Hostile International Propaganda and International Law

Abstract

From earliest times, hostile propaganda has been in wide use among men and between nations; it has also been deeply resented and even violently resisted. But only re cently has the world developed a system of principles and norms designed to curb and even to outlaw its use. Similar to the evo lution of international rules intended to proscribe aggressive war, the culmination of the movement to curb international commu nication considered dangerous to peace has come only in the twentieth century. Attention has focused not only on propa ganda leading to acts of subversion and to outright aggression and war, but also on propaganda that is defamatory of a sov ereign state and of its leaders and representatives. So exten sive is this body of norms that today, as the hostile propaganda between nations continues unabated, especially in times of stress, the real need is not so much for more rules to be drafted or new treaties to be signed and ratified. What we require is the establishment of authoritative and acceptable means for the interpretation of the existing norms and their effective enforce ment.