BROADCASTS TO ARABS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19371, 8 July 1937, Page 16

BROADCASTS TO ARABS

COUNTERACTING ITALY SiRITATN TO TAKE STEPS LONDON, June 30. Active steps are likely to be taken by the British Government to counteract anti-British propaganda broadcast to Arabic-speaking races. Britain will not rest content with asking Italy, as the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, and the British Ambassador in Rome have already done, to restrain the tone ol the broadcasts in Arabic from the Bari station.

Although, as Mr. Eden said in the House of Commons yesterday, these protests have resulted in an improvement, more remains to be done. Even when the more blatant propaganda is cut out Italy will continue Arabic broadcasts, which reach all regions around the Mediterranean, while there are no countervailing vernacular broadcasts from Britain. The British Broadcasting Corporation and Government departments arc working out plans for broadcasts in Arabic and, possibly, other languages. It is regarded as being highly important to reach the Arabic population of Palestine and neighbouring regions.

The authorities arc also giving attention to the question of broadcasts in Spanish for South America. The subject of broadcasting in Indian vernaculars bas also been raised.