Evening star., 1941-11-10
Fuith in Truth Held
StifIed by Propaganda
Writer Discusses Effect
Of WiIIfuI Lies on Minds
Of Wartime Readers
To the Editor of the Star:

To the Editor Of the Star:
Propaganda is an innocent old word
to which Hitler has given new and not
so innocent meaning. He was enor-
mously assisted in this by world that
likes soft names for ugly things. Espe-
cially in America do we share in Hitler's
gentle taste in words, for with us the
panic of 1880 was only depression"
and public charity is welfare"
Hitler Is not the father of propa-
ganda nor of lies, nor is Stain nor Mus
solini. American newspapers in some
campaigns that I can remember did
quite as much violence to the truth as
those dictators can do, the difference
being that in America and England and
in Western civilization generally there
always has been contemporaries
another side to every question, an open
opposition, free field for discussion,
while in Hitler's new order" no one is
permitted to speak in opposition and
there is a death penalty for listening.
The thought and the emotions Of the
German people have been nodded to
Hitlers will by this ugly business; the
poisoning process is proceeding "ac
cording to plan" in the conquered coun-
tries, and we speak of it by the perfectly
nice word propaganda!
Perhaps the worst thing about living
in an age of lies is not that lies are
believed, but rather that truth ceases
to be believed. The lies, I know, OF
course. are not greatly credited. Any
item bearing a Berlin headline is dis
counted at once by practically every in
telligent reader who understands that
the avoWed policy of Berlin is not to
tell the truth but to put propaganda
into every line. The truth can be told
only for propaganda purposes, and
there nearly always is something that
serves those purposes just a little better
than simple truth. So we'll is this ap-
preciated that the most startling state
ments from the German high COM
mand" or from Virginio Gayda fail to
create much interest and the Axis
broadcasts are scarcely listened to any
more.
Still there are some listeners and the
newspapers are perused by uncounted
thousands. Something, however, has
happened to newspaper readers Not
any more do they believe all that they
read The declared policy of the ag-
greSsor states, the source of most of the
news. is to publish only what they want
people to think regardless of the facts.
There is no secret about that. 1t is
done on the theory that people will be-
lieve what you tell them if you tell them
often enough and loud enough. This
theory has proved correct where and
only where there is absolute control over
newspapers and radio and the people
are never permitted to hear a doubt or
question
But such has not been the case in
America. We do not believe the man
who told us in advance that he had no
intention of telling us the truth. Just
the same, though, he has produced an
effect upon us. He has made us disbe-
lieve everybody else We read his prop
aganda with tongue in cheek and when
Ol1l eyes liSllJ Oll lllC IlChl dlSpdlIll 1lOlIl
truthful and responsible source we
forget to move our tongue. The defense
we have set up to protect our minds
from Fascist lies carries over to the
next column. Today it is common to
hear people and especially newspaper
men say that the warning countries are
, all alike in the matter Of propaganda
even when they should know that they
are not all alike. Gayda even boasts
that the English never could lie so
skillfully and rapidly as the Italians be-
cause they (the English are lacking in
imagination.
American newspapers and news serv-
ices make no discrimination. They
print the news. realizing that lie or a
campaign of lies is likely to make as
good or better news than the truth.
1t is no business of theirs to run sub
heads under their date lines such as
Berlin: This undoubtedly is lie," or
London: This probably is the truth!
So it becomes the newspapers practice
to give full publicity to every bit Of
Goebbels' vicious propaganda.
So great an effect has the organized
propaganda of totalitarianism had upon
the American reading public that "the
bunk" is no longer a major offense.
While the newspaper exercises its right
and DR.. Goebbels takes advantage OF
his opportunity, public sanity takes
refuge in disbelief
This Is not an indictment of the news
papers or the news services. If there is
an indictment to be drawn, it is along
other lines. This is indigenous to free
press. We would not have it otherwise,
except as it is to the interest Of the
newspapers themselves to retain some
confidence In the veracity of news and
the Judgment Of editors and reporters.
There is no suggestion of censorship
here. In a free press we always shall
have some truth and some lies. 1t is
one of the privileges and responsible
ties of having a free press that the
reader must read with discrimination,
preserve a modicum of incredulity al
ways, and believe what he will. The
final responsibility for truth in a de-
mocracy rests with the reader, the
hearer, the private man, the individual.
A free press has right, at least a
sort of right, to publish lies. or even
twaddle. Nor can we be sure Of the
swift natural retributions that such
course should entail. That lies eventu-
ally will be disbelieved and that twaddle