NEWS

Unquestionably a Nurse Cavell or Captain Fryatt episode which could he made in world topic would help enormously. No opportunity must be lost of finding one.

But German retaliation must be borne in mind.

Meantime, anniversaries of the above, and every other way of reminding people that Germany in spite of all her past brutality was beaten before, should be capitalised.

Special arrangements should be made to see that every item of “anger-making” news that has a special application is splashed instantly in that direction, If Germans kill a Catholic priest in France there should be special arrangements to see that the Catholic Press knows it instantly and in full detail - apart from the general distribution.

By contrast with the cowardice and treachery of the Germans we could well play up our own heroes a great deal more. There have undoubtedly been remarkably brave exploits by numbers of all the fighting services, nurses, civilians, etc., and these should be far more emphasised giving the utmost detail possible, stressing the point that they are all very ordinary people who when faced with a call have not been found wanting.

A recent example of amazing self-sacrifice was when three Norwegian bus drivers, ordered to convey 180 Germans, drove their lorries deliberately over a precipice. This got remarkably little space in the London Press.

What causes the greatest anger is unquestionably the graphic “human” detail that makes a story of war suffering real to every reader, “180,000 men lost” leaves a less marked impression than the story of the 80-year old French grandmother cowering in the hedge with her little grandson who is machine-gunned in her arms. If the airmen who did it is five minutes later sent blazing to earth by a British fighter the story is complete.

But it is also realised that the degree to which “horrifying” material can be used depends on the urgency with which it might be necessary to use it later, since it quickly palls and needs to be issued sparingly.

It would certainly be wrong to take up an arbitrary stand against the use of atrocity material either on the grounds that it is not believed or not effective since neither statement is true. Nor does enemy retaliation matter on the home front. The principal objection is that it arouses as much fear as anger unless done very carefully. Nevertheless it is the “strong meat” of anger provocation material and the effect of the Bryce Report in the last war should never be forgotten.

If such data is ever to be used however, it should be done before a German landing here is certain. It would be dangerous afterwards except in the direst extremity.

There are, however, meantime, many kinds of anger-arousing stories - such as insults to Britain and threats about the future, etc, - and the small expert committee should seize instantly on them and get them played up strongly.