Speaker-Upper

I am in earnest--I will not equivocate--I will not excuse--I will not retreat a single inch--and I will be heard!

Thus spoke William LloydGarrison at a crisis in U. S. affairs (slavery) in 1831. Last week a Manhattan publicity man, dark, voluble little Edward L. Bernays, emulated Garrison as loudly as radio, printing presses and modern advertising permitted--which was plenty loud.

Edward Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud, hates to be called a press agent. He had raised his voice for democracy before, as a member of the U. S. Committee on Public Information (propaganda) in World War I. Since then he has ably publicized electricity, soap, refrigerators, sea food, written a book on propaganda, become a leading publicist. Three months ago, having concluded that democracy was in grave danger of going under by default, he decided to start a publicity campaign in its behalf. First broadside in his campaign was an article in Current History outlining a program for patriots. Last fortnight Mr. Bernays expanded the article into a book, Speak Up For Democracy (Viking; $1).

Billed as "the handbook of this great crusade of our time," Mr. Bernays' book reprinted the Bill of Rights, summed up Mr. Bernays' answers to the stock arguments of democracy's detractors, instructed democrats in how to heckle for democracy, speak up in their organizations, get newspaper space and radio time, write to the President and Congressmen.

By last week Mr. Bernays' crusade was under way. Enlisted were the Citizenship Educational Service (30 groups, including the Boy Scouts, Y. M. C. A., General Federation of Women's Clubs, A. F. of L.), the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Chicago Service Clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.). They laid plans to distribute Mr. Bernays' book, speak up for democracy on the radio, in local forums.

First setback to Mr. Bernays' crusade came from an unexpected quarter--the U. S. Government. The Post Office Department refused to deliver his book at the book mail rate (1 1/2c), said that it must go as parcel post (7 to 15-c-). Because it listed movies and pamphlets on democracy, with prices, the Post Office ruled that Speak Up For Democracy was advertising matter.

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