The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1936-09-10
BEHIND
TIE SCENES
IN THE
CAMPAIGN
BY RODNEY BUTCHER
Waterbury Democrat Washington
Correspondent

IN Campaign IIUpdSuAuo
Drive Innumerable
Stunts Tried by G. o. p.
Leaders Rivals Lack
Money to Keep Up Pace
Set by Republicans.
New York, Sept. 10-Nothing quite
like the propaganda effort in this
campaign has ever been seen before.
All the old stunts for influencing
public opinion are being used, plus
q very large number OF new wrinkles,
some OF them bizarre.
It Is impossible TO get any ac-
curate list showing the way the
millions for propaganda are being
spent. It appears obvious to most
observers, however, that republicans
are spending far more money 10
'iunsell Roosevelt" than democrats
are spending to defend him.
High pressure advertising and
sales technique Is being plugged
hard at national republican
headquarters in Chicago. The
technique is based ON the fact
that most voters don't and can't
understand the issues or COM
prehend just what the candi-
date Is talking about.
Democrats are sticking to more
conservative and traditional meth
DDS under Charlie Nicholson, al
though some big fellows in the adj
ininistration are frankly worried as
to the effects of the opposition's
huge barrage Of radio, screen, news
paper, billboard, grocery store, liter
ature, and word-of-mouth propa-
ganda.
Sound Trucks on Tour
Eight motor trucks left Chicago
the other day on republican motor
tour through Illinois, Minnesota,
Michigan, Iowa and South Dakota.
The democrats will have sound
trucks, carrying speakers and some
music. But these republican trucks
will carry not only speakers, but
also exhibits Of foodstuffs alleged to
have been imported to put over the
idea that the New Deal Is throwing
away the farmers domestic market.
Hill Blackett, an advertising
man, serves as n republican mas
ter mind for the special stunts. He
heads n very large staff Of adver-
Using, radio. theatrical, and other
radio specialists.
The staff prepares free vaude-
Vile skits studded with anti-New
Deal wisecracks for any actor
who will take them, free anti
New Deal sermons for clergymen,
and things like that.
The republicans are said TO be
spending at least half million
dollars on billbOardS-"VOte for
Landon and Land job"
In New York citizens find them
selves being approached by beg
ears" who ask for a dime and
insist on telling how New Deal
policies made them what they are
today. Democrats insist these men
are In republican pay and that so
are many BARRIERS, hairdresSers,
and bartenders hired TO dissent
nate anti-New Deal monologs In
their contacts with the public.
Blackboards Spread "News"
The republican blackboard trick"
has annoyed democrats. That's the
one where the national committee
provides blackboards for butchers
which say prices aren't high, but
taxes are. These boards purport
|. to show that when you pay, for ex-
ample, As cents pound for pork
I chops you're paying 80 cents Tor
Nmeat and IS cents for taxes.
The only way democrats can
combat this Is to have housewives
ask the butcher to explain the tax
item, which neither he nor anyone
else can do.
Then there's the device Of send
Ing women around from house
20 house with two market baskets,
purporting 10 show city house,
keepers how much less they can
buy for q dollLr now than before
the New Deal. Democrats are
trying 10 tell the farmers all about
this.
IN the last few days Of the
campaign. there will be direct
mail republican campaign OF I'M
precedented size. Meanwhile, the
Z. O. D. is ordering pamphlets and
leaflets in enormous quantities and
boasts that 1t will have distributed
about 100000 Landon sunflowers
by election time.
Democrats Busy, Too
The official democratic propa-
B aanda machcine at New York head
quarters has been slower IN getting
organized. Most of the things it's
doing are also being duplicated by
the G, o. p.
Smaller newspapers through the
country, for instance, receive
clipsheets, cartoon service with
mats, and Charlie Michelson's
weekly letter. Pamphlets are
distributed to voters through state
Headquarters and county chair
men and sometimes direct through
precinct workers.
Democrats expect to distribute
between 10 and IL million but
tens, rs compared with fewer
than nine million in 1882. The Of.
fetal campaign book, primarily
for speakers and covering all New
Deal phases, Is about ready.
A million copies Of the party
platform viii be distributed and
there probably will be a couple of
dozen propaganda pamphlets
eventually. each Of which will
have a circulation of from 50o.-
900 to $4,000. Nicholson has
been working on an advertising
program, but he won't try to
match the republican billboards.
He thinks billboards are too expen-
Sive and not very effective.
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