Show Business

One is justified in reacting with suspicion to the Defense Department's announcement that it is putting out a new film called "Communist Target Youth." The movie is described as an effort to give an overall picture of communist penetration into youth organizations, yet it will treat such varied and complex events as the Venezuelan riots against former Vice-President Richard Nixon, this summer's student riots in Japan, and the demonstrations against the HUAC in San Francisco. None of these outbreaks are proven instances of communist activity. Venezuela and Japan, for example, are by no means simply cases of Red agitation. And the San Francisco demonstrations, whatever their real cause, were not explained in the very bad and very distorted film made by the HUAC. Subsuming all such riots under the slogan "communist penetration of youth organizations" does not augur well for "Communist Target Youth" as a reliable documentary.

The film will be shown to servicemen in the United States (presumably whether they want to see it or not). Also, if the Defense Department permits, the general public will see copies of it. No one quarrels with the Department's right to make training films, but it seems all too likely that this one will be just another sloganized distinction blurring piece of trash. If "Communist Target Youth" is anything like "Operation Abolition," the Defense Department is guilty both of misusing Federal money for a vicious, private kind of propaganda, and of showing a bad movie to captive audiences.