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Radio: The Strategy of Terror

1 minute read
TIME

In radio’s war of nations one of the neatest recent successes was scored by Britain’s All-India Radio in Delhi, in its hammer-&-tongs propaganda war with Siam. Credit goes chiefly to a group of young Siamese scripters, attached to the British Ministry of Information in Delhi. They really know where Siam’s political nerves lie, have seldom missed a chance to needle Siam’s little puppet dictator Luang Pitul Songgram.

Recently Dictator Pitul ordered that all Siam must rise at 8 a.m., stand at attention while radios blared the national anthem. To rouse lie-abeds, factory whistles blew, army & navy guns roared, temple bells clanged.

In high spirits Delhi Siamese broadcasters beamed this question to their countrymen: What would happen if you happened to be in the privy when Pitul’s morning broadcast began? Several days later Radio Bangkok solemnly took up the challenge. In a nationwide broadcast, Siamese were told that in such an emergency they might simply sit up straight.

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