| Show I The Coming Battle Baffle of Germany Our Will Strength Totally Used Would End War By WILLIAM WILLIAl B. B ZIFF Psychological Warfare It must now be recognized by military scientists that the waging waging waging wag wag- ing of modern war on a total basis involves simultaneous action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion on a number of different levels This is not only a war of machines and supply lines but also a war of ideas and when the history of our times is finally written It may be proven that the most Important auxiliary to the big bomber was not the panzer division but those ghostly ghost ghost- ly elements which wage war for possession of the human mind This unique combat column whose ammunition is words and whose net is a skillful entanglement entanglement entanglement entangle entangle- ment of ideas goes generally under the name of psychological warfare The question is not whether our military leaders should recognize it but it-but but whether they dare ignore it On the record record record rec rec- ord alone there are often times when psychological warfare is the most potent weapon in the entire arsenal of Mars Military propaganda like any other task force should be re related related related re- re to a timed objective which is part of the master plan of operation It is as much a part of tactics as the big howitzers the aircraft carriers or our fleets of bombers Every military advance should be preceded and accompanied by a barrage of propaganda aimed at disrupting the enemy and undermining his faith in his cause and the strength and honor of his leaders Any activity activity activity ac ac- ac- ac which tends to promote fear disunity hysteria and disintegration disintegration dis dis- dis- dis integration or leads to dissatisfaction dissatisfaction dissatisfaction faction and revolt is a desirable one Program for Shattering Morale The German authorities have through every means Impressed on the German people that they belong to a superior race that they are utterly invincible The reality will come as a tremendous tremendous tremendous dous shock when literal hell Is bombed out of them The contrast contrast contrast con con- between fact and fiction is isa isa isa a psychological maze in which the German morale must lose its way and collapse Every aerial attack should be accompanied accompanied accompanied by leaflets and preceded and followed by the blasts of radio voices reminding the Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans of their crimes and holding out the absolute certainty of punishment It should be easy to destroy the faith of the German mass massIn massin massin In the omniscience of its leaders The continuous Hitler assurances assurances assurances assur assur- ances of final victory to come next month or next year are ample evidence of the apprehension sion sian held by the German rulers on the morale front There are reports of hysteria of tremendous tremendous tremendous dous public weariness and of enormous fear among the German German German Ger Ger- man population The only thing which holds the reich together today Is the expectation of final victory When the Germans have been caused to believe that their expectation of triumph is isa isa isa a vain one the beginning of the end will be in sight War ar of Ideas In conjunction with our air and sea attacks on Nippon also we can use psychological warfare warfare warfare war war- fare with deadly effect Despite Despite De De- spite the feudal circumstances under which Japan is governed the veneration of the emperors emperor's household and the enormous patriotism patriotism patriotism pa pa- which verges on the fanatic Japan Is far from impregnable impregnable impregnable im im- im- im pregnable to a avar war var of ideas By Byan Byan Byan an ably handled effort it can be put on the defensive and gradually gradually gradually ally disintegrated from within It should not be forgotten that Chinese live and grumble rumble on strategic Formosa Here is the nucleus for a power power- ful fifth column Korea too still retains its historical enmity for the conqueror In Man- Man the rule of the Japanese bureaucrat and soldier has re resulted resulted resulted re- re in many irritations This area is ripe for insurrection The Japanese cannot avoid knowing what the result must be If and when the two great axis partners face each other across the boundaries of central Asia Their conflicting ambitions ambitions ambitions ambi ambi- can be played on now and the natural suspicion with which they regard each other can be exploited for all it Is worth We cannot begin too early in inan inan inan an effort aimed at splitting Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many from her allies The vanous various various vari van ous nations in the axis are known to fear and detest each other The disorganization the disillusionment and the unhappiness unhappiness of fascist Italy of Hungary Hungary Hun Hun- gary Rumania and the other satellites of the Geerman reich should all be patiently and systematically systematically systematically nurtured Inciting Conquered Peoples All Europe is a hotbed In which fear and animal weariness vie with hatred and the desire for violence At the very first hint of German defeat says Harsch the subject populations would rise in a fury and not one of these Germans who are living off their backs would remain alive The whole continent is ripe for propaganda direction that can be told by radio by word of mouth and any anyone one of the numerous numerous numerous nu nu- nu- nu ways which the complex art of psychological warfare has developed Sabotage insurrection insurrection insurrection tion and assassination are today merely spontaneous actions on the part of individuals of small groups of men or the larger guerilla armies which operate behind the German lines in Serbia Serbia Serbia Ser Ser- bia Poland Russia and Greece None of these men have any cohesive cohesive cohesive co co- co- co direction It is possible to lead and direct this huge spontaneous movement movement move move- ment which rises out of the in instincts instincts instincts