Falsehood in War-time: Propaganda Lies of the First World War

The object of this volume is not to cast fresh blame on authorities and
individuals, nor is it to expose one nation more than another to
accusations of deceit. Falsehood is a recognized and extremely useful
weapon in warfare, and every country uses it quite deliberately to
deceive its own people, to attract neutrals, and to mislead the enemy.
The ignorant and innocent masses in each country are unaware at the time
that they are being misled, and when it is all over only here and there
are the falsehoods discovered and exposed. As it is all past history and
the desired effect has been produced by the stories and statements, no
one troubles to investigate the facts and establish the truth.

Lying, as we all know, does not take place only in war-time. Man, it has
been said, is not "a veridical animal," but his habit of lying is not
nearly so extraordinary as his amazing readiness to believe. It is,
indeed, because of human credulity that lies flourish. But in war-time
the authoritative organization of lying is not sufficiently recognized.
The deception of whole peoples is not a matter which can be lightly
regarded.

A useful purpose can therefore be served in the interval of so-called
peace by a warning which people can examine with dispassionate calm,
that the authorities in each country do, and indeed must, resort to this
practice in order, first, to justify themselves by depicting the enemy
as an undiluted criminal; and secondly, to inflame popular passion
sufficiently to secure recruits for the continuance of the struggle.
They cannot afford to tell the truth. In some cases it must be admitted
that at the moment they do not know what the truth is.

The psychological factor in war is just as important as the military
factor. The _morale_ of civilians, as well as of soldiers, must be kept up
to the mark. The War Offices, Admiralties, and Air Ministries look after
the military side. Departments have to be created to see to the
psychological side. People must never be allowed to become despondent;
so victories must be exaggerated and defeats, if not concealed, at any
rate minimized, and the stimulus of indignation, horror, and hatred must
be assiduously and continuously pumped into the public mind by means of
"propaganda."

As Mr. Bonar Law said in an interview to the United Press of America,
referring to patriotism, "It is well to have it properly stirred by
German frightfulness"; and a sort of general confirmation of atrocities
is given by vague phrases which avoid responsibility for the
authenticity of any particular story, as when Mr. Asquith said (_House of
Commons, April 27, 1915_): "We shall not forget this horrible record of
calculated cruelty and crime."

The use of the weapon of falsehood is more necessary in a country where
military conscription is not the law of the land than in countries where
the manhood of the nation is automatically drafted into the Army, Navy,
or Air Service. The public can be worked up emotionally by sham ideals.
A sort of collective hysteria spreads and rises until finally it gets
the better of sober people and reputable newspapers.

With a warning before them, the common people may be more on their guard
when the war cloud next appears on the horizon and less disposed to
accept as truth the rumours, explanations, and pronouncements issued for
their consumption. They should realize that a Government which has
decided on embarking on the hazardous and terrible enterprise of war
must at the outset present a one-sided case in justification of its
action, and cannot afford to admit in any particular whatever the
smallest degree of right or reason on the part of the people it has made
up its mind to fight. Facts must be distorted, relevant circumstances
concealed and a picture presented which by its crude colouring will
persuade the ignorant people that their Government is blameless, their
cause is righteous, and that the indisputable wickedness of the enemy
has been proved beyond question. A moment's reflection would tell any
reasonable person that such obvious bias cannot possibly represent the
truth. But the moment's reflection is not allowed; lies are circulated
with great rapidity. The unthinking mass accept them and by their
excitement sway the rest. The amount of rubbish and humbug that pass
under the name of patriotism in war-time in all countries is sufficient
to make decent people blush when they are subsequently disillusioned.