Walt Disney’s never-never-land animals, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and all the others, have made friends for the U. S. in every corner of the world. Everywhere these lovable creatures are greeted with shrieks of delight. Everywhere they are ambassadors of good-will. Because of this, if for no other reason, Walt Disney may go down in history as one of the United States’ ace diplomats of World War II.
In French Equatorial Africa, General DeGaulle’s Free French planes are adorned by portraits of an aviator Donald Duck pulling a Hitler-faced worm out of the ground. In Washington, Madame Litvinov, wife of the Russian ambassador, declared that she just loved Donald Duck. On the high seas, the British aircraft carrier Illustrious has Donald on its deck-in an admiral’s uniform.
Mr. Disney has had an inkling of his pen-children’s popularity for some time, of course, but it really came home to him during his recent visit to South America. What he is probably too modest to report is that South America liked Walt Disney as wholeheartedly as they like Donald, Mickey and all the other Disney creatures.
Disney talked to schoolkids, artists, musicians, scissors-grinders and officials. He was lionized at parties and decorated by governments. Now he is back in the United States using Donald Duck to acquaint us with our friends south of the border. Give Donald Duck and Walt Disney 3 chance and the United States won’t have to worry about allies!
