THE GERMAN PRESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 63, 12 September 1938, Page 17

THE GERMAN PRESS

ITS POLICY DEFENDED

"THE VOICE OF THE NATION"

OPINION DISCOVERED

Before a large audience of foreign diplomats and journalists, the Chief ; of the Reich Press, Dr. Dietrich, de- - livered a speech which is reported in "News in Brief," published in Berlin by the Deutscher Akademischer Aus- i tauschdienst, says "Public Opinion." ; Dr. Dietrich's opinion of the German Press and his criticism of the European Press arc significant. He said: — : "The German Press policy still comes i across a lot of misunderstanding in the world today. When one examines the i data on which the criticism launched against the National Socialist Press is based, and further considers the means : which, although already far outstrip- ■ jped and no longer adaptable, are ap- \ j plied here, then the misunderstandings ■ and the hostility, which the National : | Social Press has to suffer from so ; I mnay foreigners, are not to be wonder- ; ed at. ', "The essence of the Liberalist Press ' lay in the fact that it felt itself called upon to voice the criticism or the opin- ; ion of the individual against the State : and its public institutions. The mii dvidual, be he journalist or free lance, appeared here as the spokesman of the so-called public opinion, without possessing any other right to do this, ex- : cept his "own judgment or private opinion. That is in accordance with the fundamentals of individual thought. A DIFFERENT TASK. "But, as compared to this, the community idea of National Socialism gives to the Press a quite different task, namely, a contrary task —to place the life principles of the community before the individual. Here the newspaper becomes the voice of the nation, the school of political thought which conveys to every member of the poople the consciousness of his being a part of the community to which he is bound through thick and thin. "With us it is not that changeable barometer of opinion of the bad-tem-pered journalists, which daily and hourly is influenced by countless, uncontrollable, individual interests, which is taken as public opinion. The public opinion with us is the true will of the people, which is understood by National Socialism through its vital bond with the people. Public opinion is not formed with us, it is discovered. "With us the newspaper is not the arena of irresponsibility and' of unbridled criticism of a few who misuse the right to criticise for undermining the authority of the State, being pushed forward by anonymous interested parties. "With us, owing to our better methods for keeping the State more closely in touch with the people, the newspaper is the journalistic conscience of the nation, created to encourage the work of the State instead of to cripple it. That is quite a different idea of the Press from the Liberalist x one. And we are convinced, moreover, that it is a better one! . . . "IF PEACE WERE KEPT." "Just imagine how peaceful the world ".vould be if peace were not only written about but kept in the newspapers! The Press could almost work miracles in the political life of nations. For twenty years, for example, a League of Nations has been bothering! about international relationships. How| many diplomatic efforts, how many meetings and conferences have taken place. The result is more than meagre, it is deplorable. "And it is not the disappointment caused by the failures of these efforts j which is the chief reason for the politi- j cal pessimism which is to be found in so many European countries? How different the attitudes of the nations towards each other would be, if only they could grasp the meaning of the| Press and its possibilities for a wise co-operation, and make use of the positive influence of the Press for this high aim! ! "It is no Utopia when I say that, in j an atmosphere of mutual esteem and understanding, formed by the Press, they would be able to achieve in a few j months that whicl* would .not be achieved by other means in the course of decades. > | "Out of a scourge of humanity which sows hatred and dissension, and to which a great part of the Press of to-1 day belongs, there could emerge one of the most blessed and best elements for binding the nations together. The nations want peace, they want understanding with their neighbours. But! in so many countries the Press, which boasts of representing public opinion, prevents the fulfilment of this desire. THE WAY OF THE GERMANS. "The German Press would be led by such thoughts if it attempted by means of mutually written or unwrit-l ten Press agreements to open up, from! country to country, step by step, the way to sense and understanding in the sphere of the international Press. The German Press policy will follow this way of non-aggressive pacts and Press agreements from country to country according to the political and Press political possibilities offered for such a course. But here there are limits which must be mentioned in this connection. * "Not limits to our good will, which is there, but rather limits to the possibilities for conferring in general. Just as an armistice between two countries is impossible so long as one possesses a well-disciplined army while the troops of the other are in the hands of the Condottieri which direct war on their own, so is it with the peace of the Press, which cannot exist if only one section obeys a national discipline, while the other refuses all responsibility and allows itself to be led entirely by an anonymous influence of peace-disturbing powers. RESORT TO EXPULSION. "We are annoyed when we discover that a foreign journalist has done his best to ruin all the efforts of the politicians to create a good neighbourly understanding between the nations, by steady one-sided and intentionally harmful reporting of the inner German events in order to rouse other nations against 'us. In this case we resorted to the means of expelling from our country which is no invention of National Socialism, but, on the contrary, a regulation used by everyone and one which affects a journalist everywhere if he has failed in his official duties and abused the hospitality afforded to him. Certainly, a newspaper cannot be made quite devoid of sensation. "But do the achievements of National Socialist Germany in so many spheres not offer more than enough material for sensational reporting? One should not industriously search for negative v,things when so many positive things exist." ________»»^———

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