an interesting difference was observed. The USSR emphasized Babies and Children ("Children Get Special Vacation Care") while America Illustrated stressed Adults ("Everybody Bowls"). Perhaps the Russians are well aware of the dominant place children in America occupy.

Differences

The differences in subject content were, however, more striking than similarities. The Russians made great use of material in categories of Sports and Geography, which, in comparison, the American publication did not. It was apparent from magazine content that the Russians believe Americans have slight knowledge of the Soviet Union. USSR set out to educate the reader on this subject. It also was evident that American interest in sports is not wasted on the Russians. There were 43 sports items in the first 12 issues of USSR. In contrast, the American publication used 17 such items.

The Americans, in their publication, placed greater emphasis on Agriculture and Living Standards than did the Russians. Particular stress was placed on Agriculture: "Farm Wife of Today"; "Life on the Farm"; "Young Cattlemen"; "Farm Girls' Fashions," to cite a few. Living Standards also was a more frequent subject in America Illustrated. But in this category the American publication attempted to make its point gently and without angering the Russian reader or making him incredul

ous.

Theme Content

Aside from a single category-Social Relations-there were distinct differences in theme content of the two magazines. (See table 2). The Russian publication emphasized increasing prosperity ("Amateur Movie Makers"), extensive social care ("All Kinds of Summer Vacations") and the longing for peace ("An Arms Plant Converts for Peace"). This was done with a dominance of themes in the categories of Economic Development, Government and International Relations.

Thirty-six of the 45 mentions of economic themes concerned progress in elevating living standards and expanding industrial output: new apartment developments and low cost housing are being made available; the country's industrial might is burgeoning; the stores are well-stocked; it's a busy but happy life. USSR seemed to have borrowed a somewhat reconstituted but easily recognized image of the United States.

In theme material concerning government, the picture of good care for the old and sick, payment of child-rearing costs and the development of a wide variety of other social welfare programs was heavily drawn: "School for Millions"; "The Right to Security"; "In Life's Sunset-an Old People's Home."

A secondary but prominent theme concerning government involved the democratic nature of Russian government: "American Judge Visits a Moscow Court-'I Would Have Passed the Same Sentence,' Says Judge

*Themes were consolidated into general areas of subject matter, such as Social Relations, and the theme appearing here under each subject heading is merely a representative specimen of each category. There were 45 individual themes.

William Clark of Princeton"; "The Soviet Parliament"; "How I Became a Legislator." Here the reader found that Russian government, particularly at the local level, is run most democratically-and many times by

women.

The Russian people were not pictured, however, as totally occupied by narrow national interests. There is a great popular longing for friendlier relations with other nations and a particular desire to increase contacts between the U.S.S.R. and the United States: "Foreign Visitors Are Welcome"; "We Are Willing to Trade with All Countries"; "The International Geophysical Year"; "Atoms for Peace."

In summation, the reader of USSR found the Russian people increasingly prosperous, well cared for, democratic and friendly to foreigners. America Illustrated took quite a different tack, centering on two areas not so heavily emphasized by the Russians: Human Resources and Culture. Great pride was exhibited in the large number of highly creative persons in this country who are allowed to pursue their own interests and thus achieve the highest development of their talents: "They Tread New Paths in Music-Contemporary American Composers Enjoy Great Popularity"; "Jan Peerce"; "Carl Sandburg"; "He's Changing the Face of the Earth-Robert G. Le Tourneau"; "Korczak Ziolkowski: Mountain Carver." This natural talent, coupled with an innate desire for adventure and challenge, was pictured as responsible for turning many Americans into world figures in science, industry and the arts.

Related to this picture of talent, enthusiasm and individual freedom. was a strong emphasis on the cultural life of Americans. Twenty of the 23 items in the theme category, Culture, contained the dominant thought that American music and art are developed to a high level, enjoyed by many of our citizens and much liked by citizens of other countries, namely Russians.

CONCLUSIONS

A content analysis of the first year's issues of the two propaganda magazines, USSR and America Illustrated, indicated a considerable difference in emphasis. A study of theme and topic content of articles showed that the general impact one receives in reading USSR is of a nation concerned with materialistic things: progress, consumer goods, job benefits, vacations. It does not seem an overstatement to say that one can see an obvious reflection of the United States in USSR content. It is a calculated effort to show that things Russian are much like things Ameri

can.

The over-all tone of America Illustrated, however, is not of materialism but of Kultur. Content reminds one of a symphony: allegro (we're talented); adagio (we're cultured); scherzo (we're free); allegro presto (we're enthusiastic). While the American magazine may discreetly advertise our high living standards, the major effort being made is to convince the Russian reader that we are a diverse people with many interests, including a keen taste for life's esthetic adventures.

Both magazines do a creditable job. Forgetting reality for a moment, the Soviet Union appears to be a jolly fine place in which to live-things are progressing so-and the United States shines as an oasis of artistic sensibilities.

One can scarcely guess at the effectiveness of the two magazines. Do reader interest and copy sales imply propaganda success? Does a gentlemanly, "non-propagandistic" approach sway readers? These remain most difficult, unanswered questions.

NOTES

1. Floyd G. Arpan, "American Tells Its Story Behind Iron Curtain in New 'Slick' Magazine," Quill, January 1957, pp. 9 ff.

