Evening star., 1939-01-24

and false alarms about Americas
national defense is presented
here IN the second of tho articles
oy a peteran 10ar correspondent
ana military historian. Since
1887 Col. Palmer has been on the
scene OF action wherever Uar
broke out. He serped as an officer
OF the A. E. F. In france, earning
the Distinguished Service Medal.
He Is the author of numerous
books.
BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER.
NEW YORK, Jan. "a (N.AN.A).
An old ghost is revived to sound
terrorizing notes behind closed
curtains. Again a mystery is made
OF unrevealed powers of destruc-
ton that threaten our home de-
tense, which has been secure for
more than century and quarter.
Not since 1915 has the thunder
OF naval guns in battle been audible
on our shores, a coast defense bat
terry had a single enemy ship as a
target or a single hostile shot been
fired on our soil against an in
vader, with the exception of
Pancho Villas bandit night raid
across the Mexican border in 1916.
We arm against history repeating
itself, arm for war overseas. In all
our wars against foreign foes since
that of 1812-14, we have fought in
foreign waters and foreign lands
In the Mexican War, 1846-48. our
soldiers stormed the heights of
Chapultepec. In our war with
Spain, 1898. they fought their way
to the top of San Juan Hill in
Cuba, and. in Dewey's naval victory
Of Manila Bay and our Armys
capture of the City of Manila, we
carried that war halfway around
the world.
Two Million Sent to France.
After our entry into the World
War, our Navy was in action in
European waters from the North
Sea to the Mediterranean, and we
kept on rushing soldiers to France
until we had 100000 over there.
We arm against such influences
in another emergency as sent armed
ships and armed men on such dis
tant missions. arm against propa-
ganda, playing on our sentiment,
emotion and impulse, which will
stir our knight-errantry and our
conviction of elf-interest to the
fighting pitch.
AS distinct in my ears as when
1t was uttered at the British front
in France in 1915 is the remark of
British officer who had been in
the thick of the shambles:
why should you get into this
bloody mess when you are safe
across the Atlantic?"
An officer of the intelligence
branch of the staff told him he
was a flrst-class warrior, but a
subversive propagandist in the pres
ence of an American. He continued
fighting until he was killed and the
propaganda continued.
Old Elements in New Disguises.
Two years on the western front
before our entry into the war and
term as censor with our Army in
France taught me something about
the kind of propaganda which best
appeals to US.
We have read and reread how we
were propagandized into the first
World War without this being of
much service to us in learning how
not to be propagandized into an
other World War. Again I note the
old familiar elements of gradual
incitation in new disguises, playing
siren tunes adaptable to the fash
ion of the hour.
At times I think to myself
That's another contribution toward
the inevitable. although we are not
conscious of it," If we were con-
scious of it, we might not be sub
ject to it.
When we see the dictators telling
their peoples what they are to
think, we rejoice in our freedom
of thought. Early in the World
War. before the allies learned that
we like to think for ourselves, they
were off on the wrong foot with
their propaganda. They tried to
tell U.S."
Adept in Inductive Approach.
But they studied our receptiveness
| very thoroughly. Don't tell them!''
became the secret guide of their
propaganda in America They be-
came more and more adept in the
ingratiating inductive approach that
would give us the information which
would lead us to think as they
wanted US to think.
The emissaries of the allies who
were travelling about our country,
without directly advocating our
entry into the war, might drop the
casual hint:
If the Germans get us. I suppose
1t will be your turn next"
I found that your -turn-next was
having effective results when I re-
turned from the front late in 1916.
Preparedness advocates were max
ing the most of the alarm that our
Atlantic Coast cities would be
bombed and We should have to re-
sist an armed invasion.
It seemed to me that Germany
was too preoccupied in the trenches
to spare any men to cross the At
iantic when her merchant shipping
had been swept from the seas. Since
1t was the U-boat menace which
might bring us into the war.