129. CIVILIAN ACTION LEAFLETS. Leaflets sometimes re-
quested the civilians to perform a specific function. Leaflets like those
shown in Illustration #8 were dropped over Occupied China to deny the
Japanese the use of Chinese labor in maintaining his line of communica-
tions. Since much of the Japanese logistics depended on local help, this
was a major undertaking. The propaganda leaflets from the OWI-CBI,
distributed by the 14th Air Force, called for the Chinese to stay away from
railroads and the texts told the Chinese that their American friends did not
desire to bomb them. This was perfectly true. Coolie transport columns
sometimes disappeared overnight after being peppered with such leaflets,
leaving the Japanese sitting in the middle of nowhere with more gear than
they could carry. The cover illustration is another action leaflet, calling
for help to be given downed American flyers.
T30.
CIVILIAN MORALE LEAFLETS. Leaflets which had
neither news nor special action calls often aimed at enemy morale as a
whole, to run it downwards, or at allied morale, to keep it up. Morale
leaflets, when effective, most commonly exploited some definite enemy
weakness, such as lowered rations, the execution of hostages, denial of
furloughs to enlisted fathers.
131. BLACK LEAFLETS.
Often an enemy situation would arise
in which black leaflets could be used. If the enemy issued a complicated
new ration card, the dropping of a few million forgeries was certain to
embarrass his rationing. Official-looking imitations of enemy documents
were dropped, giving "secret" orders to do something highly distasteful
to the enemy population. Sometimes an enemy newspaper would be dupli-
cated. Handbooks for malingerers were used by both sides. Soviet propa-
ganda developed some exceedingly handsome "militarist German" attacks
on Hitler and his gang as not being Junker enough.
132.
COMBAT PROPAGANDA. Comparable leaflets were used
for strategic propaganda to troops. News and morale leaflets were of the
same general types; sometimes the same leaflet was used for both audien-
ces. Action leaflets, however, were not in most instances applicable to
military personnel and civilians both. The commonest action leaflet for
troops was, of course, the surrender pass or surrender leaflet. The most
famous and effective of these is the Passierschein issued from SHAEF
(see Illustration #11). Combat propaganda also made use of loudspeakers.
133. GIFTS AND NOVELTIES. A sensational but minor field of
experiment concerned the dropping of matches, chocolate, needles,.salt
and other gifts by an air force. Countermeasures to this sometimes con-
sisted in dropping duplicates of the enemy gift, but fixing the duplicates so
as to make the receivers suspicious of all such gifts (poisoned chocolate,
nauseous salt, etc.).
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