The Washington times., 1933-04-14
GILBERT sELDES

sportve regime and have to be codded before each lee
tre and hurried to bed after the young men now TO
come will stay up at parties and make terrific hit with
the American female element" which the Qual d0rsay
is sure "has an important viewpoint How these strap
ping athletic and seductive inteecua will succeed with
the American male element Commonly called the ousl-
ness man) is not stated
We Can Count
The great thing about propaganda is to know your
opponent and in this the heads of publicity IN France
have proved themselves peculiarly expert I'VE must re-
member" says the official document, hat the American
above all ese is business He knows how to count.
He is dominated by sporting spirit An American may
honestly ruin his best friend just to prove ne is the
stronger-and then offer him MS hand ana nep nm TO
arise. Friendship has nothing to do with his business
"He knows how to count" the American business
The statement doesn't into details it doesn't say how
far the American coun in fact it omts the depres-
sion altogether Instead it gives short story about the
history They must not be expected to know French
history" That is shrewd stroke
Buying News
In addition to the handsome lecturers are to have
"pro-French articles for American magazines French
movie films and the cooperation of agencies The
particular American agency mentioned has already
repudated he idea that ever has undertaken or even
been asked to undertake propaganda but such denial
has from the French agency, and think none WILL
This gives the clue to the charming mentality behind the
whole idea of persuadng America to think we'll OF
France Because French newspapers and news agencies
are almost without exception subsidized and for sale to
the highest bidder, the French assume that American
newspapers and agencies the 1t would never
to a Frenchman to believe that newspaper might
be Republican in campaign and Democratic in an
other without the cash payment of large of money
to make the change
This little psychological blind spot may diminish the
effectiveness of the handsome young speakers The
foreign office has taken the attitude that must teach
us to love France; it knows reluctant pupils 1t
begins with the assumption that whatever is done in
France must be done elsewhere in the same way. But
love. in America is a bit wayward The psychologists
Of propaganda ought to study movies for long time
. make sure that their Apolonan lecturers of the
right type It would be terrible for them to here
looking like John Barrymore, only to discover that
whim had changed and wanted Clark Gable. Imagine
the poor young having to depend only their in
teects like the old who 60 to bed right after
their lectures!
Not Indecent, Thank You!
It is possible for to appear in public without
a version of "Lysisrata" with which associated,
is not necessarily lewd and immoral He read the text
three times and studied it udgmatcaly and his deci
sion is that "some people might consider it indecent while
others might We'll, that's good one " An upright
judge say, Daniel come to judgment judgmatcally.
To tell the truth, didn't know my being de-
cded The offense if any, took place out there more
than year ago. and reported to me that the police
had been searching for Greek named Arstophanes
who also had something to do with the play but who has
some 20 centuries been dead. Failing to get him, the
police turned to the innocent players.
The Joke of the present decision is that it continues
case in which the players suing their prosecutors for
nearly quarter of million dollars. wish them luck
If they get the money hope they will remember in time
that neither Arsophanes the other author of their
play netted nearly much-and that Arstophanes is
still dead.