men which was read be-
fore the National Press convention
at it's recent meeting in Honolulu
he wrote as newspaper man rath-
er than as president OF the United
States, and he touched a subject
that is a live issue with all think
ing newspaper editors. He warned
them against propaganda He
said in part: II cannot but feel
that the primary purpose OF the
press, as a social Institution, is the
opening of mems minds rather than
the closing of them. Propaganda
aims primarily at shutting up the
mind against other conclusions than
those which the propagandists de-
sign to implant. Education, on the
contrary, aims to open the mind,
to prepare it, to make it receptive
and to urge it to formulate its own
conclusions. Propaganda would at
last mean intellectual paralysis;
education is, when properly en-
ploved. intellectual stimulus. 1t IS
better that men should think than
that they should accept conclusions
formulated by other men for them
We have need in these times that
men should think deeply. that they
should realize their necessity OF
settling their own problems.
It is a characteristic of the presl-
dents writing and public documents
that his phrases are so general that
they are a little vague and 1t IS
hard to know just what idea is IN
his mind when one tries to make
a close analysis of his words. From
the context of his letter we guess
that President Harding had in the
back of his head when he wrote
these words to the newspaper men
at Honolulu the anti-Japanese prop
aeanda which the Pacific coast
press has used for many years and
which has spread recently to other
sections of the United States be-
cause he spoke of exciting national
hatreds and breeding war through
propaganda. We are in entire
agreement with President Harding
on that phase of the propaganda
problem as seen from the editors
point of view. Neither can we take
any exception to his general crlt'-
cism of propaganda as it is con-
tanned in the above quotation, ex-
cept to say it is rather too vague.
We live in an age Of propaganda.
There is political propaganda tor
instance. All political parties are
at it constantly. They sometimes
call It, rather ironically campaign
of education. There is social prop
uganda of thousand varieties ped
died BY men and women with mis-
sion to make the world see that they
have patent for the cure of all
/ social evils, or some particular So
I cial evil. There is religious prop
aeanda also of a thousand differ
ent kinds. Mr.. Harding knows as
every newspaper editor knows how
the mails are loaded down with
these various sorts Of propaganda
addressed to the editors of news
papers by societies, organizations
and private citizens who hope that
he can be induced to push their
propaganda along by giving it some
free publicity in the columns of his
paper.
While there is no doubt that back
of this effort to push the circula-
ton of propaganda there lies self
ish purpose on the part of the au-
thor to grind some private axe OF
his own in a, considerable proper
ton Of the stuff that comes to the
editors desk, yet that is not in
variably the motive. In many cases
the author is actuated by altruistic
motives entirely. In others the
selfish motive back Of it is no
worse than personal vanity and a
desire to pose Is a wise man and
a benefactor of the race. But in
most cases the author expects to
receive directly or indirectly some
personal benefit to himself from
the publication of the propaganda
stuff that loads down the mail
sacks, and knocks at the door Of
every newspaper office soliciting
free publicity.
The government itself is one Of
the most persistent propagandists
de newspaper editor has to deal
with. Practically every department
} - r ->.,>..->.k