162.
SPECIAL PLANS. Unforeseen contingencies often call
for special plans. Emergency consultation facilities must be provided,
whereby the propagandists can be called upon to exploit an opportunity
before the time passes. To this end, most nations in wartime have propa-
ganda duty officers who are available around the clock; where military
and civilian instrumentalities are both employed, duty officers are needed
in each.

163. APPLICATION OF PLANS AND ORDERS. If plans are
highly classified and do not reach the actual producers of propaganda,
they are of little value. Propaganda output is measured in terms of the
actual newscasts, features, radio scripts of other kinds, leaflet texts,
poster appeals and other definite writing tasks. These must be written,
translated, and broadcast or printed. The net output of propaganda is made
up of the work of the people who perform the practical tasks. In ordinary
combat operations, it is perhaps desirable for an infantryman to know as
much as feasible about the strategic and tactical mission on which he is
engaged, but it is not a condition of his effectiveness. Commands can be
filtered down to him, without the reasons accompanying them. Direct com-
mand does not usually apply in artistic or literary work such as propaganda.
Plans must accordingly be translatable into specific do's and don't's
(usually called guidances). To be genuinely practical, guidances must be:
a. Plain and unambiguous.
b. Organized for ready reference.
c. Dated, with automatic expiration.
d. Mandatory.
e. Non-security or low-classified.
The last provision is made necessary by the fact that the propagandist,
being in constant touch with the enemy, is always in danger of giving away
his purpose; furthermore, propaganda personnel must be recruited from
among persons familiar with the enemy or antagonist. This signifies that
the best propagandists are those who have a great deal of sympathy for
enemy customs, thought-patterns, and ideals. They do not necessarily
prove disloyal, but it is plainly unsound to burden such persons with
important or secret information.

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