Evening star., 1940-06-03

be calm, that it immunize itself
against hysteria and insists that
European nations do not intend to
attack our interests. The other is
that nations no longer declare war,
but act overnight, that no other
countrys promises can be accepted
as enduring where their own self
interest conflicts vitally with Amer
ican interests and that a nation
well prepared for any attack is a
nation secured against danger.
These two points of view run
through the various attitudes which
are crystallized either in the posi-
tons favorable or unfavorable to
the Presidents national defense
recommendations to Congress. 1t
will seem surprising that in the
face of the grave events abroad any
public man could brush aside the
possible consequences of a defeat of
the Allies by the Nazis or that any
public man could seriously advocate
a retardation of our efforts to build
adequate defenseS
Viewpoints Coincide.
This is not to say that any Amer
leans are being influenced by Nazi
propaganda. Quite the contrary is
true. The Nazi attitude toward
American policy began several years
ago and has become cleverly inter-
woven in the viewpoint of many
Americans who are innocent of anv
contacts with the Nazi government
or its agents.
For several years an assiduous
attempt has been made, for in
stance, to convince the American
people that all wars are made by
munitions makers and for profteer.
ing purposes. 1t has been asserted
moreover, and several so-called
liberal authors of books have in
sisted that the United States was
dragged into the last war to pro-
tect trade or for commercial rea-
sons. Even President Wilson has
been condemned by them as having
selfish motive in leading America
into war. This point of view was
ignored too long and hence grew
into the consciousness of many
young Americans. Not long ago a
Senate committee investigated the
munitions industry's relationship to
the last war and the German gov
ernment made excellent use of
those mistaken findings.
Tho Ap,oricoo Ca-,4.
nocent OF any part in the studiously
developed propaganda just as some
American Senators today who are
crying loudest about British propa-
ganda" are unaware that what they
are saying is exactly what the Nazis
have planted here and there in
those academic circles, isolationist
quarters or political precincts, where
almost any argument opposing the
Presidents policy would be seized
upon as valid.
The Nazl propagandists know
their America. They are too shrewd
TO come out into the open. They
make third and fourth hand con-
facts with members of groups who
In turn endeavor to influence Amer
1can offlcialdom. The result some
times can be found in a careful
examination of the speeches of
certain members of Congress and
other individuals of prominence.
Typical Line of Attack.
Such comparison will reveal
uniformity of argument that is
amazingly telltale. Propaganda diff
fers always from spontaneous ut
terance in the identical thoughts
or phrases used. The artificiality
is not hard to detect. A typical
Nazi instruction to its agents here
might run as follows:
l. Blame the last war on England.
Make it seem war of profit and
trade, and above all, scott at the
idea that it was a war to save
democracy.
2. Smear the British as much as
possible. Emphasize the war-debt
question and make it appear that
the Allies didn't pay anything. Be-
smirch the visits of all foreign lee
turers and cast doubt on the reasons
for the visit of the King and Queen
last year. Make it appear that
England wants to drag America into
the War
g. Cast doubt on the integrity of
newspapers and newspapermen who
favor the Ally cause.
4. If the administration starts
thinking of national defense, call
the President warmonger. Find
out who his advisers are. Start at
tacks along religious and racial
grounds. Get various organizations
to write letters to members of Con-
greSs who are from the Middle West
or from States where large num-
bers of foreign born live. Do every
thing possible to promote discord
In labor ranks. Put G. 1. o. versus
A. F. of L. wherever possible. Stir
up bitterness through the Com
munist party and its agents. Above
all make it clear that Germany
isn't interested in America or South
America. Keep the people of the
United States fighting among them
selves and play to the keep-out-of-
war sentiments of the people by
painting the horrors of war.
Tactics Used in Latin America.
Such instructions have been effec-
tive or at least the line of argument
taken by many in America has been
so strikingly similar that it hardly
seems possible this form of propa-
ganda is natural.
The average American knows that
Hitler owns no stock in the American
munitions industry and that he
alone ordered Belgium and Holland
invaded. Press messages from
abroad do not eventually conceal
the facts. Thus the defeat of the
Allies in Flanders is a fact. No
British propaganda invented it.
likewise the possible invasion Of
England is no British Idea any more
aAn the possible capture of the Brit