Evening star., 1943-05-26
u. S. Fires Million Words Daily
At Foe on Psychological Front
: owl Uses Rodio, Gables, Wireless
To Tell World of Allied Aims
Ry JAMES Y. NEWTON.

BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.
Americas outnumbered forces II
~the war of words" definitely have
taken the offensive on the propa
ganda front since the fall of Tunisis
and, armed with a strong talking
point in the brilliant Allied victorie!
OF North Africa. are delivering what
should be telling blows to Axis pres.
tige in Europe.
Through the medium of short.
wave radio from this country. broad.
casts from England and Africa anc
In the press of neutral countries. we
are firing a million words a day ir
this great battle which seldom
makes newspaper headlines here un.
less some member of Congress takes
exception to something that is said
I'VE" in this instance, is the Office
, of War Information, which has head
quarters for the European wing OF
its overseas branch in New York
City.
Targets for our million-Word vol
ley are the people and armed forces
of Germany and Italy and thei1
satellite states, the guerillas OF
Yugoslavia, the neutrals and, per-
haps most Importantly, our allies
which is used in broad sense to
include not only those actively fight
ing on our side but the people OF
occupied countries as well.
Sports News for Soldiers.
Owl also transmits many pro-
grams of news and music to our
armed forces overseas. This news tc
the soldiers, sailors and marines
differs considerably from that sent
for other purposes. Naturally it is
more inclusive, carrying items OF
local as we'll as national interest
The boys and girls away from home
also are told how the Dodgers or
Nationals made out today and who
won the feature race at Belmont
Park
Just to find out first hand how
our propaganda forces work, and
the type of material we send out. a
reporter of The Star visited Owls
New York offices, where are gathered
prepared and dispatched most of the
million words fired at Europe each
day. A fairly accurate line on what
Owl is doing was obtained by hear
Ing short-wave shows reading dis
patches and talking with the men
and women who do the various Jobs.
The business of waging psycho-
logical war. as Owl prefers its chief
I.@ Hnp
There are no familiar patterns to
follow such as were laid down for
our generals by Napoleon, Grant or
Foch. little past experience on which
to go. You never see the enemy,
reconnaissance is difficult. It Is even
more trouble determining how you
are making out until it is all over.
For line on results OF the attack,
the word soldiers have to rely on
a few leaks from enemy territory,
reports of prisoners and other
remote means. Occasionally, the
opposition radio blasts back at some
thing our side has said and then
owl knows it is getting results.
OF course, it is much easier to tell
how we are doing in the neutral
countries.
Dull News Brightens.
Our propaganda forces had to
work hard for something to talk
about through most of last year.
During much of that time the
United Nations met With many re-
verses in battle. our vast war
production was only program. The
millions of fans" owl hopes it
has In Europe must have become
pretty bored with hearing over and
over that America had never lost
a war. that our output Of superior
weapons would be tremendous when
We hit our stride.
Later in 1912, our war production
reached impressive heights and there
was much more concrete material
for foreign consumption. We also
had several big naval successes
against the Japs. the raid on Toxic
and other bright things to describe.
Production news was our chief rell-
ance last summer, and still occupies
much space in our broadcaStS and
cable news service TO neutrals. For
example. when WPB Chairman
Nelson said We would make 1000
airplanes in April, Owl went to
town on it. They reduced the
figures to plane every six minutes
and constantly interrupted pro-
grams to tell the world another
plane Just rolled off an American
assembly line.
Cheering news from our point
Of view increased greatly in the
last half of 1912 There was the
landing of the Marines on Guadal-
canal, the British rout of Marshal
Erwin Rommel at FL Alamein and
finally the landing of our forces
in North Africa, the first offensive
move We made to come to grips
with the Axis in Aurope and liberate
the people there.
Play up Defeat Of Germans.
The Russian winter offensive fur
nished us with much material while
Gen. Dwight Eisenhower forces
were sparring with the Axis in
Africa. Then. came the general
break through of enemy lines in
Tunisia and finally the rounding
up of German and Italian troops
there We had proved we could
whip top flight German forces on
the ground for the first time in
this war and Owl took full ad-
vantage of this fact.
Great care has been exercised not
to "overplay' the victory in Africa
This is done so the people of oc-
cupied countries will not get the i'm
preston that we are satisfied with
our initial big success and will stop
short of the promised final destruc-
ton of Hitlers power In over
emphasizing the Tunisian victory
there also is danger that conquered
peoples will become too optimistic
and rise prematurely against their
Axis oppressors. Owl hopes to pre-
pare the ground carefully for the
rebellion in Europe so that it will
; burst In full fury at the moment
our forces open the real second
front. Meantime, the people are
told to organize, plan. wait, not
IN uyork foO hard opS fo oet IL, q