United States. Army. Forces, Pacific. Psychological Warfare Branch

The Psychological Warfare Branch of the United States Armed Forces was a military unit that created and distributed propaganda during the Second World War. The Southwest Pacific office, which was located in Australia, dealt with the Phillippines, Japan, Southeast Asia and other nearby areas. They printed millions of propaganda leaflets and had them air-dropped into conflict zones. Many of the leaflets targeted Japanese readers, though some were created for other local civilian populations. It operated from 1944-1945.

Karl F. Baldwin, who owned this scrapbook, was the U.S. military attache to Australia. Fluent in Japanese, he had helped to established the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section of the Southwest Pacific Area for the Allied Forces. The Office of the Military Secretary in the Psychological Warfare Branch had this scrapbook created as "a permanent record of proclamations and leaflets" that his section had created, and mailed it to Baldwin.

From the guide to the Psychological Warfare Branch Scrapbook of American Propaganda Leaflets, 1944-1945, (Pacific University Archives)