Dáil Éireann Report on Propaganda

Report from the Department of Publicity
(Period March 16th - May 7th)

Since the last report was submitted the enemy discovered the offices of this Department and used the Typewriters and duplicators they captured from it to produce forged issues of the Irish Bulletin. Fortunately the first issues of the forgeries were patently bogus and the subsequent and better counterfeits reached a public already warned against them. The forgeries do however cause some confusion among foreign readers. The fraud is one that is exceedingly difficult to counter.

The issue of the genuine Bulletin was not affected by the raid and the work of the Department generally has been carried on, without interruption, in spite of the loss of much valuable material in the form of files, analyses, cuttings etc. The Director would like to record his appreciation of the energy of the Publicity staff in meeting and overcoming the difficulties incidental to the raid.

Within the last few weeks the Department has considerably increased its activities. Two hundred new names have been added to those to whom the Bulletin is being sent. Over 650 persons now receive copies while a number who were not making use of it have been struck off the list of recipients. Arrangements are being made to print the Bulletin and issue it in the form of a small newspaper, as soon as the difficult question of accommodation can be solved.

In addition to issuing the Daily 'Bulletin' the Department now circulates every week a survey of the military and political events in Ireland. The survey is written in a form useful to Press correspondents and is being quoted from by them. Also all DAIL DECREES and ministerial statements are now published in or with the Bulletin.

A number of pamphlets, dealing with the constructive work of the Republican Government have been written and these are at present being got ready for publication. Other pamphlets are also in course of preparation. The Department is now receiving short stories and poems from Irish writers for propaganda purposes, which it is intended to publish in English, Continental and American Newspapers and Magazines.