316
PARTISAN REVIEW
interim period when they are controlled by journalists rather than adver–
tisers, which is all to the good for the short time it will last.
As to accuracy of news, I believe this is the most truthful war that has
been fought in modern times. Of course one only sees enemy newspapers
very rarely, but in our own papers there is certainly nothing to compare
with the frightful lies that were told on both sides in 1914-18 or in the
Spanish civil war. I believe that the radio, especially in countries where
listening-in to foreign broadcasts is not forbidden, is making large-scale
lying more and more difficult. The Germans have now sunk the British
navy several times over in their published pronouncements, but don't
otherwise seem to have lied much about major events. When things are
going badly our own government lies in a rather stupid way,
wi~hholding
information and being vaguely optimistic, but generally has to come out
with the truth within a few days. I have it on very good authority that
reports of air-battles, etc., issued by the Air Ministry are substantially
truthful, though of course favourably coloured. As to the other two fight–
ing services I can't speak. I doubt whether labour troubles are really
fully reported. News of a large-scale strike would probably never be
suppressed, but I think you can take it that there
is
a strong tendency to
pipe down on labour frictic:m, and also on the discontent caused by billet·
ing, evacuation, separation allowances for soldiers' wives, etc., etc. De·
bates in Parliament are probably not misrepresented in the press, ·hut with
a House full of deadheads they are growing less and less interesting and
only about four newspapers now give them prominence.
Propaganda enters into our lives more than it did a year ago, but
not so grossly as it might. The flag-waving and Hun-hating is absolutely
nothing to what it was in 1914-18, but it is growing. I think the majority
opinion would now be that we are fighting the German people and not
merely the Nazis. Vansittart's hate-Germany pamphlet,
Black Record,
sold like hot cakes. It is idle to pretend that this is simply something
peculiar to the bourgeoisie. There have been very ugly manifestations of
it among the common people. Still, as wars go, there has been remark·
ably little hatred so far, at any rate in this country. Nor is "anti-fascism,"
of the kind that was fashionable during the Popular Front period, a strong
force yet. The English people have never caught up with that. Their war
morale depends more on old-fashioned patriotism, unwillingness to be
governed ·by foreigners, and simple inability to grasp when they are in
danger.
I believe that the B.B.C., in spite of the stupidity of its foreign
propaganda and the unbearable voices of its announcers, is very truthful.
It is generally regarded here as more reliable than the press. The movies
seem almost unaffected by the war, i.e.,
in
technique and subject-matter.
They go on and on with the same treacly rubbish, and when they do touch
on politics they are years behind the popular press and decades behind
the average book.
2.
Is there any serious writing being done? Is there any anti-war