Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-04-09
WNU Service, Union Trust Building

Washington, D. C.
The other day, Elmer Davis, head
of the Office of War Information,
held a press conference. He opened
it with the remark that we were
witnessing an Uncle Toms Cabin
without the Simon Legree. l didn't
get the significance of the remark
until Davis explained that Repre-
sentative Tabor, who charged Mr..
Davis with using the Office of War
Information to distribute propagan-
da for fourth term, had been in
vited to share the conference but
had other duties.
Obviously, the purpose of the
meeting was to show how the mon
ey for the publication of propaganda
was being spent and good deal of
time was taken up on comparative
costs of British, American and Axis
propaganda efforts. If the owl car
ries out present plans, it will be
spending at the rate of As millions
of dollars by the end of the year.
Britain, with its separate ministry
of information, is spending much
more than we are-Germany prob
ably four or five times as much.
That's rough estimate. But the
figures didn't interest me so much
and I'll tell you why. I had come
to the meeting a little early and
had been studying the array of lit
erature-arranged on two tables
the American and the Axis propa-
ganda material. There were hand
some publications like the German
magazines Signal" "Berlin-Rome-
Tokyo" and Japan's Nippon"
"Signap' costs rs cents a copy to
productive art work in all of them
must make Esquire" and "For-
tune" envious. There were tiny
pamphlets-these were American
you could slip into your hat band.
The Owls masterpiece is "Victory"
which was the target of congress
sional attack-it isn't so bad in COM
parison with the expensive Axis
magazines but it costs only IS cents
to produce.
Three things struck me as a re-
suit of the conference: first, if there
is an even chance of obtaining the
results expected, the investment is
not worth quibbling about; second,
since Davis admits that material
got into the Roosevelt sketch which
should not have and won't again, we
either ought to take Davis judg-
ment or else fire him. Thirdly, the
public hasn't had a chance to know
what the propaganda is all about
and the criticism of one phase of it
utterly distorts the general picture
of the function, purpose and value
of the Owl effort.
In the first place, these publica-
tons under consideration are not
for our troops abroad or our people
at home - though I believe they
ought to be given some circulation
here simply so that their function
is understood, at least when it is
compatible with the confidential ma
ture of some of the means of distri-
button in enemy countries.
1t is accepted as the duty and
function for one political party to
do all it can to discredit the leaders
of the other party-according to the
rules of the game of politics-but,
as Davis quoted the Baltimore Sun,
you have to exploit your personali-
ties. People mean a lot more than
mere ideas when you are trying to
make an impression. Roosevelt can
be played up as a powerful symbol
to people abroad without affecting
the political situation at home. That
was done effectively in the case of
Woodrow Wilson in the last war, his
picture was worshiped all over Eu-
rope, as the symbol of the leader of
nation coming to iberate them.
But when he came home, he couldn't
sell his program to the American
people.
Self Allied Cause
I tried to find out what the OBJ
jective of the owl was, whether it
could show any results.
Purpose one is counter-attack. We
know what German propaganda has
done, first in softening countries
about to be invaded; second, to keep
neutrals leaning Nazi-ward. Owl
wants to fight fire with fire.
The second purpose is the same
as the first. and more of it-not
merely to nullify enemy effort but
sell the prospect the idea that Amer
lea can win and is winning the war
and that American victory will be a
greater selfish advantage to the
prospect than Nazi victory would
be.