Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/0v838057k
Princeton Listening Center Records, 1939-1941: Finding Aid
AC015
Princeton University Shield
65 Olden Street
Princeton, New Jersey 08540 USA
Phone: 609-258-6345
Fax: 609-258-3385
mudd@princeton.edu
http://www.princeton.edu/~mudd
Published in 1998
©2006 Princeton University Library
Summary Information
- Creator:
- Princeton University. Princeton Listening Center.
- Title and dates:
- Princeton Listening Center Records, 1939-1941
- Abstract:
- The Records of the Princeton Listening Center (1939-1941) consist of transcripts of Axis and Allied propaganda broadcasts monitored by the Listening Center staff from November 1939 through May 1941 until the operations of the Center were taken over by the Federal Communications Commission of the United States government. Also included are subject and research files of the organization, as well as reports published by the members.
- Size:
- 9.55 linear feet (23 boxes)
- Call number:
- AC015
- Location:
- Princeton University Library. Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
Princeton University Archives.
Princeton, New Jersey 08540 USA - Language(s) of material:
- English. A small amount of materials are in Spanish and Portuguese.
- Storage note:
- This collection is stored onsite at the Mudd Manuscript Library.
History of the Princeton Listening Center
The Princeton Listening Center at Princeton University was conceptualized by Princeton Professor John B. Whitton, director of the Geneva Research Center, as an outgrowth of his interest in the increasing use of the radio as a weapon of propaganda, especially as used by the Nazis. At the end of 1938, the School of Public and International Affairs of Princeton University appointed a committee to formulate plans for a continuing study of short wave propaganda. The committee was administered by Harold N. Graves, Jr. and consisted of several Princeton University professors: John B. Whitton, Hadley Cantril, William S. Carpenter, and Harwood L. Childs, as well as Professor O.W. Riegel of Washington and Lee University; and Mr. Brunson S. McCutchen, an engineer. The project was financed by the Rockefeller Foundation, and its quarters were established in a house on Alexander Street. The Princeton Listening Center became the pioneer in systematic monitoring: its role was to monitor, transcribe, translate, and analyze shortwave propaganda broadcast from Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, and to some extent, Moscow.
The project was initiated as an experiment in November, 1939. The Princeton Listening Center rapidly expanded and continued its work successfully until June, 1941. By this time, the Federal Communications Commission had developed a strong interest in the project since propaganda was now playing a more significant role in the War.
During the Princeton Listening Center's operations the staff recorded the following types of broadcasts from England, Germany, France, Italy, the U.S.S.R., Japan, the Netherlands, and Hungary: news bulletins, weekly topical talks, radio news reels, features and dramatizations. Every broadcast aired was not recorded; only a representative sample from which the Princeton Listening Center staff studied different aspects of propaganda from the various countries. Aspects studied included the way in which propaganda varied between countries, as well as from one show to another within the same country. Also examined was the way in which specific incidents were reported, atrocity references, attitudes toward various countries, and the way this propaganda affected U.S. listeners.
After the FCC took over the work of the Listening Center, the staff gathered all their information together and published a book called: Propaganda by Short Wave, edited by Harwood L. Childs and John B. Whitton with the Princeton University Press, in 1942 in which they examined the different countries' use and response to radio propaganda.
Description
The Records of the Princeton Listening Center consist of transcripts of Axis and Allied propaganda broadcasts monitored by the Listening Center staff from November 1939 through May 1941 until the operations of the Center were taken over by the Federal Communications Commission of the United States government. Also included are subject and research files of the organization, as well as reports published by the members.
Arrangement
Organized into the following series:
Access and Use
Access
Collection is open for research use.
Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the University Archivist. Copyright is held by the Trustees of Princeton University.
Other Finding Aid(s)
A database for this collection is available for researchers to search by date, station, location, type of program, title, language and announcer name. For more information, please speak with a reference archivist.
Processing and Other Information
Descriptive Rules Used
Finding aid content adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard.
Encoding
Machine-readable finding aid encoded in EAD 2002 by Techbooks and Cristela García-Spitz on December 29, 2006.
Finding aid written in English.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Princeton Listening Center Records, Box and Folder Number; University Archives, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.
Subject Headings
These materials have been indexed in the Princeton University Library online catalog using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.
- Princeton University. School of Public Affairs.
- World War, 1939-1945.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Radio broadcasting and the war.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Propaganda.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Atrocities.
- Transcripts.
- Whitton, John Boardman, 1892-
Browse other finding aids related to the following terms:
Contents List
Series 1: Transcripts
Series Description
Series 1: Transcripts, consists of typescripts for broadcasts coming from London, Germany, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Tokyo, Hilversum (the Netherlands), and Budapest. Most of these transcripts have been translated into English (except for a few which remain in Spanish or in Portuguese), though many of them were initially broadcast in a language other than English.
More time was devoted to news than to any other program. As a supplement, each country created a certain number of topical talks and features to clarify points stated in the news programs. Topics and features for each country are described below.
