Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-01
OFFICERS EXPLAIN
WAR-CAR TOLL DATA
Purpose of Press Release
Still Is Mystery as Interior
Motive Is Denied.

The horrid word propaganda" crept
into conversation among Army omcers
at the war Department today. Omcers
i'm and out of the Departments press
section anirnatedly discussed one OF the
latest releases for press consumption
which was issued yesterday under the
succinct heading: AUTOMOBILES More
Deadly Than Enemy's Bullets"
While high-ranking officers In the
office of the Assistant Secretary OF war
glanced over the release preliminary 10
what was suggested as further discus
sion. other officers denied that the mat
ter was issued with Interior motive.
The departments release projected
the thought that in the case OF Cali
fornia, grim visaged war reaped Coll'
less than the toll of the deadly automo.
ollie and in the case Of the District OF
Columbia, it was shown that the aver
age monthly rate OF deaths by auto.
mobile was 9.6 In 1928, as compared
with an average monthly rate of 81
killed In battle during the World War.
A. A. A. Is Held Ally.
It developed today that the source
of the figures cited was two-fold, the
last annual report Of the Secretary Of
War. and the American Automobile
Association and 1t was said by one
offlcer that the A. A. A. had been "de-
lighted" to get over the idea that auto
mobile accidents are terrible.
1.-THE release was q dpuble-edged
proposition" said the of1icer. 1--WE were
not trying to prove anything. The
figures show that deaths from auto
mobiles are terrible and the American
Automobile Association was glad to
emphasize that point. We sent the
statement and table Of figures to all
corps areas and suggested the matter
be distributed to the press as the areas
saw At"
It being understood that the terrible
edge of the double edged proposition.
the officer was asked to describe the
other edge.
"Well," he said, "the other edge was
that in view Of the large number OF
traffic fatalities, the number Of deaths
in battle may not be so bad after all"
Doesn't Prove Anything.
"And what does that proven" he was
asked.
ask anybody to print it. It is our
function to give out information about
We have never asked anybody to print
anything"
The officers attention then was
called to the fact that one Of the infer
enceS to be drawn from the comparison
as made in the release was that the
War Department was picturing war as
not so bad. THAT borders pretty close
on propaganda, doesn't it?"
Draw your own inference" he shot
back. IF your inference is ridiculous,
it's yours, not ours. We gave out the
figures"
In explanation of his contention that
the department was not trying to prove
anything, the officer pointed out that
the table of figures accompanying the
statement showed that in only 16 States
was the average monthly rate Of auto
fatalities greater than the average
monthly battle rate. In the other 81
States, figures for New Mexico being
missing. the battle rate was greater.
But where the battle rate Is greater,
the preponderance is small" he added,
land where the auto fatalities are
greater, the number of auto deaths is
much larger"
What does that proven" he was
asked.
Nothing" he answered.
"But 1t is not propaganda"
Definition Of Propaganda.
what the other fellow does Is propa-
ganda," the officer answered. what
we do Is publicity"
The War Departments press section
published definition Of publicity and
propaganda about three years ago.
Publicity was defined as: 1.-THE dis
semination Of facts to spread knowledge
and understanding" Propaganda, said
the definition, is "the dissemination of
information and ideas to devotion n
favorable public opinion on some defi-
mite subject or project"
1.-THE definition of publicity" said
that press sections treatise, provides
a valuable classification for Army news
that is, facts concerning men and
events which pertain to knowledge and
understanding of the operations and
principles Of the national defense"
The relation of automobile fatalities
to death in battle, If any. proves moth
ing and was intended to prove nothing,
1t was said. It was prepared merely
for the public's information and UNI
derstanding."