Title: Edward Hunter Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1922-1960

Creator:

• Hunter, Edward, 1902-1978

Call Number: U.S. Mss 40AF

Quantity: 1.2 c.f. (3 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of a foreign correspondent, author, and China specialist. Two folders of correspondence concern difficulties with the International News Service, 1936-1937; books and articles; and Hunter's conflict with Time over use of the term “brainwashing.” Other material includes background information for Brainwashing in Red China (1951) and The Story of Mary Liu (1955); papers relating to an attack on Hunter by New Times; translations and analyses of Chinese propaganda in newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, textbooks, plays, and films; translations of personal experiences of refugees from communism; and miscellaneous information on the Far East including embassy news bulletins from Afghanistan and information on Gene Symonds and Garry Davis.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0040af

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Edward Hunter was born in New York City on July 2, 1902. In the early 1920s, he began working as a newspaper reporter and writer. Among the papers for which he worked were: the Newark Ledger, the New Orleans Item, the New York Post, and the New York American. From 1924 to 1925, he was a reporter for the Paris edition of the Chicago Tribune, and in 1927, he became news editor for the Japan Advertiser in Tokyo, Japan. From 1928 to 1929, he was editor of the Hankow (China) Herald, and of the Peking Leader from 1929 to 1930.

Mr. Hunter covered the Japanese conquest of Manchuria, the Spanish Civil War, and the Italian conquest of Ethiopia for the International News Service during the period 1931-1936. During World War II, he served as a war correspondent, and in the Office of Strategic Services.

After World War II, Mr. Hunter pioneered in revealing the “brainwashing” tactics of the Soviet and Chinese Communists, introducing this word to describe the psychological methods of the Communists. He served as a consultant to the United States Air Force in 1953, and then became a propaganda specialist for the morale operations section of the OSS in Asia.

Among Mr. Hunter's books are: The Story of Mary Liu, Brainwashing in Red China, and Brainwashing -- The Story of Men Who Defied It. He has appeared at hearings in Washington investigating Communist tactics in the United States.

In the collection are two folders of correspondence for the years 1933-1960. The letters concern Hunter's difficulties with International News Service while he was working for them in Paris, 1936-1937; his books and articles; Communist China; and his difficulties with Time magazine over use of the term “brainwashing.”

Also present is background information on Hunter's book, Brainwashing in Red China and papers concerning the New Times (Communist magazine) attack on Hunter, along with material on rehabilitation camps in which Communists are retrained in the Far East. There is also material concerning Hunter's short book, The Story of Mary Liu, including a soft-cover copy of the book, correspondence, background, and a copy of an interview with Mary Liu by Margaret Brown, a missionary. Grouped with these items are papers on Communist China and religion.

In addition to materials concerning Hunter's own books, there are many translations and analyses by Hunter of Chinese Communist works, including newspapers, magazines, books, pamphlets, school text books, plays, and films, along with translations of personal experiences of people who escaped the Communists.

There is a folder of passports, cards, accreditations and documents accumulated by Hunter during his career. A sampling of twelve groups of embassy news bulletins collected and annotated by Hunter while he was in Kabul, Afghanistan, gathering material for his book, The Past Present, has been retained in the collection. There are a few articles, mostly concerning Hunter's work for the Hearst newspapers and concerning Communism in Asia.

In addition to this, there is manuscript and printed material concerning Gene Symonds, the reporter killed by a mob in Singapore, and concerning Garry Davis, the “world citizen.” There are also short pieces on Communist China by Max Perleberg.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Edward Hunter, Arlington, Va., March, June, and July, 1961 and June, 1962.

Box   1	Correspondence, 1933-1960
Box   1	Background material for Brainwashing in Red China Scope and Content Note: Includes material on the New Times attack and papers concerning anti-communist camps.
Box   1	The Story of Mary Liu Scope and Content Note: Includes correspondence and background, Margaret Brown's interview with Mary Liu, and materials on Communist China and religion.
Box   2	Translations and analyses of Communist publications Scope and Content Note: Concerns newspapers, magazines, books, pamphlets, school textbooks, plays, and films.
Box   2	Translations of personal experiences of escapees from Communism
Box   3	Memorabilia, 1922-1959 Scope and Content Note: Includes passports, cards, accreditations, and documents pertaining to Hunter's career.
Box   3	Embassy news bulletins from Kabul, Afghanistan, 1956-1957
Box   3	Articles by Hunter, 1936, 1951-1952
Box   3	Material concerning Gene Symonds and Garry Davis
Box   3	Three articles by Max Perleberg