To change a nation: propaganda and indoctrination in communist China
- New York Crowell Collier 1961
- 250p.
This volume is based almost exclusively on information drawn from the Chinese Communist press and other publications. In portraying the organization and operation of the Communist pro paganda and indoctrination apparatus, I felt throughout that I should take the part neither of critic nor apologist, but simply that of dispassionate reporter - neither to attack nor defend the Communist policy, but simply to describe it as accurately as possible. Partly for this reason, and partly because of the very nature of the subject-matter, I have consistently refrained from subjective analysis and from "general theories" that would only give this work the appearance of profundity while oversimplifying or even distorting the fact.
I welcome this opportunity to express my feelings of obligation to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, which granted me the privilege of free access to its precious collection of Chinese Communist publications. I am particularly grateful to Dr. C. Easton Rothwell, then Director of the Institution and now President of Mills College, who showed me so much courtesy during my stay at Stanford.
This study was undertaken at the urging of Professor Wilbur Schramm of Stanford University and Professor Arthur F. Wright, now of Yale University; both of them most kindly read the pre liminary draft of the manuscript and made valuable suggestions for which I find it difficult to express my gratitude adequately..
Some of my colleagues on the political science faculty at Michigan State University were very generous with their interest while the manuscript was in preparation. Professor Guy H. Fox, then Acting Head of the Department, and Professor Lewis Edinger were especially helpful.