LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 49, 28 February 1927, Page 12

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

POWER or ADVERTISEMENT,

A £2,000,000 SUGGESTION

(Frorii Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, January 4.

The latest suggestion about the League of Nations and methods for forwarding its aims takes the shape of a vast publicity scheme, and its author, Mr. J. Murray Allison, advertising director of Allied Newspapers, tells about it in the "Spectator."

. Taking four representative newspapers, the "Times," the "Sunday Times," the "Daily Mail," and the Manchester "Daily Dispatch.." Mr. Allison states that during the last tweve months they printed 270 columns about the League, a little more than one column per week each. This, he points out, is less than one-tenth of what has been printed about one drapery concern in London; less than one-tenth about what has been printed about one popular cigarette; less than one-tenth of what has been printed about one brand of soap.

"The great majority of editors%of the daily journals are news tasters," Mr. Allison observes. "They know from experience what the public is-likely to read, and what it is likely to ignore, if not to resent; and one thing the public is apt to ignore, if not to resent, is news about something about which it knows nothing.'

"The public should be informed in simple language about the League's constitution, what it stands for, what it has already accomplished, what it is now doing, or attempting to do, and what it hopes to. do not only in the near but in the more remote future.

"This'information should not be imparted once or twice or a dozen times, but continually and persistently until the whole mass of the people understand the League and its more obvious affairs as they understand the rules of cricket.

; "It is only a question of sustained publicity. That publicity does not so far exist, and is not likely ever to take place in sufficient volume to affect the present situation. The' League itself, therefore, and its friends, should purchase the publicity in the form of straight Press advertising. It is the only way.

"The campaign envisaged would not confine itself to Great Britain and Ireland. There is nothing parochial about this'idea. The plan calls for tlie use of the Press of every country represented in the League of Nations. What space would he necessary in each journal utilised it is difficult, if not impossible, even to conjecture. But as it is advisable to get at some idea of cost, I propose to. assume the maximum space necessary to be one column per issue in all daily newspapers, two. columns per issue in all Sunday journals, and one page per issue in all organs of opinion at hoine and abroad. "The cost estimated by three leading advertising agents is:— Great Britain and Ireland for 12 months £786,000 Continent of Europe £782,000 Overseas Dominions and Dependencies £218,000 South American republics and Japan £149,000 £1,925,000 "This excludes the United States, where such a campaign would be regarded as propaganda pure and simple. "It would thus cost round about £2,000,000 to tell the world," Mr. Allison concludes, "all there is to know about the League, assuming it takes one whole year to tell the story and drive it home.

"It is a great sum; a little larger perhaps than the sum spent yearly by Messrs. Lever Brothers in Great Britain alone in advertising soap; but less than the sum expended by one firm in advertising cigarettes. A great sum, yet.less than one-third of one .per cent of the amount now expended annually by the nations upon armaments. A great sum. but only a tenth of the cost of one day of the late war.

"It would be interesting to be able to compare this sum with the probable cost of the next great war, if it happens. But no expert can tell us what that cost might be."