WHO GOT THE LAUGH?

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 May 1941, Page 6

WHO GOT THE LAUGH?

GOEBBELS OR THE U.S.A. French circles in London are inclined to think there was much mere in Dr. Goebbel’s recent appeal to Americans to express their opinions in cables for which the Reich was ready to pay than to provide a good laugh at his expense. | The German propaganda master was perfectly well aware that he would get a crop of cables from people who would call for a broadcast description of Hitler's funeral as most calculated io give them unadulterated enjoyment. [ But what Goebbels did get out of the cabled criticisms was a complete check-up. State by State, of the intensity of anti-Nazi feeling in the United Stales. This would place him in a position to know in which States he should use "frightening" propaganda, and in which ho should put over the Gentle-German-lover-of - pence - stuff. Incidentally it was an opportunity for ::ll German agents in the U.S.A, to turn in their reports simultaneously unobserved. "Frightening" propaganda haa» apparently succeeded pretty well in the United States, for a message published in the British press on March ?> reported that 25.000 gas masks had been ordered for workers in the navy yard at Philadelphia. The object, .of course, is to scare Americans into the belief that war on America is so imminent that it would be wiser to keep back '•’.nitions and weapons for home protect! xt than to send them to Great Britain The French refugees, with .heir bitter exi'ei i: neo fresh in mind, point out ihe.t Dr. Goebbels is not doing so badly in the United States, end that those who talk about the easy time fifthcolumn men had in France would do well to look at home.