SHORTWAVE JOY GERMS FROM BERLIN

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 31, 13 January 1939, Page 8

SHORTWAVE JOY GERMS FROM BERLIN

Wellington Woman Criticises "Record" Article On Radio Propaganda, Says German Announcers Are Just Being Friendly, Not "Fruity"

HEN German ReichVW minister Paul Goebbels isn’t interesting himself in matters theatrieal (vide recent news item), or inflaming Nazi passions with shrewdly-timed propaganda, or attending to any other of a hundred-and-one tasks incidental: to the Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment, he is supervising broadcasting. In German radio, as it exists today, Dr. Goebbels controls one of the world’s most effective instruments of "enlightenment." To all eountries of the world broadcasts are directed from Germany. Day and night the powerful Berlin shortwave station is on the air, seattering a nicely-judged proportion of official news and entertainment to the four corners of. the earth.

It.,is beam radio which ~ has made this possible. According to a pamphlet recently issued from Berlin, the German Shortwave Station owns a system of six beam aeriais "embracing practically all inhabited parts of the globe." They are directed to North America, South America, South Africa, Asia, Central America, and Southern = AsiaAustralasia. Result is that the station’s world. coverage is so effective that in Australia and New Zealand. many shortwave listeners tune in to Berlin as regularly as they do to Daventry. A critical attitude toward German programmes was taken by a writer in the "Record" of December 30. Said he in his article, "Fine Old English Gentleman":"The radio voices of Germany are heard all over the world. This German shortwave service has a threefold aim. "To reach colonies and settlements of overseas Germans and make them conscious of Nazi greatness. . "To create German markets in competition with other exporting countries. . "To eonvinee the rest of the

world of German greatness and the justice of German aspirations. "« |.. German Americans in the U.S.A. are showered with brotherly love from home... . "Nobody is forgotten. Even out in the Antipodes we hear the voice of Germany, soft, mellifluous and fruity-especially fruity. There is the broadcast to Tasmania that begins, ‘Hullo, -Tasmania, beautiful Apple Isle.’ "We hear listeners in Australia and New Zealand greeted by name in the friendliest manner by announcers in Berlin. ..."

Other Side BUT that there is another side to the question was made apparent soon after publication of this article. A definite complaint came from Mrs. I. Voice, of 29 Hiropi Street, Wellington South, who protested roundly against what she described as an unfair attack on the German shortwave station and its staff. Mrs. Voice is an enthusiastic Shortwave listener, She has had business experience, and she has brought up a family.. She may be taken to represent a considerable section of New Zealand housewives and mothers. This is what Mrs. Voice has to sa y: "No, I don’t like what the ‘Record’ had to say about the German shortwave station. I listen in to it regularly, especially to the greetings session, which they put over for Australia and New Zealand. "Propaganda? Well, | think [ know what’s propaganda and what isn’t. They’re only giving the world their point, just as Britain is. | think the whole ' German people want to be friends with us; they want to he loved, especially by England.

"Rvery German announcer f have heard has been most friendly. You just can’t help liking their voices. Contrast that with ali the hate which is being printed in our papers. "As for the greeting to Tasmania, that is just a friendly gesture. They also say, ‘Hullo, Bonny Australia,’ and ‘Kia Ora, New Zealand." They’re intelligent people; they know that apples are grown in Tasmania. "ve been listening in to Berlin for two years, and I’ve never yet heard anything against Britain, only recently in retaliation to Anthony Eden’s speeches. And we’ve all got to fight for our rights. "T sometimes listen in to Moscow, but they put over nothing but propaganda. Only recently I heard an announcer say that the Soviet warned Imperialist Britain and Fascist Germany to ‘keep their pig snouts out of our affairs.’" Not Fruity UMMING it all up, Mrs. Voice, insists that her chief objection to the ‘‘Record’s’’ article is the inference that the Berlin announcers are ‘‘mellifluous and fruity’’ political adventurers. As the result of her shortwave listening and personal correspondence, she is convinced that it is the genuine wish, both of announcers and of the director

of German broadcasting, to promote better understanding between the peoples. The greetings they send overseas are entirely spontaneous and not dictated. Very seldom in the English news sessions directed to Australia and New Zealand has she heard propaganda, or undue criticism, though recently a stand has been made against statements in the international Press which have appeared to the German authorities to be gross misrepresentation. Mrs. Voice corresponds regue tarly with announcers on the Berlin station, and, judging by the tetters she receives, they are indeed a friendly, kindly disposed lot. And if their‘letters reflect the happy outlook on life of the average Nazi official, then Nazi officials are sadly misjudged people. . Wrote Announcer Conrad Stadler ("Connie" to his thousands of radio friends): "Many, many thanks for the many kindnesses you have shown

me during the past three months. I hardly don’t know where I shall begin and tell you how much [I appreciated your sending the nice little calendar which now has its place near my writing desk, how thoughtful of you to send Xmas greetings which are heartily reciprocated, or the pains you have taken in cutting the newspapers and pasting them so carefully. "My special thanks go to -- for having knitted the bed-socks and for having sent them to a little child here. I made use of your offer and chose 10-year-old Ingrid Kurz, who lives with her mother a few minutes from my place. "Y greatly enjoyed your Christmas card and ‘mine’ are joining me in all good wishes... Baby’s yame is Hans Peter, four months old to-day, at the moment his little Joudspeaker’ is going full strength, because he is eagerly awaiting his meal. He has mother’s blue eyes and father’s dark blonde hair. His: eharacter is still in the making, but in many ways a strong personality may be expected... ." A Typical Letter [THE letter is typical of several Mrs. Voice has received from German announcers, typi-

eal, too, it is to be expected, 0: the many hundreds which must find their way each week from Berlin to friends and sympathisers overseas. If their friendly spirit were @ little more in evidence in higher Nazi circles the world would surely be a happier, more peaceful place. Further, to back up her attitude, Mrs. Voice quotes a talk by an American broadcaster, Raymond Gram Swing, recently relayed by the BBC. "In my Connecticut farmhouse 1 have a radio set which I can tune in to London or Berlin in a twinkling,’ said Mr. Swing. "It is like. the plumbing in the house; it is taken for granted. "The children are not thrilled. They grow up having London and Paris and Berlin coming right into the living-room. ..« "The paraphernalia of unity is here. We have it. We are seeing it being developed. I don’t know what the process is going to be, but I am sure of the result. fam sure that the forces of unity will become stronger than the forces of hostility ,and in the end will win out... ."

Postscript S posteript to the above, just two observations. English news sessions during the past six weeks or so have deteriorated sadly from the standpoint of brotherhood and goodwill among men. Attacks on Britain, especially in regard to the trouble in Palestine, have been frequent. Reference has . been made in English news sessions to "British soldiery shooting innocent women and children," to "British planes bombing harmless villages on the North-west frontij-, of India," to "British blowing ug dians from the mouths of canng@ during the Indian Mutiny," and so on. Not the sort of thing calculated to further the friendly relations which Herr Stadler and his colleagues are endeavouring to establish between Germany and the people of the British Empire. Finally, an item of news which appeared the other day in the "Daily -Telegraph," England:‘In January the German shortwave station at Zeesen will begin to devote more time to broadcasts in English directed to Asia and Australia. At the same time, it is stated, the programmes will contain ‘fewer talks and a lot of good music.’ It may be assumed, therefore, that the English broadcasts will consist mainly of news bulletins, edited in accordance with Nazi principles."