The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-07-18
THE STRATEGY OF TERROR

veteran newspaper correspondent
and commentator for the Columbia
Broadcasting System, Edmond Tay-
lor returned to the United States
aboard the s. s. washington only
last Saturday, July -. Careful OBJ
servation and constant study Of the
rotting French government, now de-
ceased, and the Enthusiastically clever
and ruthless methods Of the Nazis
have brought him recognition as one
of the outstanding authorities on
the techniques Of the Fifth Columns.
His widely-acclaimed book, "The
Strategy Of Terror" published by
Houghton-M ifflin, Is a current best
seller.-W. W.
I lived in Europe twelve years.
The first eleven were pleasant. Get
ting back was the hardest part. The
Obvious line Of retreat from Bor-
deaux, where Eric Sevareid and I
covered the last phase Of the French
collapse for CHS, was through
Spain. Most Of the American cor
respondents In France eventually got
out this way. I couldn't. I didn't
want to try. If can trust friends
there is still q photo Of me In the
rogues' gallery Of the Spanish bor-
der police post at Irun ir1structing:
Original to be shot on sight.
It all goes back to a speech !
made at the American Club In Paris
after covering the first three months
Of the Spanish war on the Franco
side. I said the Franco outfit was
also doing some shooting behind the
Tines, which surprised lot of peo-
pie and annoyed the Franc oSpan-
lards. Some people do find the
truth indigestible.
I guess the moral Of that Is that
eewspapermen should look at the
map before making speeches. No
use bothering now, though, because
there's nowhere to retreat to after
America.
I hoped q freighter from Bor-
deaux with my wife and Sevareid. It
turned out to be the American
Farmer under Belgian name, but
fortunately the crew and the skip
per, Capt. Jorgenson, were not
American citizens, as they behaved
In shockingly unneutral way. They
loaded the ship with non-paying
Polish, Czech and Belgian refugees
who would otherwise have remained
to catch their just deserts and kept
on loading these reprobates until
there was no space left in the life
boats for the crew in case anything
happened. If these sailors had been
Americans, would have felt mighty
proud, but I suppose 1t is rnneutral
to let your citizens do anything you
might be proud Of.
You never could tell whether
things like that were the work Of
the Nazi Fifth Column or Just
French red tape. Towards the end
many American correspondents in
Paris began to suspect hat at least
one OF the censors was a Fifth
Coumnist because he Systematically
suppressed everything which might
help the French cause abroad. Ex-
ample: After the big bombardment
of Paris one American correspondent
cabled his paper that the bombing
had not damaged morale in Paris.
Suppressed by censor-reason: any.
thing about morale Is military In
formation useful to the enemy.
A well-informed friend in London
cleared UP the mystery Of Balbo's
death. He simply took some friends
up for sightseeing tour of the
front and was shot down by Bri.
fish fighter. Yet the British denial
that any Of their planes had been
In action on the day Balbo died was
true. The answer y the Italians out
snarted themselves. Balbo was killed
four days before Rome announced
his death and the announcement
to avoid admitting that important
news was being hushed-was word.
ed to make 1t seem fresh.
The little man usually stuck to his
Job-at the front and behind. When
the government fled from Tours to
Bordeaux they forgot to notify the
press or even the diplomatic corps.
First ! knew Of 1t was when went
into the improvised Ministry of In
formation and found It empty
empty except for a crew of house.
painters who were applying a much
| ~ ~~lALS!