NAZI PRESSURE.
METHODS IN THE BALKANS
VAST PROPAGANDA, AGAINST BRITAIN. LONDON, December 22. The “Times” exposes the operation of a vast German propaganda machine in south-eastern Europe, and declarees that it is remarkable for its scale and ingenuity. Its instruments include the fantastically large staff of 600 in the Belgrade “German Travel Agency wiiere there is the tiniest tourist trade. The “Times'” declares that GO dailies and weeklies throughout south-east Europe are controlled by Nazis and give prominence to pro-German news besides 1 distorting the truth. The Nazis put pressure on locallyowned newspapers, some of which from, being very short of cash have suddenly built expensive offices and installed machinery from Germany. The Nazis also provide liberal advertisements and cheap telephoning facilities from Berlin. Even outright bribery of individuals is used. The German Propaganda Ministry run by Dr. Goebels, is mailing postcards printed in English and explaining that Britain is responsible for the war.
A subtler method of propaganda is the circulation of rumours to discredit the Allies, for wdiieh purpose the Bucharest cafes are. used as bases of operations.
It is noticeable that the public will be suddenly asking, “Why did Britain ‘swindle’ such-and-such a Rumanian
company years ago?” The propaganda, The “Times” continues, is constantly supported by Nazi diplomatic activity which unceasingly urges . revisions of Balkan financial agreements with Germany, accompanied by relentless threats of reprisals if this is refused. 6 Local German organisations violently protest day in and day out against fancied insults to Germany. Britain’s best counter-stroke was the publication of the despatches of the former British Ambassador to Berlin, translated into several Balkan languages and showed up Germany’s ruthless' ambitions in the Balkans. The British radio is also gaining listeners because most Balkan peoples fear above all their coming under Nazi military domination.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19400113.2.67
Bibliographic details
Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 79, 13 January 1940, Page 8
Word Count
298NAZI PRESSURE. Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 79, 13 January 1940, Page 8
Using This Item
Ashburton Guardian Ltd is the copyright owner for the Ashburton Guardian. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Ashburton Guardian Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.