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Book Review
Treason on the Airwaves
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Treason on the Airwaves
by Judith Keene
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Judith Keene from the University of Sydney recently released an
excellent book about three Allied broadcasters on Axis Radio during
World War II.
We strongly recommend this book for everyone interested in
understanding how AFRS radio developed in the Pacific as a
counterpoint to the successful propaganda broadcasts coming from
Radio Tokyo.
Judith takes us on a well researched journey inside Radio Tokyo
during World War II as she explores the emergence of 'Tokyo Rose' and
how the popular 2GB Sydney announcer Charles Cousens, then a Japanese
POW, took command of the English language broadcasts.
She also carefully reviews the entire broadcasting scene in Asia and
the Pacific after 1941, putting the broadcasts, and the broadcasters
themselves, in full context of the situation being faced at the time.
This is the key to understanding why the American and Australian
authorities embarked on bitter and long drawn out treason charge
campaigns against Iva Toguri [later pardoned] and Cousens [the case
against him collapsed] after the end of the war.
On the other hand, John Amery, the British broadcaster from various
occupied European capitals and Berlin was quickly found guilty of and
hung for treason. His high profile family connections failed to save
his life.
In each case, Judith lays out the facts, the circumstances of the
treason charges and trials, examines the personalities and character
flaws of the three broadcasters, the honesty of the prosecutors, and
comes to a chilling conclusion that serves as a warning even today.
Hundreds of Allied POW's and those caught on the wrong side of a
border during World War II also broadcast for the Axis. There was no
one Tokyo Rose.
This book asks why these three people were singled out for
retribution whilst hundreds of others who did no less were often
decorated or allowed to fade into obscurity and rebuild their lives.
The answer is disturbing.
You can read more about these broadcasts in our popular features
'Radio Tokyo at War' and 'Tokyo Rose Broadcasts'.
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