NAZI PROPAGANDA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23661, 21 May 1940, Page 4

NAZI PROPAGANDA

ACTIVITY IN SWITZERLAND " WHISPERING » CAMPAIGN AUTHORITIES TAKE ACTION [from our own correspondent] LONDON, April 20 The Swiss General' Staff states to-day that some authorities and individual! in Switzerland are" receiving demandg' from abroad foy the sending of maps, photographs of Swiss landscapes, mapi of towns, bird's-eye views, and picture postcards showing Swiss scenes, write! the Geneva correspondent of the London Times. The General Staff' observes that the sending of such, things may endanger the security of the country and is forbidden. It may be added that since last qaonth schoolboys and girli are no longer allowed to take home their school maps. Nazi propaganda is at the moment very active in Switzerland, and it ii mainly carried out in its mo si, dangerous form —namely, whispered propaganda which generally escapes the con. trol of the police. On the one hand it tries to persuade the people that the French are being left with the entire burden of the war which the British compelled them to declare, and that the British military effort is ineffectual; on the other hand, German propaganda is working hard among the Swiss with the object of dividing the confederates and causing them- to distrust the officers of the Army, many of whom, it says, are openly pro-German, while some others are traitors and will help the Germans in case of invasion instead of fighting them. Names, are whispered, among which are a few army corps commanders who are said to be enthusiastic admirers of Germany and to have already rendered important services in Germany. These whispered stories are circulated by Germans here who receive their instructions either from the Legation in Berne, the staff of which is now over 200, or from the Nazi leaders who are forming propaganda centres in all the towns.

The mischief,is that some Swiss believe these stories aud contribute to the spreading of them all over the country. There is a,strong and general reaction in the Swiss press against that defeatist propaganda. There may b6 some traitors, the newspapers say, as everywhere,' but one should not believe that the country has sold itself to a' foreign Power. The Swiss are resolved to defend themselves to the last against any invader, and they that the Army is ready to fight to the last drop of blood, but it is imperative to stop the activities of the "Fifth which possibly exists, and put an-end to the spreading of false news.

The Army Command and Govern-' ment have the matter well in hand. They have again warned the population against the danger resulting from the circulating of false news, and yesterday three person's were arrested in Solothurn for having spread false news.