PROPAGANDA ALLEGED

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 21

PROPAGANDA ALLEGED

THE BRITISH COMPANY

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 6th March. More tli,an. one newspaper lias expressed indignation with the British Broadcasting Corporation for broadcasting a ' c" on' Russia last Thursday evening. The talk was by Mr. Maurice Dobb, a well-known Communist. The "Morning Post" makes a feature of the

protest. As recently as last September Mr. Dobb went to Russia, visiting many parts of the country, and contributing a aeries of articles to the "Daily Worker," which describes itself as "the organ of tho Communist Party of Great Britain (section of tho Communist International)." Tho "Daily Worker" introduced these articles as follows: —

"This is the first of a series of ar-ticles-by Maurico Dobb oa 'The New Agricultural Revolution in Soviet Russia.' Maurice Dobb, a comrade, is touring the Russian countryside and is 'Daily Worker' special correspondent." "Russia, in the Melting Pot," was the titlo of Mr. Dobb's address. This apparently innocuous talk (says tho "Post") cloaked Communist propaganda of dangerous subtlety. Nothing could be more objectionable, .for instance; than this, e-' act: "Some have called it (Bolshevism) a new religion, as pregnant for the future as that of Christ or Mahomet. In a sense it is, though minus tho supernatural element. It confronts u% with new ideals, new social disciplines, new values, a new goal, sharply different from those which confront us in our capitalist world."

Another matter to which objection is taken is the 8.8.C.'s advocacy of a ballot in aid of charities. A circular has been sent out by the British Charities Commission, which is conducting a "ratio ballot" in conjunction with the "Daily Herald" —the organ of the Socialist Parity—containing appeals for support for the ballot from a number of people, including Sir John Reith, Diroetor-General of the 8.8.C.

On this matter the "Manchester Guardian" says: "... A newspaper competition— one of those competitions that capitalise human cupidity in the interest of charities and circulation, catch sixpences for hospitals by offering seductive prizes and seek to further impeccable causes by the methods of the racecourse—has twice received publicity by means of wireless announcements.

"It happens that the competition in question, promoted by the 'Daily Herald/ is based on a correct selection of the most popular items L. the normal ra:dio programme; and it may be that the result of- this 'radio ballot' will be of some interest to the 8.8.C.

"But if the 8.8.C. wants to know what listeners like best to hear on the wireless it has.every facility for itself conducting investigations. In any case, it has no right to lend its aid to _ a commercial enterprise, however admirably directed. The 'Daily Herald' must be left to conduct its competitions unassisted by wireless publicity. Otherwise the 8.8.C. will rightly forfeit that public trust which it now enjoys." Tho other point of view comes from tho ."Daily Herald": "The 'Morning Post' oxposod the B.BiC. to its; shuddering readers as an organisation, polluted by subversive Socialist tendencies. This is too rich. It surpasses tho 'Morning Post's' own. previous stupid best. "By a supreme feat of. comedy the most reactionary and carefully conservative of contemporary British institutions has been singled out for shrill attack as a corporation 'markedly biased in favour of the Socialist Government and Party.' The exact opposite is the truth. So timid, so orthodox is tho:B.B,C. that it declines to allow any original thinker to broadcast his views. No man or woman with a message of any kind that is likely to startle the conventional listener is allowed to 'shock' the ether." Major A. J. Edmondson, Conservative M.P. for Banbury, says,in a letter to j the "Morning Post": "We in the House ] are comparatively powerless, as tho ac-

tivities of the 8.8.0. have teen so oushrouclecl in an impenetrable entanglement of procedure and restrictions as to make it almost impossible to raise questions. Theso activities are apparently beyond the control of Parliament and* no individual Minister is officially responsible. Tho fact nevertheless remalns that a very definite influence is at work, and I consider that_ you _are doing a great public service in bringing tho facts to light." Several other correspondents draw attention to tho fact that Mrs. Philip Sncwdon is on the board of the 8.8.0.