A page from The American Beethoven Society discusses The Etude's propaganda during WWII.  The illustrations mentioned here are also in my earlier postings.

The Etude Music Magazine

The music magazine Etude published an article in September 1941 titled “Will Beethoven Stop Hitler?” The cover of the issue shows a smiling young girl practicing the piano above the title of the article. Etude’s publishers continued to participate in the propaganda war through 1945. The August 1943 issue of Etude contained a story by Harold Keen titled “Beethoven Helps Build American Bombers.” Keen reported that “The challenging notes of the Beethoven symphony ring out the ‘Victory’ motif to thousands of American workers at the huge Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Factory at San Diego, California. Thus does the music of a German immortal master help to down the unthinkable Nazi sadists, who have brought his nation to world contempt.”        

“Will Beethoven Stop Hitler?” by Harlan W. Morton with music score of piano arrangement of the Fifth Symphony (September 1941)

“Nazi Perversion of the Ideals of the Great German Masters” by Paul Nettl (in the March 1943 issue)

“A Message from the White House”  (July 1943)

“V-Day in Piano Land” with emblem inscribed “A Victorious New Year to All” and the opening motto of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony ( January 1945)

1940_September (pre-WWII)

"Unidentified" music in the sky is from Handel's Messiah:  "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth...";  protecting church, school, home; American flag; white picket fence; access is guarded by a treble clef; caption offers a bedrock foundation as well as personal elevation through music.

1945_January (WWII)

Opening notes of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, unidentified (thought to be the Morse code for "V"); all white children, segregated by gender; uniformed, disciplined, similar to soldiers; seated in a "V" formation; two children per student suggesting cooperation and team work; Palm Trees indicating that the war was still raging in the Pacific.