Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-24
Fly Sees Little Chance
OF Foreign Broadcasts
Corrupting Americans
Bar Association Unit
Told Audience Presumed
To BE Small in U. S.


Doubt that foreign short-wave
radio propaganda aimed at the
United States would corrupt the
American listening public was eX-
pressed by James Lawrence Fly,
chairman of the Federal Communi-
cations Commission. at a luncheon
yesterday at the Willard Hotel given
by the Committee on Communica-
tons Of the American Bar Associ-
alton.
Mr.. Fly said analyses by the For
eign Broadcast Monitoring Service
of the commission had revealed that
trends are more important than spe-
ciflc statements. A discussion of
the invasion of England from Ger
man station, for example, he said,
or discussion of Far Eastern de-
velopments from Great Britain. may
have little significance. But If an
increasing proportion Of German
radio time were to be devoted TO in
vaSlon stories, or an increasing pro-
portion of British radio time to tins
Far East, he said it might be safely
inferred the preparation of some
move in these directions was con-
templated. He said careful analysis
Of foreign ShortWave broadcasts
should keep the United States in
formed of the objectives which other
countries are pursuing, and of their
attitude toward the United States.
Small Audience Seen.
Mr.. Fly said that no one knows
how many Americans listen to for
eign broadcasts, but that private
surveys indicate there are few regu-
lar short-Wave listeners in the United
States. His own guess, he said, was
that foreign broadcasts, except those
relayed over American networks,
reach a relatively small American
| audience.
Experts in the field, he said. have
informed him that few of the propa-
ganda devices used in broadcasting
are new. They are chiefly the old de-
vices Of eXaggeration, suppression,
distortion, appeals to vanity, pride
and self-interest. and exploitation Of
previously existing jealousies and
hatreds In general, he said. the pro-
grams are of three types: To appeal
10 Americans in general, another ap-
peals to particular group of Ameri-
cans and third is aimed particu-
larly at Americans of foreign de-
scent.
One of the chief motives Of Ger
man broadcaStS TODAY, he reported,
seems to be the attempt to drive a
wedge between the American people
and what the German radio now
calls Washington politicians" An
other Is the driving of a wedge be-
tween Jews and non-Jews in tbs
United States, This anti Semitisrn,
he said, appears to be aimed less at
injuring the Jews of the United
States than at attempting to stir up
American disunity and domestic
strife. On the other hand the F. c. @,
chairman declared. British broad
casts aimed at the United States
have vastly improved in effectiveness
during the recent months. He assert
ed the British Broadcasting Co.
once radioed here dull diScourSes BY
university professors about the nice
ties of international law or descrip-
tons of Buddhism by retired army
officers, but today, listeners on Short
wave can hear Somerset Maugham,
a novelist popular with the American
public, or Leslie Howard
Better Service Urged.
John E. Lockwood, general coun-
sci of the Office for Coordination
OF Commercial and Cultural Rela-
| tons Between the American Repub-
lies, said the United States short
wave stations had not developed
as powerful stations as the European
! governments have, and said that
they were not equipped TO do a
good service farther south than the
Caribbean.
He stressed the Importance of in
ternational stations in the United
States delivering better and more
powerful radio signals to South
America. This is an important
field, he said, as South Americans
depend largely on radio for enter
tainment, and with few local sta
lions they turn to the foreign broad
casts. He pointed out that less than
so per cent of the receiving sets
there have short-wave facilities. He
asserted 1t was important to have
more powerful international sta
lions in this country, as in many
instances the signals delivered in
South America are not even strong
enough to be picked up by local
stations and rebroadcast. Mr.. Lock-
wood estimated it would require a
quarter of a million dollars per sta
ton more to equip them to do the
job in South America. These sta
lions now cost about S2500O0 each,
The luncheon. which was pre-
sided over by Robert N. Miller, chair
man OF the Communications Com
mlttee, was given to honor the STAFF
of the Federal Communications Bar
Journal, Percy H. Russell, jr.; Alan
B. David, Stephen H. Fletcher,
Maurice M. Jansky, Joseph E. Keller.
John w. Kendall, Harry P. Warner
and Joseph F. Zias.