The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-27


 such things as that German war prisoners are coddled in the United States since they have a better and softer life than the average French man; that the present shortages of coal, food and clothing for the French civil population are unneces- sary or are being deliberately held back; that there are large numbers of U. s. troops in Paris who are somehow responsible for the short ages; and that Americans are still barbarians with no regard for the finer things of life.
 All such beliefs are considered jus tification for pouring out informa- ton which will explain what a lov- able character the American G. I. really is and which will overcome French prejudiceS based on misin- formation.
 Right after the invasion, says Bar rett, it was not considered necessary or advisable to barge in with big barrage of propaganda about the United States. But soon after the liberation the educational. effort was stepped up and 1t is now apparently being dished out in every form that the Frenchmen want 1t and will take it.
 RADIO, PICTURES,
 OVERCOME DISTANCE
 Part of the difficulty ill France today is that the country is still 8 lot of isolated communities. Electric power is limited, broadcasting is limited, communication services of all kinds are limited and there is such a shortage of paper that news papers have been held down to one sheet.
 To fill gaps in the lack of inform ation until the French can get go- ing again is big part of the job of the Allied Psychological Warfare Division of joint British American civilian military authorities working with the French government and trying to meet its requests.
 Fourteen radio programs from New York, nine from London plus four more relayed by British Broad casting Corporation, are beamed at the French in French by medium and short wave. This is "Voice of America" Other broadcast material goes out over the French radio.
 Crowds of 800 an hour have been visiting Since 1939', an exhibition of news photographs set up in Paris. Seventeen replicas have been built to tour the information-h hungry provinces, and the same idea has been incorporated in one-shot booklet for news stand sale.
 MAGAZINES PROMOTE
 UNDERSTANDING
 "Choix", a British American Readers Digest in French, goes out 250,OOO copies a month. ''Voir," an owl Look-type picture weekly, goes out 420,000 copies week. The French government has asked that circulation be stepped up to three millions and the price raised from 10 to 20 cents to make sure they'll get to the most influential people. But the only sources of paper would be to cut down on U. s. publications, so that's out. A million copies of the Life like slick paper Victory" mag azine, printed in U. s. A., haven't been delivered because of shipping shortage. A million cheap, paper back. pocket-size book reprints in- clude such titles as Crews Report From Tokyo" Stettinius's Lease Lend" the Marshall, King and Ar hold reports, selections from Ernie Pyle. All these magazines and books are sold and will pay for themselves, says Barrett.
 Reaching the right people is done by direct, heart-to-heart talks. Spe- cial news letters go to doctors, edi- tors, radio commentators. A picked group of French journalists is to be brought to the. U. s. to let them SC for themselves and white about it Reference professional libraries have been opened. To overcome this idea that all Americans are barbarians, American songs are plugged with French orchestras.