Evening star., 1933-05-21
THE PROPAGANDA MENACE. BY Frederick
E. Lumley. New York: The Century Co

nagad Far1eueS FIOpaeanQa Is Tecosh0Su =.
Prof Lumley q powerful and baneful
social force In the writing of this book, he
Hkens himself TO . collector of rubbish Of all
sorts from a stream, who lugs his treasures
ashore and then sorts them in quiet cove
THE stream Is the unmeasured flood OF pub
licity in modern society. I am the collector.
The flotsam and jetsam are propaganda. he
has investigated the chief sources, nature, vol
ume and menace OF propaganda, and gives
many different definitions all having the same
general content. One of the best is that Of Z.
K. Strong: "The word propaganda means es-
sental1y the spread Of a particular doctrine or
system of principles, especially when there IS
organization or general plan back OF the
movement = 4" Propaganda differs from 'edu-
cation with which it is purposefully confused
in that in the case of the former the aim is to
spread one doctrine whereas in the case Of the
latter the aim Is to extend knowledge Of the
facts as far as known" Perhaps this deflni-
ton gives clue TO some of the propaganda
against the support of public education
One chapter Is brief summary of propa-
ganda in the past, and we are assured that
propaganda was not invention Of World
War years. and that Germany was not the
arch propaganda" Propaganda existed, IN
very queer forms, among primitive peoples and
among the early civilizations of the Hebrews
Greeks and Romans People are in all periods
dependent upon experiences communicated by
others, as their own are insufficient for knowl-
edge. Absolutely reliable reporting is therefore
of the utmost importance. 1t makes a great
difference to individuals who gives them their
information, so it is "the veiled propagandists'
who mislead and should be discovered An ex-
ample Is given Of the Washington headquarters
of national organization stimulating 2500OO
messages from constituents to two United States
Senators from one State. The methods Of
propagandists have, of necessity. been changed
in And he tho
have replaced the public meeting, which most
people now refuse to attend, just many re-
fuse to read printed circulars Interesting chap
ters are those propaganda and industry,
politics, war, patriotism, race prejudice. educa-
ton and religion After Prof. Lumley's thorough
discussion Of this vital subject, and in view OF
the alarm the growth OF pre- paganda all over
the world causes those who believe in the use
of reason and the right to the knowledge of
facts, it gives some reinsurance to know that
there limitations on propaganda" namely,
laws restraining propagandist activities and the
unpredictable reactions Of the public when
, propaganda overplays its game. Propaganda Is
based on the theory that man is puppet,
clod, boob, yokel, q brute and sometimes
man surprises the propagandist. The final chap
ter is on Some Suggestions to Remedies"
ONCE UPON A TIME AND TODAY. By Maud
Nathan. New York: G. P. Putnams Sons.
IN former book, 'The Story of an Epoch
Making Movement" Mrs. Nathan told Of the
organization Of the Consumers League and It's
work in bettering the conditions of factory
labor. She has been an active worker in con-
nection with many reform movements, among
them the woman suffrage movement. The fore
word to this present book is by Carrie Chap
man Gait, who says of her: "a busy life she
has lived, heroic life of achievement The
world today Is an utterly different one from
that she found when. looking out upon it tim
idly in her youth she made her first choice
between the claims of the new woman and
the resistance of the old order. In the struggle
that wrought the change Mrs Nathan was
forceful, dependable, always helpful battler for
the right" In her first chapter Mrs. Nathan
tells of her ancestry and. reading it, do not
wonder at the determination, energy and con-
trolled direction of her life. Her ancestors,
Spanish Jews, victims of the persecution Of the
Inquistion went to Holland. England and,
finally to the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam.
In September, 1854 band of % Jews came
over on the ST. Charles. surely the descendants
of these Jewish Pilgrims entitled to con-
slider themselves 100 per cent Americans
, equally with the descendants of the May
flower Pilgrims" Her maternal great-grand-
father Gershom Seixas, was rabbi and a
vigorous patriot who protested against taxa
ton without representation and offered
prayer at the inaugural ceremonies Of George
washington. Judge Cardozo of the United
States Supreme Court is great great-nephew
of this Rabbi Seixas.
This autobiography OF Mrs. Nathan des-
cribes in its early part the domestic and social
life during the COS 70s and sos of an ortho-
dOx Jewish family OF traditions education and
culture. Later it is concerned with the social
service activities of Mrs Nathan and her ac-
quaintance with many persons prominent in
public life, including Theodore Roosevelt whom
she aroused to interest in the work of the
Consumers League by taking him on a tour
of some of the sweat-shops of New York But