The BBC broadcasts to North America can be divided into two phases: a pre-Dunkerque and a post-Dunkerque phase. The pre-Dunkerque phase was characterized as lethargic, often dull, and not always up-to-date. After the Battle of Flanders, the British were more concerned about satisfying their American audiences, and began to increase their feature talks. Broadcasts during this post-Dunkerque phase consisted of nine talks and special features, each of them lasting about fifteen minutes, and broadcast every week. Because the British were afraid their programs would become too monotonous if regularly given by a single speaker, they adopted devices such as having two speakers in a question-and-answer form, or included interviews with British soldiers, or even added sound effects such as music and planes taking off. A peculiarity of British broadcasts was that they appeared to be directed towards a narrow audience of a high intellectual level. However, this appeal to such a small circle did not undermine their efficiency; rather the broadcasts reached a large number and wide range of people.
Very few programs were hosted by the same speaker throughout the weeks. Apart from “Britain Speaks,” on which J.B. Priestly was usually the speaker and “World Affairs” which Wickham Steed hosted, most programs changed constantly. A list of programs with a short description is presented below:
“The Empire at War”, a review of Great Britain's war efforts.
“Cards on the Table.” a question-and-answer program discussing current events. They often had expert guest speakers.
“This Freedom” was another question-and-answer program discussing various aspects of individual liberty in Britain.
“Matters of Moment” was a program in which various aspects of current events of the war were discussed.
“Vive la France” acquainted people with the French way of life, as well as with French views and actions concerning the war.
“World Affairs” was a summary of the week's news, given by Wickham Steed, who was one of the only British commentators to frequently refer to the United States.
“Britain Speaks” was a series of feature talks addressed more specifically to an American audience. It soon developed into a daily affair with guest speakers such as distinguished authors, artists, journalists and scholars. Its most frequent commentator was J.B. Priestley, a much admired author and playwright. Vernon Bartlett and Wickham Steed were two other speakers.
“Radio News Reel” was a dramatization of the war in sound, with eyewitness accounts, sound effects, and simulated on-the-spot broadcasting.
Germany (mostly from Berlin): The German topical talks and features served the same purpose as the British programs: to strengthen and support the news items. Their broadcasts to America were basically aimed at dividing the Allied powers, and trying to show that the war involved strictly European interests. They initially attempted to discourage America from entering the war by condemning the British and showing that they were not worthy of defence, and put the blame for starting the war on England. As opposed to the BBC, German broadcasts were directed towards the masses and were very forceful, since it was believed that the masses were impressed by strength. German slogans were simplistic, repetitious, and often appealed to emotions. Entertainment was an important factor of the German radio and constituted 70% of the total schedule; music was often played to relax the listener's mind before going on with the 'heavier' talk.
Berlin broadcast 45 talks a week, generally very short ones which lasted no more than seven or eight minutes. A description of a few of them follows:
“British Disregard for American Neutral Rights” was the primary example of the German attempt to disaffect the United States from the Allied cause. The program presented an historical survey of British and American feeling relations beginning in 1784 and continuing to the two countries' diplomatic tangles during the Second World War.
“A Thousand Years of German History” was a review of the unification of German states since the Holy Roman Empire. Commentators on this program frequently referred unfavourably to the British control of the seas. This program alternated weekly with “A Thousand Years of German Literature”.
“America and the Americans in the World” consisted of biographies of American heroes such as Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Jackson.
“The United States and Germany, Past, Present and Future” was another biographical program concentrating on Americans of German ancestry.
“Germany as I See it” was a series of talks by Americans in Germany discussing the living conditions and civilian morale.
“Jimmy and Johnny” was a dialogue between two Berlin announcers who took the part of Canadians in Canada. Both believe that Canada should not be in the war since it was not invaded, and they are convinced that Germany will win the war. They presented skits that proved to be quite humourous at times.
“Dear Harry” was a series of fictional letters read by Fred W. Kaltenbach from Iowa. The main point of these letters was to ridicule British claims of war successes.
“Good Neighbors” was a short talk concerning the friendly relationship that had been experienced by America and Canada for many years. This talk was used by the Germans to indirectly blame England for bringing the war so close to the United States because of its link with Canada.
“Schmidt and Smith” was a series of comic dialogues between a German and an Englishman who met in a Swiss Hotel and discussed the flaws of the British System. Lord Haw-Haw, (a.k.a. William Joyce) played the part of the Englishman, while Schmidt was played by one of his colleagues.
Paris-Mondial: At first, Paris-Mondial's broadcasts differed from the German or the British ones in that they were predominantly of a cultural or educational nature. Nevertheless, their programs changed considerably after April, 1940 following the change in the Ministry of Information: Reynaud succeeded Daladier as the President of the Council and the radio broadcasting services were reorganized. The programs became less intellectual and more to the point. Time was added to the news and commentaries, and they were better organized. Some of the main features and topical talks are described below:
“20 Aspects of the French Spirit” consisted of an analysis of the French way of thinking, with references to literature, often quoting famous French authors such as Flaubert, Zola, and Balzac.
“German Propaganda” was an observation of the German use of propaganda, pointing out their amplifications of unfortunate events for the Allies, and the camouflage of German defeats.
