Evening star., 1943-07-31

ChcJUGltCo Al Ol1C NUL3(4s2 -88Sss
owl that it was David Lawrence.
Sunday afternoon and that 1t was
hard to reach officials of the State
and War Departments is hardly one
that will bring reinsurance as to
the judgment of those persons in
owl who apparently have the au-
thority to write what they think is
1.-THE Voice of America" and broad
cast 1t promptly to foreign lands.
Even If the higher officials in the
War and State Departments were
unavailable, is it to be believed that
anybody can write what he thinks
Is the "Voice of America" or can
clip the writings of anybody else and
pawn this off as American public
opinion? Is this the way psychologi-
cal warfare Is being conducted by
the Owl?
News Need Recognized.
Congress took away the bulk OF
the appropriation of the Owl for
domestic purposes but left largely
undisturbed the sums appropriated
for work in the foreign field. The
need for American news to be sent
to foreign peoples through short
wave radio stations available only
to governments has been recognized
from the beginning.
Col. William J. Donovan as the
head Of the Office of Strategic Serv-
Ices, had this matter within his
Jurisdiction but it became the foot
bali of inside Wasnington's ideo-
logical controversies and in the end
the whole thing was placed under
Robert Sherwood, left winger and
close friend of President Roosevelt.
There is some reason to believe
that Elmer Davis had some infer
ences of opinion with Mr.. Sher-
wood and others in Owl on how
this foreign propaganda was to be
conducted, but that Mr.. Roosevelt
sided with Mr.. Sherwood.
"Slant" Not Generally Known.
Whatever ideas Owl may have as
to the exact Zine" or slant" that
American statements on the radio
are to have is not, of course, mat
ter of public knowledge, nor is it
clear whether the State Department,
which is supposed to- conduct our
relations with foreign countries, has
had anything to say about it. There
is significance, therefore, in the fact
that after the slip in Mr.. Sherwood's
division, which had to bring forth
a public disavowal by President
Roosevelt, conference was held in
which Secretary of State Hull and
his assistants discussed this all
important subject of foreign broad
casts.
It would seem that on weekdays,
as well as Sundays, the matter
of what should be said in behalf of
the United States in any such au-
thoritative broadcast as that en-
titled "The Voice of America" might
well have the constant supervision
of both the War and State Depart
ments and If there are serious diff
ferences Of opinion, these could be
resolved by the President himself.
The fact that minor employees can
sit in New York and think up
broadcast messages purporting to
represent to foreign peoples the
opinion Of the American people and
that this Is such routine affair
that the War and State Depart
ments are not required to approve
In advance will come as a surprise
10 the public generally, as 1t does
to most observers in Washington.
It had been assumed that any
such authoritative expressions were
carefully prepared in advance to
conform to the policies of the War
and State Departments.
Must Build Faith.
Judging by the short wave broad
cast of last Sunday, which appealed
to the underlings of Owl as good
judgment and tact, calling the King
OF Italy a "moronic King" and the
new italian Premier a Fascist"
there may be some wonderment as
to what the normal vocabulary of
owl broadcasters happens to be
when there are no crises going on.
Sometime ago one of the members
of the Senate asked for copies of
foreign hroadcasts issued by our
Government, but there has been no
report on the subject. Propaganda
in wartime, designed to influence
enemy and neutral peoples, has
certain advantages, but it would
be mistake to descend to the level
of Goebbels in calling names and
otherwise initiating the technique
which has caused fair minded
listeners the world over to lose
confidence in the reliability of the
pronouncement from enemy capitals.
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