Evening star., 1942-09-04
u. 5. Broadcasts Music
And Drama 10 Woo
Latin America
Propaganda Technique
For Republics to South
Avoids Axis Fare
BY TRUDI MCCULLOUGH,
wids World


ican relations for the Columbia
Broadcasting System, can smell
propaganda quicker than anybody
else"
Seventeen years before the United
States began in earnest to send
short wave broadcasts to Latin
America, Germany Was beaming on
the South American republics with
concentration.
That was in 1920. In 1888 Hitler's
program of propagandizing them
made the earlier concentration seem
like child's play. Japan got busy
on the same score. Currently. Vichy
France is turning transmitters west
and south.
This action does not 60 uncontest-
ed by the United States. But on the
theory that you don't offer another
meal to man who has just eaten
too much, United States short wave
offers very different kind of fare to
its neighbors in the South.
Seek to Hold Friends.
1t is based on very different
premise. "We take for granted
says Mr.. Unanue, that they are on
our side. We assume all good faith
in the union of the al republics.
Thus our policy is to cement those
relations as against the Axis at
tempt to win them"
In cementing. the United States
wants that faith and friendship to
expand. Says william H. Fine
shriber, who supervises CHS short
wave programs under Edmund A.
Chester, the systems director OF
short wave broadcasting and Latir
American relations:
Currently, it's more or less How
do you do but we want to say 7
love you"
In this courtship. United States
short wave wants to impress three
| things on Latin America:
The United Nations have to win
The United States has the might
to win.
When it does, the Latin republics
will be the real brothers of the
United States in a world where de-
mocracy will have a chance to live
Positive Approach.
They are all positive premises
and the programs based on them
are positive programs.
In contrast to the broadcasts for
occupied Europe, whose people are
news starved, Latin American needs
a minimum of news programs.
Says Mr.. Fineshriber, Their bis
newspapers have the benefit of oul
press associations. They have source,
other than propaganda mills"
So two of the things United State.
commercial stations emphasize or
their programs are dramatizations
and music.
Dramatization, in the opinion Of
John White, jr., program director
of the ONCE of the Co-ordinator o.
Inter-American Affairs, is the bes
form of propaganda.
Prohibited in European broadcast.
because continuity would be los
due to jamming or natural fading
and atmospheric conditions, drama.
tizations can be sent to South
! America, and the Latins love them.
They are fascinated by the sount
| effects and even those can come il
clearly, for the only way those pro.
| grams can be effectively jammed il
by hidden Nazi stations in Latir
America.
To guard against this, the United
States sends broadcast transcript
tions to the networks in Latil
America which they can send owe
their own wave lengths if necessary
While hidden Nazi stations woult
dare to interfere with distant Unitet
States short wave, it is another mat
ter for them to jam nearby loca
station and be Immediately hunte'
down.
Rebroadcasts of THE Cavalcade O
America" and "The March of Time
are examples of the programs tina
preach United States might.
Musical programs include bras
bands, which the Latin audience
love, symphonic programs and dane
orchestras. Speeches of Unite
States officials are sent down an
speeches of Latin dignitaries visit
ing here, rerouted home. On eac
republics national day, a program
OF its own music is broadcast.
Efforts are made not only to hel
the Latins understand us but t
understand the other republics O
their own continent. The dual bene
fits of road project in one countr
will be explained to another.
In their operations, commercis
stations are also aided by the Rock
efeller Office of Inter American Al
fairs.
Among the several services it ren
, ders are Cd providing money fo
dramatizations that are apt to
expensive. CD providing an entire
to Latin officials who are sometime
hard to reach, 80 origination {
ideas for shows such as one cur
rently under preparation on Chile
hero, Gen. OHiggins, "a providin
about 80 per cent of the news fea
lures, 90 general directives on i'm
portant news events.
Propaganda to Japan.
The United States pulls no puncht
in it's propaganda to Japan.
Shows like Japan versus Japan
and The Cost of Folly" attempt t
tell the Nipponese how they hay
been betrayed by their militaristt
leaders and what ultimate fat
awaits their mistake of followin
them.
Yet the stations that send the bul
OF these and other programs are on
two in number at present. KGEI an
KWID, on the West Coast, have tt
= job of blanketing the Far East.