The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-05-23

made such an analysis. do You
think? None that 1 talked 10
ever did. They were depressed;
they felt that the position Of
England was hopeless. You
cant fight them" they said.
The very same thing is happen
ing day in and day out when we
read the papers. The editor be-
lieves he IL doing his duty II he
publishes side by side the two
dispatches. one from Berlin. the
other from London.
In 80 doing he places a trsmend-
ous responsibility upon the reader.
Not merely the task OF telling him.
self that he is reading propaganda;
the British. too. make propaganda.
But to read a Berlin dispatch or a
Moscow dispatch without bad
after effects one has to under
stand and keep in mind how this
black magic works.
Remember. In the first
place, that the propagandists
In Berlin do not have 10 worry
about n hostile opposition,
quick 10 criticize every mis-
take made; they can. for ex-
ample, lie about the people
they control without having
20 fear an expose that boone
rangs. From this standpoint,
our correspondents In places
like Berlin are not "correspon-
dents" In the old sense"
II you want to get a picture OF
the limitations under which they
work, read Whitaker's recent re-
ports after he got out.
What is even more important:
the totalitarians' objective Is to
discredit democracy - simply be
cause they know that the greatest
Oppressive OF morale Is being IN
doubt about the eventual victory.
In short, these ministries of
propaganda are plotting con-
tinually. not merely TO mis-
inform us. but 10 act In motion
psychic disturbances which
will make us defeatist. de
mocracy n dead" Britain Is
lost''-these are the differences
they wish TO insulate by the
news items they release.
The wire services-UP. AP, and
the rest--Are in a key position
They naturally pride themselves
on the speed with which they
handle their dispatches.
Recently It was said that 9Th,
average time lapse between the ar
rival OF a bulletin from abroad al
the cable desk and it's receipt by
the newspapers Is less than q
minute" This il a brilliant tech
meal achievement.
Yet one might wish that there
were a little more thought giver
to the symbols embedded in the
items from anti-democratic head.
quarters TO make sure that they
ere a necessary part OF the news.
Why should American news
papers. for example, repeat over
snd over again the Berlin-manu'
featured symbol "snnihilated >" Ac
cording to such news items. the
British forces were thus "snnihi'
lated" AZ least half a dozen times
Each time the word WAS
used n psychic disturbance Of
far-rcaching consequences Was
set IN train In millions Of
American minds. As long N
news IL being handed 90 IA.
the readers. direct from Mari
headquarters In the words
which DIR. Goebbels has care
fully chosen TO produce the
maximum adverse effect upon
our general psyehic weIl-beinE.
we shall have 60 defend our
selves - best we can.
Commentators such as Raymond
Gram Swing help TO produce .
measure Of detachment We nigh,
learn more from men like Edmond
Taylor, Otto Tolischus. and Mr.
/ Gordon Of CHS. But We must d
lot Of work ourselves.
In short, the greatest difficulty
in dealing with Maxi propsgSnds
arises from the fact that Max!
methods are not understood. Many
people assume that the totalitsr'
isns rely largely upon highly secrs-
tive procedures. Their fear and
snnety combine with lurid jour
raliSm 70 create q fog OF emo
tional agitation which is precisely
what the Nszis are seeking 4
produce. Killers declared purpos,
OF psychological dislocstionr find
its strongest ally IN our own weak
nekses.
The surprising Successes that
Gcebhels' Enethed< have scored
are In part dns % thu fact