The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-02-14
WNU Service, 1895 National Press
Bldg, Washington, ID. G..

WNU Service, 1898 National Press
Bldg, Washington, ID. G.
WASHINGTON.-As emotions rise
here over the debate of American
foreign policy and Americas role in
connection with the European war
a strange sort of censorship is set
feel it in the mail which l receive
from listeners to my broadCasts
II is not government censorship.
1t has nothing to do with company
rules and regulations, it isn't even
voluntary deletion on the part of
writer's or commentators. II is n
censorship which the public itself
invokes and il is quite as effective
as the kind imposed by Herr Goeb-
bells. / have encountered it before.
1t is simply fiat refusal on the
part of the individual to believe any
thing he doesn't want to. He puts
it into operation with twist of the
dial when he hears something he
doesn't agree with on the radio or
by tossing the newspaper into the
corner when his eye catches a senti-
ment of which he doesn't approve.
But let me give you some striking
examples Of this audience" censor
ship-of how the public will believe
only what it wants TO.
The Athena was sunk while was
in Berlin. Shortly thereafter, com
ment of a high American official
was cabled to German papers
Thia official IN, Uauh;n 1too nod m
ferred to the "torpedoing" Of the
ship with the implication that the
Nazis did it. The Germans with
whom ! spoke (people who couldn't
have known any more about wha'
really happened than / did) were
astounded.
Even II we wanted to torpedo q
ship full of Americans" one of them
said, I'VE wouldn't be quite dumb
enough to do that when the last thing
we want is to get the United States
into war. If it was torpedoed al
all the British did 1t to get you In
on their side"
When l got back to the United
States / found that it was accepted
without argument that the Germans
had done it.
To the best of my knowledge II
has never yet been determined just
what happened TO the Athena.
British Filters interviewed.
I'll give you another example.
While / was in Germany had a
chance to interview the first three
British airmen shot down in raids
over German territory. To be per-
fectly frank / found them, even the
two who were laid up with injuries,
extremely satisfied with their treat
ment. Naturally they had a good
deal OF attention being "frsts." And
in those days the feeling wasn't so
bitter.
did report the factual things they
told mel interviewed them with no
Germans present and we all spoke
freely.
But did the British public believe
it?
! should say not An Information
al News Service dispatch from Lon
don to American papers the next
day quoted diplomatic circles as
being concerned" and stating that
lone spokesman labeled the broad
cast an obvious fake"
But no Englishman at that point
wanted to believe what those boys
said about their treatment or their
personal feelings toward their cap
tors.
Broadcast Cut OF.
The third experience was the most
amusing.
was broadcasting from Berlin
and ! wanted TO get over the idea
TO my American listeners that while
l was we'll treated / was under cen
sorship and that il / departed from
my censored text ] would probably
be cut of So / said this:
1T is very much as II / we're in
the Office Of q man whose whole fu-
ture is suddenly at stake, still he is
kind and courteous TO me He Of
fers me his hospitality He let's me
use his typewriter and now he
pushes his busy telephone across
the desk to me to let me talk to you,
right before him.
And right there ! was cut off the
air The American listeners knew
what / was driving at and imme-
diately surmised that the Germans
had cut me of because / was criti-
cIzlng the censorship. But a few
days after the event was sum-
moncd to the German foreign Of
fee ord questioned at length by q
highly suspicious underling.
Why he asked haughtily, did
iks National Broadcasting Cornnaoy