WORDY AERIAL WARFARE

Evening Star, Issue 23355, 26 August 1939, Page 4

WORDY AERIAL WARFARE

FRUITS OF INTERNATIONAL SITUATION INCREASING NUMBER OF LANGUAGES STUDY OF METHODS AND RESULTS During the past weeks, while thp international position in Europe has been full of dangerous uncertainty, the propaganda machines of tne more important countries have been speeded up. and short wave listeners have L/oen provided with the opportunity of tuning in to a veritable flood of charges and counter charges—of passionate denunciation and violent invective, which would probably arouse more than a little amusement if it were not for the' fact that the circumstances surrounding such broadcasts were fraught with so much danger. Well to tlio fore in this battle of words are the G-ermaa and Italian stations, whose violent diatribes are much too vehement to carry much weight with overseas listeners, who are sufficiently removed from the centres of conflict as to bo in a position to form an impartial judgment (states a recent issue of ‘ Radio World ’). Only the (English and American stations have preserved any moderation in their news commentaries, for even France, previously as aloof as England in its radio comments, has succumbed to the prevalent hysteria, and is replying in kind to the insults launched from Berlin and Romo. An interesting feature of this wordy warfare is the ever-increasing number of languages used in these propaganda broadcasts. The short wave spectrum begins to resemble the Tower of Babel of old. Take for example the Italian stations. Recent information reveals that no fewer than 21 languages are spoken during the broadcasts from these stations. The languages principally used are English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese; then come Hungarian, Bulgarian, Greek, Turkish, Japanese, Chinese, Bengali, Serbian, Danish, Swedish, German, Roumanian, Hindustani, Arabic, Russian, and Italian. The Trieste station concentrates on the Balkan States, whilst Radio Bari, with Arabic and Turkish sessions, has done much towards fostering the pi' esen t unrest in Syria] and Palestine. At times this propaganda fails to achieve its purpose by its very extent and vehemence. This has been shown by the ease with which the United States has been able to counteract, in a very brief space of time, the effects of the Nazi propaganda in the Latin American republics. With much greater subtlety than had been shown in the German broadcasts, America lias provided first class radio entertainment by such celebrities as Eddie Cantor. Charlie M'Carthy, and the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. The South Americans have shown a marked preference for sucli radio fare, and have been speedily won over from their former radio allegiance to the Reich. \-