Books of the Day

The Methods of Nazi Propaganda

Here Lies Goebbels. By Vernon McKenzie. (Michael Joseph. ios. 6d.)

" THE author of this book (says the publisher's ' blurb ') is a distinguished American journalist who has made an intensive and first-hand study of Nazi propaganda methods since 1932.

He has visited twenty countries in the past eight years, and has met many of the world's leading statesmen and person- alities—among them Hitler, Schacht, Goering and Goebbels." His book, begun seven years ago, was originally intended to be a serious academic discussion of the responsibility of the Press and radio in relation to international friction. But ex- perience of Nazi and Fascist propaganda at many points before the war led him to alter his plan so as to convey to as many readers as possible in democratic countries his conviction that Dr. Goebbels was doomed to fail from the start, that he is now failing, and that there is virtually no chance of a long-term success for Nazi propaganda.

When a writer changes the plan of a half-written book, and gives it a purpose other than his original intention, his work is apt to lose coherence, if not consistency. Mr. Vernon McKenzie, " Director of the School of Journalism at the University of Washington and a lecturer in political science " though he be, has not quite managed to escape this danger. There are moments when a reader feels that his author is falling between two stools. These moments pass, but the impression lingers. In order to avoid it, readers will do well to begin the book, say, at the ninth chapter on " The Brown International," and to go on to the end. Then the first eight chapters will be seen in better perspective. So im- portant is its subject that defects of form ought not to stand in the way of a proper understanding of the lessons it teaches.

While pursuing his enquiries into Nazi propaganda in many countries and various continents, Mr. McKenzie says that he often asked himself in despair whether he would ever get to the end of Dr. Goebbels's network for the spreading of un- truths profitable to Germany. He writes:

" Hitler has protested time and again against foreign interference in what he asserts are purely German concerns, while at the same time he has deliberately and viciously, as a basis of his political policy, done his best, or worst, to stir up trouble in every inhabited part of the world. This is no rhetorical generalisation. If anyone cares to challenge this statement let him name an area, and I'll name a Nazi act."

It would be rash to challenge this statement. Mr. McKenzie gives chapter and verse for so many countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa and the Near and Middle East that he is entitled to agree with a statement recently made by a writer in the Quarterly Review: " The organisation of foreign propaganda by the German Government is so vast, so intricate, and so widely ramified, that it almost baffles descrip- tion." This writer estimated the number of German groups abroad, organised for Nazi propaganda under Dr. Bohle's

A.O.," or Auslands-Organisation, at about 30,000. The " A.0." is only one branch of the German system. A Dutch authority put the cost of German propaganda abroad at L13,000,000 in 1934, and £21,000,000 in 1937, apart from what was spent on it in Germany. What is the purpose of the expenditure of so much money and energy? Mr. McKenzie asks. Does Hitler intend to conquer the world, and make it

safe for Nazism? The answer is in the affirmative. The catalogue of publications advocating German territorial ex- pansion, edited by Dr. Heinz Kindermann, of Munster University, runs to more than i,000 pages. Mr. McKenzie's comment upon all this industry is Goethe's remark : " The Germans are capable in details, but pitiful in the whole."

One useful feature of the earlier chapters of this book is the reminder that Goebbels is merely carrying on and extending a work which Bismarck began and, after Bismarck, the pan-Germans developed. Under Hitler and Goebbels German propaganda has, however, deteriorated in method.

It has become definitely criminal. In the long run its very criminality and tactlessness tend to defeat it. This does not mean that Germany's prospective victims, including especially Great Britain, need only leave it enough rope for it to hang itself. Mr. McKenzie writes explicitly upon the weakness and the strength of British propaganda as he sees them ; and in his final chapter, " Some Problems to Solve," he makes suggestions which our Ministry of Information, and whoever else looks after our propaganda, would do well to consider carefully. I am glad to see his proposal that much fuller use should be made of the admirable service of information which " Friends of Europe " (now called " Europe Tomorrow ") has been giving for years past under the devoted guidance of Mr. Rennie Smith ; and also that he asks for better " team work " between the groups and departments that are working on the fringe of true propaganda.

I say " the fringe " because true propaganda must always express and foreshadow policy. One fault in Mr. McKenzie's book is that it fails to insist on this principle. It does, how- ever, touch upon it indirectly towards the end in the following passage:

In early December (1939) I have an uneasy feeling that, both in Britain and France, there is a growing tendency to call off the war before it has really started (except for Poland and Finland). This is what Hitler wants. Envisage the position the Allies would be in, if Hitler conceivably should say to the democracies :

" I intend to withdraw from Bohemia, Moravia, and Poland, at least that part of Poland which I now occupy. This is what you said you want. So, let's get together and prevent any further military action developing."

I believe this would be an embarrassing and dangerous situation. Undoubtedly there would be wide public clamour for peace. Even the Governments of the Allies might be willing to discuss peace. But, at what price?

The aggressive intentions of the Nazis would not have been moderated. The slave ideology that is Hitlerism would still exist. The world would have to keep up its frightful insurance in arma- ments. There would be no security for the smaller nations. The war of nerves would not be lessened. We should be making the " fearful sacrifices " that Sir John Simon calls attention to, without improvement in sight.

Until we have a policy to meet and to overcome this " embarrassing and dangerous situation " I doubt whether

Allied propaganda will be able to wrest from Dr. Goebbels the initiative which is as important on the political and moral