Evening star., 1951-07-29
Propaganda Afflicts
Acheson and Taft
Writers Tell How Both Have
Endured Portison Attacks
By Fronk R. Kent

In recent years propaganda has be-
come a very great industry in which
thousands of men and women are en-
ployed and millions of dollars annually
expended The greatest of all the
propaganda machines is that OF the
Government.
Also, in these days, every great cor
poration in the country has its public
relations department. which is another
name for publicity. So does every form
of sport and entertainment. So does
every cause, crusade, association and
organization of national character. All
this swells the propaganda stream to
almost unbelievable proportions. Some
of this is healthful and beneficial. But
a lot Of it is unwholesome and tends
to distort and becloud the truth. The
question of controlling, in the public
interest. this immense flood without m
fringing upon the rights of individuals
and groups to voice their views is
vital one. No adequate answer has yet
been found, although many thoughtful
s., men agree that unreStrained liberty
to misinterpret and falsely present the
facts inevitably opens the way not only
to greater befuddlement Of an easily
befuddled people but to irremedial in
Justice to individuals
Particularly is this true in the field OF
politics 1t takes lot Of stamina for
man in public life to stand steady under
a continuous and prolonged barrage
of hostile and untruthful propaganda.
However, there are two conspicuous
public figures today who seem to have
done so and it is interesting that they
should be not only in opposite parties
but personal as well as political foes.
Each is an able and honorable man, but
there is no question that each has some
what encouraged the propaganda against
the other-and measurably believes the
worst. One of them, Of course, is Sec
retary Dean Acheson. For nearly two
years now he has been the chief target
of the Republican National Committees
powerful publicity engines Of Republi-
can leaders in Congress, Of the isola-
zionist press throughout the country
and of various organizations with q
trend in that direction.
The other of these two excoriated
public figures is Senator Robert A. TAFT,
of Ohio. For long time now he has
been subjected to sustained propa-
ganda attack of unprecedented violence.
1t is fully as savage and unjust as that
under which Mr.. AcheSon has stood up.
Also, it has been going on longer and
exceeds it in volume. Partly this is due
to the fact that Mr.. Taft is the OUT
standing member of his party in Con-
gresS and partly because of his presi-
Dental aspirations. The sources from
which the anti-Truman propaganda
comes are many and varied. First, OF
course, is the Democratic adminiStra-
tion, which he has strongly opposed on
both foreign and domestic policies and
whose propaganda machine is greater
and more potent than any other.
Then there are the enormous publicity
forces of organized labor. Just as the
Democratic National Committee pub
licity boys originated the trite and hack
neyed name of "Mr. Republican" for
Senator Taft, the labor propagandistS
label him Public Enemy No. l." An
other group with wide publicity activities
is composed of the professional liberals"
and "left-wingerS" such as are to be
found in the Americans for Democratic
Action
The anti-Acheson and the anti-Taft
propaganda have been about equally
unreStrained and equally unfair. Aside
from the fact that neither man has
weakened under attack neither has been
mortally wounded by the slanderous
allegations made against him.