WORLD-WIDE PUBLICITY FOR THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—It has been suggested that a large sum of money should be spent in advertising the League of Nations, but surely the Press does not require to be paid for giving publicity to the work of such a beneficent institution ?
Our morning papers contain pages of information sent to them, or collected by them, and presumably published free, of much less importance, in which the readers are interested. Why, then, should the Press be offered money to publish information by way of advertisement of the beneficent work of the League of Nations, putting it on a level with patent medicines, &c. ? The League's aim is to make war impossible, and the publication of its activities, as daily information, is of more importance to the people than the " Court Circular," " Sport," or Stock Exchange quotations. Its operations are participated in by the leading statesmen and the greatest jurists in the world, who are agreed that the prevention of war is the greatest subject on which they are engaged.
In regard to propaganda, we have something to learn from the Soviet Government of Russia, who have a powerful bureau for spreading their pernieicw.s teaching over the world, with results so successful and so terrible as to leave our statesmen astonished and bewildered. Truth and honesty and the welfare of mankind have no part in their work, which is the direct opposite of the League of Nations. Why is the spreading of' evil so successful ? The answer is because of the overwhelming and tireless propaganda.
Instead of spending a huge sum in advertising, let a powerful bureau be established in Geneva, as a part of the permanent machinery of the League, whose sole and constant work would be to spread light and peace over the world, in contrast with the Soviet Bureau, engaged in spreading darkness and war. Let this bureau issue a daily report to the Press of what the League Committees, Departments and Courts arc doing each day, and let our Government request the Press to publish the information, and surely the Press would respond to such a lofty appeal. The public would be glad to know and would read with keen satisfaction, and even astonishment, the news . of the daily activities of the League, and of the magnitude of its achievements.—I am, Sir, &e., A NEWSPAPER READER.
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