“Message from Paris” was another example of the condemnation of German propaganda, with comments such as “...it is expected that the German News Agency will not fail to fill the air with false news and dishonest theories...”
Rome: Radio Rome had a very important role in international politics during the war. Up until March, 1940, its aim was to mislead the allies into believing that Italy would take a democratic side. After April, the Italian Radio intended to convey the impression that Italy would intervene at any moment, thereby distracting the Allies. Italian broadcasts were aimed at Britain, and attempted to create a sense of disunity by questioning the competence of British leaders and by condemning their political ideals.
Although a great part of the Italian broadcasts consisted of news with occasional commentaries, there were some interesting talks which promoted propaganda. Several talks covered the topics of liberty, democracy, or freedom. The Italian point of view in such talks was to condemn the British for believing that democracy and liberalism were synonymous. Their main point was to criticize Churchill and Britain's political situation since the 1920's, stating that Mussolini progressed with his Fascist regime. In conclusion to these talks about democracy, the Italian commentator inquired: “What has democracy ever done for you?” Other programs included:
“Britain the Pawnbroker” was an attack on the British banking system, with several talks discussing financial economics.
“Lies” was a talk in which the Italians point out and condemn all the lies that Britain broadcast to maintain the people's morale.
The Italians claimed that the British lied consistently about the extent of damage caused by German attacks, and also invented or exaggerated problems within Italy. As well as their criticism towards the British, the Rome broadcasters were sharp on their attack of the United States, sharper, it would seem, than the German commentators. Most of the attacks were centered on the President and his policy, as well as the United States' relations with South America, and their meddling in Yugoslavia.
Broadcasts from Moscow, Tokyo, Hilversum, and Budapest, are very limited in number, and consist exclusively of news reports.
London (GSC, GSD, GSP, GSL, GSG), 1930 Nov-1941 May
Box 1-8 Germany (DJD, DJC, DXB, DJN), 1939 Nov 29-1941 May 28
Box 9-15 Germany (in Spanish), 1941 Jan 8-1941 Feb 3
Box 15 Paris (TPB11 Paris Mondial, TPC, TPC-5, TPC-8, TPC-13, 9.68mc, 9.52), 1939 Nov 29-1940 Jun 18
Box 16 Rome (2R03, 2R04, 2R06,2R018), 1939 Nov 30-1941 May 28
Box 16-19 Rome (in Spanish), 1941 Jan 14-1941 Jan 31
Box 19 Rome (in Portuguese), 1941 Jan 22
Box 19 Moscow, 1940 Feb 11-1940 Nov 20
Box 19 Tokyo, 1940 Nov 20
Box 19 Hilversum (The Netherlands), 1940 May 10-1941 Jan 25
Box 19 Budapest, 1941 May 15
Box 19 Series 2: Subject Files
Series Description
Subject Files, contain the research notes and subject files of the Princeton Listening Center. Some of the reports are duplicates of broadcasts, but are arranged thematically, making it easier to analyze a particular type of broadcast or a particular event during the war. The files are arranged in alphabetical order by topic, and chronologically within each folder, and are broken down into seven subseries: the Altmark research files, which contain transcripts with marginal notes of broadcasts relating to the Altmark incident in February 1940; files with Atrocity References from Berlin, London, Paris, Rome and Moscow; files relating specifically to Germany; files relating specifically to Great Britain; an Index of Special Features compile by Princeton Listening Center staff; files of Quotations; and Summaries of Special Programs.
Altmark
Box 19 Berlin, 1940 Feb 15-27 Feb
(2 folders)
Box 19 London, Rome and Paris, 1940 Feb 17-25 Feb
Box 19 Atrocity References
Box 19 Berlin, 1939 Dec 4-1940 Jun 30
Box 19 London, 1939 Dec 2-1940 May 30
Box 19 Paris, Rome and Moscow, 1939 Dec-1940 May
Box 19 Germany Broadcasts (Excerpts), 1940 Jun 23-1940 Sep 26
(2 folders)
Box 19 Broadcasts in French (notes)
Box 19 A German Image of Great Britain
Box 19 Kaltenbach: Letters to Iowa, 1940 Jan-1940 Jun
Box 19 Lord Haw Haw (excerpts)
Box 19 Propaganda Handbooks (excerpts)
Box 19 Special Berlin Features, 1939 Dec
Box 19 Great Britain
Box 19 Breakdown and Analysis of BBC Broadcasts in German, 1939 Dec-1940 Jan
Box 19 Broadcasts to the United States, 1940 Jun-1940 Sep
Box 19 Classified Items from British Broadcasts, 1939 Dec 4-1940 Mar 16
Box 19 Index of Special Features, 1939 Dec-1940 Sep
Box 19 Quotations
Box 19 Index, undated
Box 19 Notes, 1 May-15 Jun
Box 19 Selected, undated
Box 19 Summaries of Special Programs, undated
Box 19 Series 3: Audio Tapes
Miscellaneous audio tapes
Box 20-23
Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/0v838057k