The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-05-07
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hdtched Out
The Truth
NAME-CALLING
MORE EFFECTIVE CO-OPERA-
TION
PROPAGANDA
DYNAMIC RESPONSE

NuIt-CdlllllS 1T anu
elsewhere won't win the war.
The people seem TO realize this. Be
sides, they are getting tired of "ap-
peaser,' traitor" Fascist" TORY
and similar smear" terms.
Name calling, whether from Wash
ington, Wall Street or Communist
headquarters is becoming tiresOme.
Childish yels of you're another" from
grown men bring only boredom. Some
thing more than namecalling is needed
to inspire 'win-the-war" spirit, the
people sense.
Name aling has never been sub
Stitute for thinking. 1t saves wear and
tear on the brain but that's about all
that can be said for it.
X X X
If there had been less name-calling
and more effort at cooperation of all
elements in the national life during the
past several years, the United States
today would be in better position for
victory.
The name calling has left its scars.
1t aroused bitter antagonism, which
led to useless recriminations and re-
tarded, and retards still, the most eff
fective cooperation.
New Dealers and their journalistic
and other champions started the ball
rolling by trying to pin various labels
on their critics and opponents.
The anti-New Dealers retorted in
kind, working hard to attach the label
of communist" and other names to
the Administration crowd.
The name-calling was continued in
the long debate over Americas part in
the world struggle, in the period prior
to Pearl Halbor.
The result was that issues We're OBJ
Scured by the name calling and ma
tional preparedness for war was de-
layed.
Piming Il label on your opponent
is much easier than proving him wrong.
That's why it is so popular.
For Il time it may get great APP
plause from the emotional and unthinll-
ing But if it is long continued, it loses
force. The politicians and propa gand-
lists of all kinds are apt to forget
this and 90 on seeking to lump their
opponents under opprobrious terms
and names which from too constant
use have come to mean little.
There are times when fortnight de-
nunciation of enemies of the people,
accompanied by bill of particulars, is
in order. Such denunciation, though, is
most effective when epthetS and
smear" terms are used sparingly.
The quicker this is realized by all,
he better for the nation.
Are Americans SO gullible, so easily
influenced by propaganda, that it is
necessary for the Government to pro-
tect them from 'SubverSive ideas?
Some people don't think so Among
chem is Wendell Rer%e, Assistant Al
iOlney General of the United States
who said Il few months ago that per
hapS the greatest answer the Govern
ment can offer to the propaganda
problem, is not just criminal prOSecul-
rionS, but rather the dynamic response
of an aroused citiZenry to the efforts
of the SubverSive elements to under
mine our thinking through inSidiouS
propa ganda.'
And Mr.. IIcrge quoted Supreme
Court Justice Robert II. Jackson as
pointing out that Americans can make
their own decisions, regardless of prop
agandH. Said Justice Jackson, when
he was Attorney General:
'In the world of ideas there is no
strength like the strength of freedom.
No people in the world is SO accuS-
toned To identifying, dScOunting, ana
| disregarding propaganda as are we
| Americans.
I'VE are not like Il people who have
| been sheltered from free press We
| have been brought UP on Il steady diet
of propaganda Republican propagan-
! da, Democratic propaganda, Manufac-
| turerS Association propaganda, labor
| propaganda, Communist propaganda,
| and EaSciSt-NaZi propaganda, to say
nothing of high-powered advertising
| propaganda of every kind.
"'rhe American every day tests these
| claims against his own experience and
| reason and decides for himself He
| may make miStakeS-but he and his
| fellow American are the most prOpa-
| ganda conscious and literate people in
The world.
''Frcedom of speech, freedom Of
press, freedom of aSscmbly-these are
| the democratic weapons. Danger for
democracy lies not 50 much in totai-