'File 11/46 Publicity in the Persian Gulf' [‎89r] (177/314)

6
(. SHO&T STORES.
United Publications believes that a great wealth
of good literature lies hidden in Indian languages. It
is true that there have been several collections of short
stories translated into English from various Indian
languages, but we are not convinced that the best
selection has always been made of the material available
or that translations have always been of a uniformly
high standard. Moreover, short stories in, for example,
Malayalam, may never have been translated into Urdu
or Hindi even if they have appeared in English, and
very rarely indeed have they appeared in such languages
as Persian, Arabic or Russian. United Publications
believe that they would be doing a good service to the
cause of literature in general if these stories were made
more widely available.
We therefore propose to conduct some detailed
r—earch into the material available in short stories in
ah the principal Indian languages, and to translate
^ the best of these into Urdu, Hindi, English, Persian,
Arabic and Russian. The pick of the collection will
then be re-published in an anthology in such languages
as seem most suitable.
This is quite an ambitious project and we hope to
> have the co-operation of scholars and societies through
out India.
D. ADVERTISEMENTS.
The machinery for using United Publications as
advertising media is now in full swing. Rate-cards and
circular letters have been prepared in consultation with
our advertising representative and a small but steady
trickle of advertisements has already begun to flow in.
Some delay was caused at the start of the campaign as we
had hoped that The Bugle in its three editions, Arabic,
Persian and English would be the main vehicle
for our external advertising. The decision, therefore,
to abandon the English version meant that most of the
work in preparation for the campaign had to be abandoned
and a new start made on the basis of two versions only,
the Arabic and the Persian.
It has been laid down as a principle that advertise
ments will be accepted from foreign firms in magazines
circulating in India only if they deal in Indian products
and that advertisements will be accepted from foreign
firms in magazines circulating outside India provided
that their goods do not enter into competition with
Indian goods.
E. COPYRIGHT.
The scheme of translating Indian short stories outlined
in Section C has brought up in an acute form the whole
question of copyright. In common with other magazines
engaged in furthering the war effort, we have been in
the habit occasionally in the past of reprinting in trans
lations—with due acknowledgments—tonic articles from
our contemporaries. We now have to review the whole
question of copyright in connection with articles
appearing in all our magazines, whether in English,
Persian, Arabic, Russian, or Indian languages. We are
receiving help from a scheme recently devised whereby
we are allowed by A.I.R. to use for the purpose of
magazine publicity, talks delivered over the air and
copyright questions have been very amicably settled in
connection with these scripts. If this scheme can be
satisfactorily organized we shall find at our disposal a
large new source of excellent material.
F 'sd : 1st October 1945
(Sd.) W. LYNNDON CLOUGH*
* Col. Wheeler left on deputation to the Middle East, Persia and England on Aug. 15th. 1945.
✓
U. P —125—1—10—45.