Evening star., 1939-09-07

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eign governments Likewise, it has
been argued that American radio
broadcasters must not venture to
express too strong an opinion one
way or the other lest this in some
way compromise our neutrality.
Actually, there have always been
persons who believed it was dam
gerous to trust the American people
to sift the truth from spurious prop
aganda This has led to belief
that it was desirable to ask Amerl-
can broadcasting companies not to
relay foreign propaganda broad
casts. But this would only lead to
a stimulus for the sale of short
wave sets which can pick up such
broadcasts direct and it would not
prevent the American newspapers
from reprinting all or parts of such
broadcasts.
Radio is new instrumentality OF
expression, but the rules which gov
ern the press apply equally to any
form of public pronouncement. If
the American people cannot be
trusted to distinguish spurious ideas
handed to them by speakers over
the air, they will be equally power
less to tell the crackpot from the
sensible orator who stands on the
street corner soapbox.
Radio Feeling Its Way.
1t also has been suggested that
perhaps the broadcasting companies
are bringing too much European news
to their listeners, and that periodic
analysis would be better than so
many Interruptions for what will
soon become relatively inconsequen-
tial wal bulletins. The answer is
that radio broadcasting was not
established during the World War
and hence has no precedents OF
experience. But within little while
radio will adjust itself to the new
developments, just as will the press,
so that the war will be viewed in
proper perspective in relation to
domestic events and preoccupations.
This war is to be a contest of
propaganda strategy. Yet bellig-
erent government which tells too
many lies is apt to forfeit the respect
of listeners everywhere. 1t will be
interesting to note how quickly the
foreign governments will begin to
seek to build up confidence in the
veracity Of their reports. They must
do so to retain a listening audience
with regularity.
The same principle applies to the
"official communique" which, while
not telling all that happens usually
with respect to major operations,
does cover what has happened. The
propaganda broadcast will In due
time take on the aspect Of the COM
munique, but with an argument, of
course for foreign support to the
cause involved
Radio Can Edit BrOadcasts.
American broadcasting stations
will be on their guard not to be
imposed upon by foreign propa-
ganda strategy, lending their facili-
ties at important moments for vari-
Gus kinds of newsless talks. News
papers have long ago found how to
print. but to relegate to its proper
place, the contentious or argumenta-
tive statements of those with an ak
to grind and with no real news inter-
est behind their comments. Radio
stations, being privately owned, can
eliminate or abbreviate what they
please. Any rule forced upon them
by the Government here on the
ground of public interest" only
means substituting the arbitrary
point of view of a bureaucrat for
what the station managers would
discover by experience to be the
right way to handle controversial
broadcasts
During the World War it was the
proud boast of the American press
that, although a censorship law
was drawn up by the War Depart
ment in the event that the United
States entered the war, it was never
applied when April, 1917, did draw
us into the conflict overseas. In
stead, a voluntary censorship was
applied 1t was plan whereby the
American newspapers on their own
initiative agreed to refrain from