Evening star., 1950-07-06
Counter-Propaganda
Against Russian Lies
Revealed as Inept
Voice of America Fails
To Reach World Mosse.
Due to Boring Programs
By David Laurence

It is sad commentary on the.
irresolution and ineptitude of the
Government of the United States
in the field of counter propaganda
against Soviet untruths and SLAM
der that now-flve years after
the close of World War 1.-THE
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee is just beginning to con-
slider "a greatly expanded pro-
gram of information and educa-
ton among all the peoples of the
world"
Inside and outside Of Washing
ton the impression prevails today
that the "Voice of America" has
been doing just such job. Now
Senator Benton. Democrat. of
Connecticut, and dozen other
Senators of both parties have in
troduced resolution designed to
put into effect a Marshall Plan
of ideas" Testimony as to the
need had been given by Gen. Mar
shall, Gen. Eisenhower and other
eminent men.
But why hasn't this simple
thing been done before? What
has the Voice of America" been
doing or failing to do? What
"ideas" can be broadcast by a
Government that doesn't know its
own mind from one month to
another-and follows one policy
of indifference to a Communis.
build-up in the Far East ana
another toward communism in
Europe?
Larger Sums Not Enough
Merely to appropriate larger
sums than heretofore will not
avail anything. The problem goes
deeper. This correspondent has
Just finished an examination OF
the complete English script OF a
weeks broadcasts on the Voice
of America" from which transla-
tions are made. The material Is
truthful, comprehensive and edu-
cational, but it is more suited to
university classes in political
science or to the members Of such
an organization as the Foreign
Policy Association-assuming that
they have such a group in Russia
than it is to the knowledge .or
background of the average man
in Russia.
Nobody in American magazine
or radio management would use
the same, editorial technique or
channels of approach to reach the
masses as would be utilized to
reach the folks who are already
informed on the fundamentals of
diplomacy and its intrigues.
The "Voice of America" pro-
grams are well-written judged by
official standards but 1t may be
doubted whether many American
newspapers would ever print the
bulk of it's material If the situa-
ton were reversed. Interest in
high-level world politics and eco
nomic matters and statistics may
be very intense at the State De-
partment and at the foreign en-
bassies and legations but 1t isn't
the kind of material which at
tracts the average man.
The "Voice of America" reads
like press-association report OF
30 years ago-stodgy, wordy and
without terseness or snap. The
language is too dignif1ed and the
vocabulary is that of oftlcialdom
with q little journalistic flavor
here and there. Out of it some
Russian newspapers-if they were
free from censorship-might Sc
lect a few items, but the average
listener could hardly be blamed
If he turned off the programs be-
cause of sheer boredom.
This doesn't mean that the
"voice of America" doesn't serve
O. useful purpose for limited num-
Der of influential listeners, but it
Is far from doing the mass job
which most observers here have
thought all along was being
done. If it is lack of money that
has held it back, then the funds
ought to be forthcoming, and an
appropriation of 100000, 900
would not be too much.
Job for Separate Institution.
It may be doubted, incidentally.
whether the State Department can
do the assignment. The game of
propaganda and counter -propa-
ganda is not one for individuals
who have to worry about how many
times they quote from this or
that publication or how often they
mention the name of this or that
individual. 1t Is really job for
private agencies or for a separate
governmental institution which is
not responsible to any cabinet off,
Ger but to a joint committee of
both houses and to the President.
ANY one who wanted to win votes
In a campaign would hardly use
the technique of the Voice of
America" President Truman
wouldn't. A news service is much
too prosaic and colorleSs to excite
attention. There has to be plain
speaking and satire and drama
and all the things that editors Of
good radio programs or the fea-
ture sections of newspapers or
magazines know best how to do.
1t is a job for professionals in the
field of opinion making-not just
reporters of news.
But even with all these facilities,
there can be nothing effective ac-
complished if the State Department
stumbles and the President hesi-
tates and the makers of American
policy are timid about calling a