Evening star., 1944-04-02


that the good captain is just figment
of some ones imagination. He is never
quoted in German newspapers, or on
the Nazi domestic broadcast. There is
no evidence that he is even known in
the Reich. Apparently he is a ficti-
tious spokesman, endowed by his Creator
with enough intelligence to catch the
ear of those who would laugh of the
usual Nazi boastings.
Transocean, incidentally, although it
Is the state controlled creature of our
European arch-enemy, continues to
broadcast its news to American papers
as though they subscribed for 1t. It
refers to papers here as its clients"
and sends helpful little notes to editors
to stand by for heavy f1le." Last
New Years Day it capped the climax
by sending out seasons greetings"
The tone of the German foreign news
report is glibly confident. But the Ger
man domestic broadcasts and news
papers tell owl another story.
They are filled these days with ap-
pealS to German women to forsake
their homes and enter munitions fac
tories-a sardonic commentary on Hit
ler's insistance that "woman's place is
in the kitchen" They also reveal that
as result of the Allied bombings, many
Germans are remaining away from
work. They evince, too, serious concern
over the coming western invasion.
Owl, as part of its daily job, points
out these differences.
Over the Jap Radio.
On the other side of the world, the
owl finds, the Jap radio outdoes the
Nazi in trying to be all things to all
men. Usually the Toxic reports for
home consumption are filled with ex-
aggerated accounts of fictitious victo-
ries, although lately number of high
officials have been warning the people
that the war has become serious" and
that they must draw up q few more
notches in their belts.
Recently the Japanese went into a
very frenzy OF exaggeration. Day after
day they told of great American naval
losses off Bougainville Island. United
States battleships, cruisers and air.
craft carriers were being sunk hourly,
and the score finally ran well over 100.
BY consulting the Army and Navy, the
owl was able to keep editors advised
that these reports were false. In the
end it developed that this splurge of
propaganda was based on the sinking
of a single American cruiser.
working assiduously to convince the
peoples of India that an Indian ma
tional army" Is moving north from
Burma to free them. This Indian"
army, OF course, Is a japanese force,
augmented by handful of Indian mall
contents who have been picked up by
various means in Burma and Malaga.
Behind the Jap propaganda is one
well-recognized Indian voice-that of
Subhas Chandra Bose, one time Mayor
OF Calcutta and former president of
the All-India Congress. Long before
the war he came under Nazi influence
and, because of his hatred of the Brit
ish, has now joined the Japs in their
campaign against his homeland.
A Free India" station in Singapore
broadcasts to the Indians daily that
liberation is coming. It is supplemented
for 80 minutes daily by the Toxic radio
which does quick-change act and be-
comes a Free India" station for this
limited period.
The Japs also are carrying on a con-
certed campaign to undermine the mo-
rale of American forces in the Pacific.
One technique is to play sentimental
American songs of the 1939-40 vintage
and follow them up with the plaintive
remark: Don't you wish you were back
in Brooklyn, or st. Louis, or Spokane?"
It's all supposed to be very appealing.
But soldiers back from the Pacific area
just laugh it off.
Everything considered, says Mr.. Cor
don, the Jap propaganda ministers
don't seem to be doing so we'll Three
OF them have been fired since the war
started
The owl Foreign News Bureau. one
OF whose main jobs is to nail down
Jap propaganda and prick holes in its
pretentions, is now working on the off,
cial demise of the fourth.