Evening star., 1951-07-22

Gently has been yelling "Ouch!"
more frequently and loudly than
ever before.
The jamming of American
broadcasts has grown to the point
where approximately 1000 ground
wave and 200 sky wave distortion
transmitters are being employed
to block out Voice programs. Yet
more than 25 per cent of the
American broadcasts are estimate
ed to be getting through to the
interior of Russia. This opera
ton of obstruction is estimated to
be costing Russia as much or more
each year as the whole Voice pro-
gram for the 1851 fiscal year-$15
million.
That Russians continue to hear
the Voice is known from independ-
ent reports of "defectos" - those
who have deserted to the West
from the U. S. S. R.-as we'll as
friends of the West who remain
in the Soviet.
Give Them the Focts
But there Is even more perth
nent evidence of Voice effective
ness. The Soviet official propa-
ganda for home consumption
frequently presents rebuttals to
statements which the Russians
could have heard only on the
Voice. These rebuttals thus give
further currency to the very state
ments they are intended to coun-
teract.
The effectiveness of American
broadcasts to Russia lies in their
dispensing of the scarcest INTEL
lectual commodity in the Soviet
and its whole bloc: News-real,
hard factual news. Voice broad
casts are heavily laden-and will
be increasingly so-with that kind
OF simple, straight forward, truth
full report of facts and happen
ings which people listen for eager
ly, and which passes from mouth
to ear in unsuppressible defiance
of laws which carry the death
penalty. More than so per cent
of theabroadcasts beamed to Rus
sia are strictly news programs.
Although the Red-held territory
and that one-third of the human
race which is under Red bondage
is the battle-ground on which the.
Voice fights its principal battle,
its attention is devoted also to
stimulating the peoples of the free
world, not only counteractipg the
Red propaganda spread in nom
Communist countries, but also pre-
senting a picture of the best there
is in American culture and Amer
lean life.
Audience reaction is followed
closely by Voice officials, parti-
cularly in non-Communist coun-
tries. where it is possible to gauge
listeners selection of programs
and their response to what they
hear. Each point of presentation
clarity of reception, pronunciation
of the language by announcers
and commentators, the speed at
which they talk and the infection
of their voices-is checked con-
stantly and carefully. In some
countries it is possible to maintain
panels Of observers. who judge the
programs constantly.
Written Word, Too
The other major phase Of
international Information and
Education-press and publications
is producing results which can
be totaled up in millions of col
umn-inches of reading matter
published each year in the news
papers. magazines and specialized
periodicals of all the free coun-
tries.
International information falls
into three main categories, which
are far more distinct in the
printed word and picture than in
the spoken word of the radio.
These are:
/. Straight news and feature
stories, which carry to the rest of
the world the real picture of AM
erica, to destroy the false picture
by communism.
2. The propaganda of freedom
that is. factual commentaries ex-
planning world events in terms
of liberty and Western civiliza-
ton; and
3. Point -Four material-that is.
scientific, technical and other
specialized articles, reprinted for
,he people of other countries to
help them develop their indus
tries and agriculture, thus rais-
ng their standards of living and
heir resistance to Communist
Establishments.
Hungary Couldn't Toke II
Again, proof that this highly
developed and expertly-directed
is beginning to hurt the
Communists is found in the official
'eaction against it in Communist
nations where 1t is still operating.
The latest and most dramatic
demonstration of the pain it is
nf1icting was the recent expulsion
rom Hungary of two American
legation officials. Only thus could
Red government rid
tself of most troublesome thorn
n the side.
The United States agreed to
eliminate its information and cul-
ural activities in Hungary, but
ollowed up with the expulsion Of
wo Hungarian diplomats from
his country.
Russia has strictly limited the