The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-01-27

eanda. II also Is exceedingly dim
cult to prevent its employment IN
the transmission Of reports by the
foes agents in our midst, to their
home governments. and in the
counter-transmission of instruc-
tions from their governments to
their agents here.
Correspondence by mail and the
cables is comparatively easy TO
regulate but the wireless is abun-
dainty harder to control.
When World Conflict No start
ed. the British were prompt to cut
Cermany's transatlantic cabling ia
cilities and the Germans had plenty
Of news. true. or otherwise. that
they wanted to circulate in the
United States. Accordingly, they
tried TO do IT by radio. but the
method was too indispensable then
10 be Of much use to EN-.
was on foreign news receiv-
ing desk in Manhattan at the time.
and Berlins wireless messages ar
rived on il in stacks. but about 95
per cent of 'em were jumbled be-
yond the point Of intelligibility
They simply meant nothing what
ever. Naturally they didn't serve
Boche purposes as propaganda or
anything else.
Now the AXIS countries can scat
ter their stuff by air in tolerably
coherent form.
u. s. Tried Radio. Too
Presently we got into the strife
ourselves-I refer to the last war
At that juncture was on news
assignment in Bueros Aires and the
local United States embassy con-
scripted me to handle George
Creels Committee on Public Infor-
nations output. from that center
to the Argentine. Uruguayan. Bra
lillian. Paraguayan. Chilean and
Bolivian press.
George wasn't as dependent upon
radio as Berlin had been. for we
still had cables in operation be-
tween the Rio de la Plata and the
United States. Nevertheless, he
tried to rely on wireless filings all
he could. and they weren't read
able. either. I had to evolve the
bulk of my report in my own office.
an embassy adjunct
II was fine to have Germany bot
tied up by radios inadequacies OF
the period referred to. but bother
to US in the dissemination Of Uncle
Sans publicity.
At present the situations in re-
verse.
We can radio as copiously as we
like. which is a great improvement.
but now the Axis crowd can do the
same thing. which is a pest.
II anything. the Japanese are
more pernicious than the Germans
at the wireless propaganda game.
Mechanically they're clever at 1t.
Their experts. with few exceptions.
were trained here. and they're more
familiar with our American tricks
Of the trade.
Japs Smoother
Moreover. I think the average
Jap propadandist is slicker at it
than the average Nazi.
A German naturally is gruff. His
grufness is included in what he
says and it's inherent in his radioed
tone OF voice. A Jap doubtless hates
Us equally with Nazi. but he has
The faculty Of being placatory.
I've known 'em both in their re-
spective home lands.
Germany to a visitor. isn't overly
hospitable. even in normal times.
Japan normally is sugary - no
doubt treacherous underneath. but
specifically affable.
The difference is reflected wire
lessly.
Germany warns. Japan tells US
how Hospitality it's treating the
American prisoners it took off
Wake and Guam islands. It's drop
ping bombs on our forces in the
southwestern Pacific as fast as
German U-boats are doing their
torpedoing off our Atlantic coast.
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