Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-13
The@'Voice' Grows Stronger

iHS No'SS SiOWS SttOhSSi
Russian efforts to jam our radio broad
casts In Europe as we'll as in Asia add up
to encouraging evidence of the growing
effectiveness of our Voice of America"
program. Though still far from perfect,
the program, with the additional funds
made available to it by Congress. and under
the able and energetic direction Of Assist
ant Secretary OF State Allen, is entering
upon q new and more militant phase of
activity. The major emphasis from now
on will be on vigorous counterattack to
nail down the. gross Misrepresentation
and the downright lies that have con-
stituted the bulk of Soviet propaganda
against the United States and the free
world in general.
This change-which has been taking
place gradually for some time past-rep-
resents an important departure from the
Voices" earlier policy of broadcasting
cultural and entertainment programs and
of dealing with current events in coldly
objective and often dull manner. Under
the new setup, which probably will be
operating at full tilt by october /, Russian
fire in the war of ideologies and propa-
ganda will be met with American fire at
least equally strong, and not merely with
q polite and colorleSs statement of the
facts. In other words, although the facts
themselves will still be honored and the
truth told as the State Department sees it,
the editorial and interpretative presenta-
ton will be far more forceful than here
tofore and 1t will be addressed primarily
to those countries most bombarded by
the distortions and fabrications OF the
Soviet radio-notably the satellite peoples
trapped in the dark world behind the
Iron Curtain.
To that end, the Voice" Is already
devoting So per cent of its output to
editorial and international material, 81
per cent to straight news and the re-
mainder to music, entertainment and
other features designed to attract and hold
foreign listeners Apart from events that
must be reported and commented upon
as they happen, considerable amount OF
this programming is being done on a
transcription basis enabling local radio
networks-such as in Italy or Germany
to do the actual broadcasting. But the
0uih AluoI NC SCAV Out Wy 40 OFCl VIC ollOlt
waves in thirty-two different languages,
ten additional ones having just been put
on the list. Apparently the Voice" has
already won heartepingly large audience
in several countries, and special surveys
and promotional activities are planned to
make 1t larger. Further, to cope with
Russian tanning and insure clear recep
ton, our Honolulu, Manila and Munich
tranSmitters are to be strengthened and
four powerful new ones are to be in
stalled elsewhere to relay our programs
abroad
It would be naive, OF course, to say that
all this will be enough to cancel out Rus
sian propaganda. Actually, the Voice of
America" is still feeling its way in some
respects, and it is laboring under handi-
caps like being without the news services
of the Associated Press and the United
Press. evertheless-although the shift
to a hard-hitting editorialized counter
offensive could be self-defeatlng in in
expert hands-the new militancy of the
project promises to yield good results
under Mr.. Allen and the experienced staff
working with him. In any case, certainly,
there can be no doubt about the in
adequacy OF the old approach. Soviet
distortions-loud, blatant, colossal-need
to be answered in q manner that Is not
only factual but also prompt enough and
emphatic enough to win wide attention and
create q lasting corrective impression.
To be sure, none Of this can serve, even
remotely as a sound substitute for the
untrammeled exchange of news and In
formation among nations. But In the kind
of. world We have right now, We and all
other free peoples are confronted with q
hostile propaganda force of the first mag
nitude-a dangerous and tireless source of
incessant and noisy ISLANDERS against us.
Truth cannot defend itself simply by
whispering back. 1t must be aggressive,
not meek. 1t must shout to be heard
above the din OF falsehoods At time
like this, in the war going on for the
possession of mems minds, the "Voice of
America" is therefore a vitality necessary
weapon. 1t must be strong, and the
stronger the better