2 Arpan in his article indicates a type of doublethink used by the America Illustrated staff when he writes “America Illustrated was to be nonpropagandistic... The staff was told to make the magazine 'the next best thing to a visit to the United States' and yet to avoid propaganda." Ibid., p.11.

"The Russian-Language Magazine 'Amerika,'" in A Psychological Warfare Casebook, William E. Daugherty and Morris Janowitz, eds. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1958), pp. 589-97.

* The author wishes to express his appreciation for the cooperation of the United States Information Agency in providing him with translations of the Russian next of America Illustrated.

⚫ Bernard Berelson, Content Analysis in Communication Research (Glencoe, Ill.; The Free Press, 1952), p. 138.

• A check on coder reliability was made by having all persons code a particular issue in

addition to other issues coded. Initial agreement on theme coding was approximately 85%; i.e., there were two or more coders in disagreement on 15% of the items. Discussion of disagreements reduced this to less than 1%. Initial agreement on subject coding, a simpler mater, was 95%.

PUPPET REGIME CLINGS TO PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE*

By the 7th PSYOP GROUP

Auditing adversary broadcasts can indicate the strengths and weaknesses of friendly PSYOP.

REPORT

The Cambodian Information Agency (AIC) (clandestine) in French to Southeast Asia and the Far East, on 2 May said that the traitorous clique of Lon Nol, in its last gasp of agony, is desperately clinging to its only remaining arm, psychological warfare.

AIC stated that the Phnom Penh regime hoped to reverse its desperate situation by pouring out a flood of slander and lies every day by trying to distort the truth by transforming political isolation into popularity, famine into abundance, corruption into honesty, fascism into nationalism, dictatorship into liberty, defeat into victory, and treason into patriotism. AIC compared this to a boomerang and to an imbecile who spat toward the sky, because in both cases that which is tossed out will return to the individual. AIC promised that the lies of the Phnom Penh clique would also return to it.

AIC stated that the propaganda uttered by the Republic of Khmer has become so voluminous and boisterous that the few remaining people outside the liberated areas no longer believe such lies.

Cut off and completely isolated from the masses, Cambodia's traitors do not know who they can trust, even among their associates. Specializing in treason themselves, they smell treason everywhere around them. AIC said high-ranking officials had been tried and shot, but these were the lucky ones because they received some publicity. Others had simply disappeared, not on the battlefield, but in broad daylight on the streets of the capital, never to be seen again. AIC insisted that an atmosphere of mistrust and terror existed in Phnom Penh and that many intellectuals had been arrested and shot for not aligning themselves with the puppet regime.

It is this lamentable situation that the political propaganda apparatus of the traitors tries to camouflage to the eyes of the public. AIC said the clique had built a shaky cardboard castle that masses will destroy. Defeated militarily, isolated politically, suffocated economically, and de

*Excerpts from "Communist Propaganda Highlights and Trends Analyses," Issue No. 18-71, 7 May 1971, pp. 18-30-18-31.

pressed psychologically, this regime of traitors sold itself to the U.S. imperialists and lives on borrowed time-this explains the confusion and discord in its ranks. No political propaganda, no matter how clever it may be, can deny this old proverb: "When the ship is wrecked, the rats jump into the sea."

COMMENT

Communist propagandists, such as the Chicom-controlled AIC, usually do not specifically mention what is considered by them to be enemy PSYOP. This indicates that AIC not only listens to what the Khmer Republic says but is concerned enough to call Khmer programs a pack of lies, conscious deceit, and other derogatory terms. Communist propaganda spends most of its time on Communist successes and is positive to the point of insanity-not realizing in Communist fervor that nothing ever has or ever will be as perfect as the Communists say Communism is. Evidently the Communists have been quite concerned about the effect these Khmer PSYOP programs are having on the people. The Communists must know that Khmer people are listening. Virulent counterpropaganda is usually a sort of "dying gasp," to use a Communist term. After all, the Communists say that success is everywhere, all is well, and getting better. But is it? AIC said there were only a few people remaining outside the "liberated areas" which is untrue in itself, but an effort to disguise the fact that in the "liberated areas," thousands upon thousands are dissatisfied. They are probably trying to listen to republic of Khmer PSYOP. They know that what the Communists say is not true where they live. These Cambodians also know that they, like other Cambodians, do not find North Vietnamese to be Cambodian liberators.

U.S. VULNERABILITIES AS PORTRAYED IN THE EAST GERMAN TELEVISION FILM, "PILOTS IN PAJAMAS"*

BY HARLEY O. PRESTON, JAMES L. MONROE, and ALDO L. RAFFA

Valuable information can be obtained from the careful analysis of the contents of the propaganda of rival communication activities. For example, while this report yielded only a few tentative conclusions, it did provide many inferences for U.S. policy and actions.

* * ** *

Pilots in Pajamas. filmed in a North Vietnamese prison by producers from the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and recently broadcasted over GDR television, .... is a sophisticated propaganda production that undoubtedly will be effective with many audiences. It follows the convincing format of a documentary film in which captured U.S. pilots are individually interviewed by an unseen but

*Excerpts from "U.S. Vulnerabilities As Portrayed in the East German Television Film, 'Pilots in Pajamas'," Preston and Associates, Inc., Washington, D. C.: A Technical Report to the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, 1968, AOSR 68-1623. Reprinted with the approval of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.