Psychological WarfareLinebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
History
Psychological Warfare
Linebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
Psychological warfare
[Illustration: _Figure 30: Nostalgic White._ On March 5 of every year
the Japanese celebrate the colorful custom of Boys' Day. Kites in the
form of carp are flown over the cities and countryside and millions of
families set out to give their little sons an excursion or some other
treat. (It is characteristic of the Japanese that there is no Girls'
Day.) This leaflet, from Psychological Warfare Branch, USAFPA, was
designed for dropping on May 5. It ends with the appeal, "You must guard
the strength of the new Japan, your treasure, your children." Thus it
combines homesickness, patriotism, and pre-surrender indoctrination.]
=News as Intelligence.= Harmlessness is, however, a poor ideal for men
at war; the propagandist who keeps out of mischief is doing only half
his job. To make his message take effect he must convey to the enemy
those kinds of information which tend to disrupt enemy unity, discount
enemy expectation of success, lower the enemy will to resist. He cannot
do so by means of recorded symphonies or tourist lectures, no matter how
well done. He must turn to the first weapon of propaganda, the news.
The official propagandist is not a newspaperman. Since he speaks for an
army or a government, his utterance is _officially responsible_. He must
be as timely as the peacetime press, but must at the same time be as
cautious as a government press agent. He is torn between two
responsibilities: his responsibility to the job of propaganda, which
requires him to get interesting information and get it out to the enemy
quickly; and his responsibility to the official policies of his own
government, which requires him to release nothing unconfirmed, nothing
that could do harm, or that might embarrass or hurt the government. (A
sort of institutional schizophrenia is common to all propaganda
offices.)
The sources of news are various. Classified incoming operational reports
of the Army and Navy contain material of high interest to the enemy.
There are obvious reasons for denying access to such information to the
propaganda people. Propaganda men might think of their audience first
and security second. If they do not know the secret information, but are
advised by military consultants who do, security will be better
maintained and the propagandist will not labor under the handicap of a
double standard of information--what they know, and what they dare to
tell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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