Secrets of Crewe House. By Sir Campbell Stuart. (Hodder and
Stoughton. 7s. 6d. net.)—This interesting book describes the work done by Lord Northcliffe as Director of Propaganda in Enemy Countries from February to November, 1918. The author, who acted as Lord Northcliffe's chief lieutenant at Crewe House, shows that the propagandists' first and chief difficulty was in determining what they should propagate. Austria was obviously the weak spot, but, before setting to work on the non-German peoples of Austria, the department had to find out what policy the Allies meant to pursue when Austria gave in, especially with regard to the Southern Slays and the Czechs. In the end the Allies formulated a statement of policy, and the propagandist efforts were rewarded by a stream of deserters from the Hapsburg armies. In the case of Germany, emphasis was laid on the distinction between the Emperor and his Junkers on the one side, and the German people on the other. By millions of leaflets dropped from the skies, by articles in the neutral Press, and by books and papers clandestinely circulated in Germany, the Germans were kept informed of the Allied victories of the summer and autumn and warned of their coining defeat. Sir Campbell Stuart points to Marshal von Hindenburg's manifesto of August, 1918, against the Allies' " drumfue of printed paper " as a good testimonial, confirmed at the time and since by General Ludendorff and other enemy leaders. There can be no doubt that this skilfully directed propaganda reinforced the effect of the military reverses and hastened the end of the war. The total cost of Crewe House for its last four months, covering its principal campaign, was £31,360. The book is fully illustrated with portraits and with photographs of typical leaflets. Lord Northcliffe adhered to the sound principle that telling the truth was sure to do the enemy most harm.
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