in- in and hatreds of the dispossessed dis dis- dis- dis possessed Agents may be landed among these people by parachute and they will be harbored harbored har bar bored and protected Whatever means we devise must at least be related to the military scheme scheme scheme-it it cannot be concerned with mere garrulous I platitudes What for example must be the reaction of those rebellious bitt bitter r men who are putting up a l last ditch guerilla fight in the hills and forests of Poland Greece and Yugoslavia when they read a document like the Atlantic Charter Can a man who has been tortured tor tor- tor tuned whose home has been burned over his head whose women have been degraded and who has passed through the hell hll of German sadism and cruelty be ennobled by the promise to secure for the German aggressor guarantees against territorial changes and access on equal terms to the trade and to the raw materials of the world which are needed for their economic economic eco ceo prosperity after the war waris waris waris is over Hard Bitter Talk What these ruined people want Is hard bitter talk related exactly exactly ex ex- to their own problems They want to be told exactly What to do These exhortations to democracy and morality are very nice but they do not fit in with the major problem which is that of winning a war What possible effect can the Atlantic Charter Chanter have on the nazi German himself 7 Is he not given every assurance which good morale demands Whatever Whatever Whatever What What- ever folly of appeasement the traditional sentimentality of the great speaking English-speaking nations may lead us into after the war it is psychologically unsound to offer it now The first rule of war is to destroy destroy destroy de de- de- de stroy the enemy not enemy not give him hope hope and and any instrument which assists in that design is useful If we do not take an aggressive shrewd cold stand on this question question question ques ques- tion we will find ind ourselves in full retreat on on the psychological front because the Germans and t. t the e Japanese have long since built their positions for an attack attack attack at at- tack in force on exactly this line In our country and indeed in the united nations generally with the exception of a few halfhearted halfhearted halfhearted half half- hearted efforts which have neither continuity nor power no real attempt is made along this line All of these minor efforts could easily be discarded in favor of a gigantic bureau of psychological psychological psychological psycho psycho- logical warfare directly associated associated asso asso- elated with the planned air off offensive of of- f American psychologists sociologists sociologists soci sociologists soci- soci and other thinkers have I led the world If these men were inducted into the American American Amer- Amer Amen Amer ican lean war machine it would have havea a tremendous effect In shortening shortening shortening shorten shorten- ing the period of the war and in guaranteeing that victory we seek They do not require any Involved apparatus All they need is a room with a table and some chairs pencils and some paper Total Mobilization for Victory If we can fashion our entire nation into one total war mak ing apparatus we could then bring this struggle to an end within the smallest possible compass of time Nothing could withstand the crushing weight of our will and of our Industrial strength totally applied The decisive ferocity of onslaught onslaught onslaught on on- slaught by which we would claim our triumph would be as nothing compared with the rivers of blood which will run nun run and mountains mountains mountains moun moun- of commodities which will willbe willbe willbe be consumed if this war goes on interminably as a slow agony of outrage and corrosion But to accomplish this result result to to get getaway getaway getaway away from our softness and individual individual in individual in- in self-seeking self is not easy It requires a strong hand and a hard leadership Like a soldier in the field a nation in war must be toughened up not pampered It must be told bluntly that victory will not be easy and that every man man woman and child must pay for It The American people are beginning beginning beginning be be- ginning to understand this and to realize how short our time really is The restlessness proceeding proceeding proceeding pro pro- from this slowly dawning dawning dawning dawn dawn- ing realization is apparent wherever wherever wherever ever one turns and wherever men speak out They want action and are prepared to make whatever whatever whatever what what- ever sacrifices it calls for If we require an incentive as we gird ourselves for battle we might keep before our eyes the drawn gray face of that great American artillery officer Eddie King marching solemnly down downa a hot dusty Bataan road a white flag clutched in his hands Or the terrible fate of the European European European Euro Euro- women who fell into the hands of the Japanese with the capitulation of Hong Kong We could gaze with benefit at the deliberate plundering of all Europe Europe Europe Eu Eu- rope by the nazi at the brutality cruelty debauchery debauchery de de- de- de and degradation which have followed the tr trail il of the hooked cross wherever its standards standards standards stand stand- ards have rested We cannot risk this dreadful picture assuming reality on our own shores We must make up our minds to It there will be no peace until the the- power of Berlin and Tokyo has been utterly an an- If we strike now placing our last ounce of skill determination and resource into that crowning tribute to American combat genius the invincible armada of ot the air Hitler must fall and drag with him the island citadels of the mikado On that day the lazy circling of painted olive-painted American wings over the black smoldering cities of the nazi reich and of Nippon will proclaim a final end to the mad and lustful bid for power by these outlaw states Copyright 1942 by William WilliamB B B. Ziff published by Duell Sloan and Pearce distributed by United Feature Syndicate Inc The End |
