The Alaska daily empire., 1923-01-09
WHAT IS PROPAGANDA?

WHAT IS PROPAGANDA?
 Of all the terms coming into common use during the period of the World War and immediately sue oeeding it. the propaganda to have become the most overworked and to be the most misunder stood By virtue of the various made of it, ir connection with the spread of literature by organza tions of many kinds, it soon came to represent any particular bit of publicity spoken or written which seemed questionable. In it's most common meaning now propaganda is publicity which is based preudiced and is not worthy of credence
 This is probably the which the Anchorage Times the word in connection with article on the Bureau of Fisheries that appeared in a recent is of the Alaska School Bulletin the signature Of E. NJ. Ball Assistant Fisheries Agent for South eastern Alaska The Anchorage paper caustically oritcises the Bulletin for using such material saying
 Among the causes advanced for Secretary
 Falls contemplated resignation the
 cabinet is the statement that the various
 bureaus, through widespread propaganda,
 have checked all efforts reforming the
 system of Government in Alaska. This fact
 is made patent through the appearance in
 every newspaper and periodical which
 cess may be gained of inspired articles cal
 culated to present the cause of the bureaus.
 Among the latest, and which is the most
 glaring, is the invasion of the Alaska School
 Bulletin issued by the Territorial Depart
 ment of Education, which editorially advises use of the bureau propaganda in schools.
 The invasion of the usual sources of pub
 licity may be condoned under the head of
 expediency, but when the bureaus invade the
 ochooroom for the purpose of moulding the
 youthful mind to the bureaucratic view
 point, it is time to protest
 If Alaska is to emerge from it's thraldom
 it must be through a continued battle in
 support of those who fighting bureau
 cracy, including such as Governor Bone,
 Delegate Dan Sutherland, Secretary Fall and
 every intelligent publicist who has made a
 study of Alaskan conditions In this respect
 ullptin wi
 view to influencing the schoolroom smatters
 of arrogance. As long the Alaska School
 Bulletin contains bureaucratic propaganda it
 should be relegated the waste basket
 What asnine twaddlei The article to which Int Times refers and to which it objects with so mucf bitterness appeared in The Empire yesterday. It wa nothing more than a brief statement of the creation of the Bureau of Fisheries as the agency througf which the Department of Commerce exercises the Jurisdiction ever Alaskan fisheries and kindred re sources that is bestowed upon by Acts of Congress It does without advancing any argument for it, perpetuation, without attempting to be brief for h system of which it is part and without any defense of its actions in the past cxtenuaion for any O. it's present policies
 In very short resume of the points covered ir concluding his article Mr. Ball said.
 Briefly stated, the work or the Bureau of
 Fisheries in Alaska covers the preparation of
 food fishes, the enforcement laws and
 regulations fer the protection and preserva-
 ton of the fisheries, the fur seals and sea
 otters, the walruses and lions, the ad-
 minstration Of all affairs the Pribof
 Islands, the administration of fishery reserva-
 tiens, the development of all fisheries nclud-
 Ing methods of curing and packing technical
 and scientific investigations affecting the
 fisheries and fur seals and the investig gation
 or all power projects coming before the Fed
 eral Power Commission for the use of the
 water of salmon streams in Alaska
 Bureaus play very large part in the governmen ol Alaska If the students attending Territoria schools are to be given a knowledge of their owr government. the civic structure of the goyernmenta organization under which they live, they must stud, rot cnly the Bureau of Fisheries all others fnc uoning Tn Alaska In that study, if it be complet e tEey Will learn when, how and why those bureau. were created, came into Alaska and what they ar. dong Too few people both in and out of the Ter rltory have that knowledge or access to aata from whch II can be readily acquired A complete under standing or the ciyos Of Alaska could be made tb, s'aruhg point Tor reform in present system o administration It naturally leads to the ouestior of how does 1t compare with the cvics of forme, territories? Whether Alaskan development unaor il mas been as rapid other former territories ad ministered under another kind of government9 uou can reforms be accomplished unless there is a know ledge of the conditions demanding improvement tq These are some of the aims of the TerritoraI Do partment of Education in it's series on the wcrk os the bureaus in Alaska. If it is nveigled into print ing spacious arguments for the pepetuaon of these